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[Billy]

I have noticed that I can not ride with no hands for a split second. I thought the bike should be able to run  a straight line a 50 miles per hour on a good road. Not that I will plan on this but  I question is the bike aligned right. I have seen people ride for some distance like this. My bike tends to move the right no matter which lane or where I'm at in the tire tracks.  Just wondering if this is normal? Thanks Billy

[Hoist!]

I have noticed that I can not ride with no hands for a split second. I thought the bike should be able to run  a straight line a 50 miles per hour on a good road. Not that I will plan on this but  I question is the bike aligned right. I have seen people ride for some distance like this. My bike tends to move the right no matter which lane or where I'm at in the tire tracks.  Just wondering if this is normal? Thanks Billy

Hey Billy, are you sure you're sitting straight on it and not shifting your weight at all? Are you trying it on flat roads or are they crowned? My bike tracks perfectly straight and can keep my hands off as long as the road allows. I only tried it to see, but I never ride like this except to strech my arms and back sometimes.

Hoist!

[FR8TRN]

I have noticed that I can not ride with no hands for a split second. I thought the bike should be able to run  a straight line a 50 miles per hour on a good road. Not that I will plan on this but  I question is the bike aligned right. I have seen people ride for some distance like this. My bike tends to move the right no matter which lane or where I'm at in the tire tracks.  Just wondering if this is normal? Thanks Billy

Generally this is the way it is, most roads have a crown, your bike will drift away from that high spot, it is easily compensated for with a slight lean to the left.  I ride with no hands alot.  There was a nice officer in FL who pulled me over to ask that I not, but once he was gone I did again.  \

Woohoo.....post # 1000 for me.......

[Chief]

I have noticed that I can not ride with no hands for a split second. I thought the bike should be able to run  a straight line a 50 miles per hour on a good road. Not that I will plan on this but  I question is the bike aligned right. I have seen people ride for some distance like this. My bike tends to move the right no matter which lane or where I'm at in the tire tracks.  Just wondering if this is normal? Thanks Billy

Pretty normal. I can ride with no hands, but it usually requires moving to one side or the other, and then it only lasts for a bit before it drifts further/faster than I can persuade it with my body. These are big heavy bikes and don't respond to weight shifts like smaller and lighter bikes do. You've always got road crowns that will send you one way or another too.

[Steve_G]

I prefer to ride with no hands so I have time to read American Iron.  -Just stick a knee out to grab some air to go around corners.  - -Steve

[mr_magoo]

The bikes are self centering.  Have some one look at the steering head bearings probably need to be adjusted.   

[HEADPAN62]

if you have more weight in one saddle bag compaired too the other ,,you will drift

[Talon]

Mine runs straight as an arrow, your wheels may not be in alignment. There are several ways to check this, but if you have a long enough straight edge you can run it along your wheels while someone holds the bike up and the front wheel straight. If they are in alignment the straight edge should hit your tires in two different spots one in front and one in the back of each wheel/tire. If not then you need to look at where it's not hitting and figure which way the rear wheel needs to be cocked to get it straight. If your swing arm is off then that's a whole different story, and theres a section in the service manual on how to correct that.

Could be a fat wallet in your back pocket, to fix that buy more parts for you bike!!!

[SCRM-R]

Mine always drifted to the left, until I installed Metzeler tires.  Now, no hands and straight as an arrow.  Same bike, same roads, tires were the only change.  Oh, and the ride is SO much better too.

[d o g o l s]

I have noticed that I can not ride with no hands for a split second. I thought the bike should be able to run  a straight line a 50 miles per hour on a good road. Not that I will plan on this but  I question is the bike aligned right. I have seen people ride for some distance like this. My bike tends to move the right no matter which lane or where I'm at in the tire tracks.  Just wondering if this is normal? Thanks Billy

Pretty normal I can ride with no hands

[miker]

Yup, especially to light a cigar with the new cigar lighter in the FAIRING...

Miker

[bobaroni]

I have noticed that I can not ride with no hands for a split second. I thought the bike should be able to run  a straight line a 50 miles per hour on a good road. Not that I will plan on this but  I question is the bike aligned right. I have seen people ride for some distance like this. My bike tends to move the right no matter which lane or where I'm at in the tire tracks.  Just wondering if this is normal? Thanks Billy

I only have trouble if I stand on the seat at the same time.
Seriously though, with electronic cruise it's hard not to go no hands occasionally. Mine rides straight.

[Talon]

SCRM-R, you alignment might have been off a little and when they change the tire they corrected the alignment.   

[Puzzled]

I ride for miles without my hands on the bars. Usually without my eyes on the road either....

[grc]

Billy,

Lots of good ideas listed so far, let's recap some of them:

1.  Road crown - try riding in the left lane (ahh, preferably on a four lane road) and see if the bike still pulls right.  If it pulls left, looks like a crown issue.  If it still pulls right, probably not the road.

2.  Steering head bearings - if they are too tight they might not let the front end self center.  Have them checked in conjunction with an alignment check.  Related item - check for binding cables, brake lines, and electrical harnesses that could bias the front end to the right.  This is more common than you might think.

3.  Alignment - not only horizontal but vertical as well.  Need some special tools for this, have a shop check it in conjunction with the head bearing fall away check.

4.  Tire kinesity(sp?) - tires can have pull built in to them.  Easy to check on a car by swapping tires side-to-side or car-to-car, a little tougher to diagnose on a bike without a source of wheels/tires to swap around.

5.  Drag - is there more wind resistance on the right side for some reason?  Remove the fat wallet from the left rear pocket and send to me for safe keeping, try test ride again.

Jerry