Handlebars not tracking straight

[glennis]

Hi guys, I've had my 06 R1200GS about two years now and was carrying out some maintenance today and noticed that when the bike is on its centre stand and the front wheel is off the ground the handle bars always flop to the left. So I took it for a ride and took my hands off the bars and the bike would not track straight - it always pulled to the right (counter steering).

I had a quick hunt on the net with no luck and just wanted to know if anybody else has experienced this. I'm a bit concerned that something is well out of alignment or the front suspension is worn or damaged.

Any ideas on alignment checks that I could carry out or if anyone else has had this problem?

Cheers

 

[Doofus]

Hi guys, I've had my 06 R1200GS about two years now and was carrying out some maintenance today and noticed that when the bike is on its centre stand and the front wheel is off the ground the handle bars always flop to the left. So I took it for a ride and took my hands off the bars and the bike would not track straight - it always pulled to the right (counter steering).

I had a quick hunt on the net with no luck and just wanted to know if anybody else has experienced this. I'm a bit concerned that something is well out of alignment or the front suspension is worn or damaged.

Any ideas on alignment checks that I could carry out or if anyone else has had this problem?

Cheers

Mine veers quite strongly to the right when coasting hands off.

I think, and this is just my theory, it is a charactertic of the engine and Newton's laws of motion. The slow down of the engine causes a drop in angular momentum about the bike's long axis which is countered by the bike leaning to the right and veering (Newton's equal and opposite reaction). This is a bit like the kick to one side you get when you trigger an electric drill (but in reverse).

It would be particularly noticable on a GS, as opposed to an in-line four, because the crank runs front to rear and the engine braking is so much higher.

Darren

 

[xjrjason]

Mines the same.

I'm new-ish to the bike, sat back to re-adjust my gloves whilst coasting in gear last night and found I had to lean quite a bit to the left, to keep going in a straight line.

I'll now try it out a bit more, so I can compensate when riding with no hands, when needed.

 

[Engineer]

Mines the same.

I'm new-ish to the bike, sat back to re-adjust my gloves whilst coasting in gear last night and found I had to lean quite a bit to the left, to keep going in a straight line.

I'll now try it out a bit more, so I can compensate when riding with no hands, when needed.

Road camber can have an effect too

 

[glennis]

Mine veers quite strongly to the right when coasting hands off.

I think, and this is just my theory, it is a charactertic of the engine and Newton's laws of motion. The slow down of the engine causes a drop in angular momentum about the bike's long axis which is countered by the bike leaning to the right and veering (Newton's equal and opposite reaction). This is a bit like the kick to one side you get when you trigger an electric drill (but in reverse).

It would be particularly noticable on a GS, as opposed to an in-line four, because the crank runs front to rear and the engine braking is so much higher.

Darren

Thats quite an interesting theory. I do know when the bike is stationary and you blurp the throttle you can actually feel the bike being pushed to one side very briefly - this is the torque reaction you speak of. This may contribute to the problem, however, I tried it coasting in neutral and the bike still turns.

Do any other GSers find their handlebars flop to the left when the front wheel is off the ground?

I also inspected the tread on both tires and they have worn evenly. I'm uncertain if I have a problem or not.

 

[Mr K]

Road camber can have an effect too

Most likely cause.

 

[Wapping]

Road camber can have an effect too

As can imagination....

I've had my 06 R1200GS about two years now and was carrying out some maintenance today and noticed that when the bike is on its centre stand and the front wheel is off the ground the handle bars always flop to the left. So I took it for a ride and took my hands off the bars and the bike would not track straight - it always pulled to the right (counter steering).

.... Glennis, it's quite possible that having noticed the wheel dressing to the left as it were, you now imagine it pulling to the right....

I only guess that because in the proceeding two years you hadn't noticed it before, I assume? Either that or you have never let go of the bars before?

My 1200GSA pulls a bit with my hands off the bars, as did my vanilla 1200. But I can ride for considerable distances with 'no hands' before it heads towards the ditch and me to 'no teeth'.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Mr K]

As can imagination....

......and wind..

 

[Slowdown]

......and wind..

Jeez - that's one hell of a fart to blow you off line!

 

[Doofus]

Road camber can have an effect too

I don't think that's the case with mine - my GS always veers yet my Fazer never does. My Fazer tracks in a such a straight line I can coast hands off from 30 to a stall without any noticible drift - my previous Fazer 600 was not quite that good, but still many times better than the GS at flying straight.

Another pertinent point for my GS - there is no tendency to veer when at a constant speed. I.e. I can chug along a motorway at 70 without needing to apply any steering force to keep it going straight, it is only when I let go the throttle and slow under engine braking that the bike heads for the oncoming traffic.

I still reckon it's the GS engine - the test will be to roll down a steep hill in neutral with the engine off or at steady tickover and see what happens...

 

[mr badger]

Combination or camber, bit of tyre wear and torque reaction, which will manifest anytime the engine speed changes, such as coasting down. Try a Guzzi - way more aparrent.

I've got so used to it that when I rode an F800 recently, I swore it had torque reaction in the opposite direction.

 

[SpudBoy]

Maybe there's more weight on one side?

Maybe the rear wheel is slightly offset from the front (my BMW K1200RS has a 5mm offset on the rear wheel....so it tracks 5mm to the right of the front wheel)

 

[Pukmeister]

Your front forks may be slightly twisted within the yokes. Try jacking up the bike on the centrestand so the front wheel is unweighted, then slacken the lower fork bridge clamps, tap the forks with a plastic mallet or softwood and hammer, tap the handlebars sideways to correct the wayward steering then retorque the fork bridge clamps to 25Nm.

 

[glennis]

Your front forks may be slightly twisted within the yokes. Try jacking up the bike on the centrestand so the front wheel is unweighted, then slacken the lower fork bridge clamps, tap the forks with a plastic mallet or softwood and hammer, tap the handlebars sideways to correct the wayward steering then retorque the fork bridge clamps to 25Nm.

What reference/guide would you use to make sure the forks are aligned correctly within the yoke?