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[Dan_Lockwood]

I'm not sure if this has been asked in this manner before.

When riding my new '08 SERK and I attempt to let go of the handle bars, the bike will ever so slightly pull to the left.  Enough so that you can't adjust your weight to straighten out.

I'm sure this has to do with rear wheel alignment.

So, if the belt is properly adjusted (tensioned) and you loosen up the rear axle assembly just a bit, which way would you move the front of the tire?  Would you move it to the right by slightly turning the eccentric on the right side of the axle to move the axle back just a hair, or would you do just the opposite?

I've tried to think this through as to what affect a rear tire pointed slightly to the left would do, or if the other way what would it do.  I'm thinking that if the front of the rear tire were turned ever so slightly to the left it would cause the bike to pull or lean that direction.  But hey, I could be totally backasswards about that.

I know, all you guys will say to just sight down the tires or straight edge the front and rear tires to get them straight, but I've already had the bike tensions set at the dealership on the 1,000 mile check up.  I know they tightened the belt as it's lots tighter now so they had to adjust the axle rearward to do that.  The bike had the same slight pull when brand new as it does after the 1,000 mile check up.

I plan on just doing a minor tweak on the right side only to get the bike tracking straight down the road again.

My question again is, would you move the front of the rear tire left or right just a bit?  I'm sure someone will know off the top of their head the answer on this.  I've been riding and working on bikes since I was 14 and that would be about 45 years ago now and I've only ever just used the banjo bolts to even it out from side to side.  On the old bikes I would use an adjustable heavy wire, like 1/8", that is pointed on each end and bent 90 degrees at each end.  I would then put one end of the wire in the axle center hole and the other end in the pivot arm center.  Duplicate this same measurement on both side with the chain properly tensioned and all was great with the world.  But with all the crap on the bikes today, it's even hard to sight down the outside of the tires let alone get to the center points of the swing arm pivot shaft and the axle centers.

So what are the guesses, move left or move front to the right?

Inquiring minds would like to know.

[SPIDERMAN]

Could be that the stem nut on the front fork is not correctly tightened. The art of adjusting the tension on the neck bearings is just that - - - an art. As a rule, H-D's come from the factory set up fine however every now and then the automatic torque settings on the assemblers air wrenches go awry and a few slip past the inspectors before it's noticed. I'd opt to have this checked over your scenario with the rear wheel in your post. A slightly loose stem nut would cause the front end to drift (a really bad one would require both hands in a death grip on the bars)  Conversely, a too tight one would allow for hands free operation for miles of open highway, but that first corner would be a bitch.

B B

[erniezap]

My feeling is that mostly likely the engine/tranny is out of line with the back wheel versus the wheels not being lined up.

There is a tool to align the bike.  The tool goes over the swingarm shaft.  You loosen the motor mounts and adjust them until the bolts drop in without resistance.  This way the engine/trannsmission is lined up with the rear wheel/tire.  Jim (HD-Dude) has the tools and experience and can explain it a lot better.

[JCZ]

There could be a number of reasons that your bike pulls slightly to the left.  Mine pulls slightly to the right.....doesn't matter where I have my tire changed or who does it.  That's because I carry my tools in the right saddle bag.  If I lean to the left, it counter balances and I can go straight (without hands) down the road.

I have put them in the left saddle bag, just to be sure that that's all it is.  Are you riding in the fast lane of a road that's crowned, when you're riding without hands?  I also have a friend who happens to be a tad bit heavy and he was having the same problem.  I told him it's cause he's sittin half way out of the saddle to one side.  He didn't even realize that he rode like that but when he moves over to where I told him he's centered then he goes straight down the road.  He said it just doesn't feel like he's centered when he sits like that so he still rides hanging over one side of the seat....we've all seen em before.  And for those who haven't rode long enough.....now that I've pointed it out you will notice them.

Anyway, just consider all that comes in to play in riding with no hands.

[DCFIREMANN]

IMHO it may be the front forks. They might not of been tightened from the factorry. If you look under the dash you will see two clinch bolts on the lower triple tree. If you take your front end turn it to the right while the bike is sitting and lightly kick the front of the tire. Get back on the bike and try riding it again with no hands. If it got better then tighten your clinch bolts and take it back to the dealer for an allignment.

As crude as this sounds it works. But the bike must be alligned by some one who knows what they are doing.

Be Safe

THE DAWG

[Dan_Lockwood]

IMHO it may be the front forks. They might not of been tightened from the factory. If you look under the dash you will see two clinch bolts on the lower triple tree. If you take your front end turn it to the right while the bike is sitting and lightly kick the front of the tire. Get back on the bike and try riding it again with no hands. If it got better then tighten your clinch bolts and take it back to the dealer for an alignment.

As crude as this sounds it works. But the bike must be aligned by some one who knows what they are doing.

Be Safe

THE DAWG

Ever since the bike was brand new, the handlebars seemed to be turned ever so slightly to the right while riding straight down the road.  They were suppose to correct this on one of my visits to the dealership, but it was only slightly better from a visual standpoint and the bike still went slightly to the left when releasing the bars.

When you say, have someone do this that knows what they're doing, the dealer or Indy doesn't have an alignment machine they drive up on like a car, so isn't it all just a matter of patience and tweaking to making sure everything lines up.  My opinion of course.

I'll try the front tire kick method and see what results I get.  As I said with the bars slightly turned I suspected that the forks were not square, but with what little the bars are out of square I wouldn't think that would do it.  But I've been wrong once before...  If the bars are to the right while riding, kicking the tire to the right should bring the bars to the left just a bit if they clinch bolts are the problem.  What if the bolts are tight but the fork was just twisted slightly when tightened?

Thanks again to everyone.