L@@K Front Tire
- Thread starter Five Five
- Start date
ChopperJeff
Active Member
Sorry, but no answer from me. Just wanted to say though that my rear tire ('05 Chopper) had the exact same wear pattern. So, I too am curious about this, and hope someone chimes in.
Five Five
Well-Known Member
Knot I like your weather indicator is that real time 49 deg
To answer your question the rear tire wears evenly....
Five Five
Well-Known Member
Just checked it....21 PSI very low....it's been about 6-months since my last check....
Five Five
Well-Known Member
Acknowledged Bro.....Kickin the tires before a ride ain't enough....I will keep a puse on this shit...:2thumbs:six months,bro your looking for trouble,i check mine every ride,maybe over kill but my tires are wear good,be safe
KaptinAmerika
Guru
When your running down the road can you let go of your handlebars and track straight?
Alot of people indicate they never have been able to get their BD to track straight but I have corrected this issue on both an older 03 BD Chopper LSD I had, which required some extensive work, and my newer K9 RSD. Both bikes always pulled slightly to the right. Eventually I discovered two secrets about the front end:
A) Fall Off is critical
Checking Front End Fall
1) Place bike on a lift and in the air.
2) Hang a ruler from each end perpendicular to the bikes front fender at the front edge of the fender(this is just my method there are a number of different ideas out there.
3) Place a piece of tape on the tip of the front fender and locate the center of the fender.
4) Gently tap the front end to the left or right until it flops over. At the point it first starts to flop, make a mental note of the distance it traveled on the ruler.
5) Repeat this in the opposite direction. The distance between the two marks should be between 1-2 inches.
6) Tightening the bearing preload will increase the distance the font end moves before it flops and loosening the preload will reduce the distance before it falls.
7) A loose front end can result in a high speed wobble and too tight and the bike will tend to wander as it is going down the road.
8) Keep in mind, the fall away will not be centered due to the weight of the brake caliper and rotor on the left side of the front end.
B) Proper front end alighnment, if you can really call it that, is critical
Of course the two above listed items are dependent upon the mechanical being in good condition i.e. your fork oil doesn't need changing or worse to be rebuilt GasMan has an excellent post here for this http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/how/2498-how-service-your-forks.html, bearings are good e.t.c.
The 2nd trick I learned from a Temecula, CA bike mechaninc. When I could not find a mechaninc who could solve my issue in San Diego I ended up there. The mechanic said all they do is loosen all the front end bolts, force the bike, via the front tire against the wall and while against the wall they tighten up the front end starting at the top and working their way down to the axle. Now I know to some this may sound unorthodox others may even say its stupid but I can only tell you that when I set my front end up in this manner the bike tracks straight. Of course the back tire needs to be in alignment as well but that is a whole different post.
The above procedure only applys to our types of bikes, as far as I know, and it does not take into account any issues you may have with all the other items i.e. transmission, motor, swingarm e.t.c. on you ride. As I mentioned earlier my 03 had major build issues that took me a week, part time, to fix. However, when I got those issues fixed and followed the above alignment procedure that bike tracked straight also.
I'm no exprert by any means and I only speak from personal experience so follow my examples at your own risk I take no responsibility.
Alot of people indicate they never have been able to get their BD to track straight but I have corrected this issue on both an older 03 BD Chopper LSD I had, which required some extensive work, and my newer K9 RSD. Both bikes always pulled slightly to the right. Eventually I discovered two secrets about the front end:
A) Fall Off is critical
Checking Front End Fall
1) Place bike on a lift and in the air.
2) Hang a ruler from each end perpendicular to the bikes front fender at the front edge of the fender(this is just my method there are a number of different ideas out there.
3) Place a piece of tape on the tip of the front fender and locate the center of the fender.
4) Gently tap the front end to the left or right until it flops over. At the point it first starts to flop, make a mental note of the distance it traveled on the ruler.
5) Repeat this in the opposite direction. The distance between the two marks should be between 1-2 inches.
6) Tightening the bearing preload will increase the distance the font end moves before it flops and loosening the preload will reduce the distance before it falls.
7) A loose front end can result in a high speed wobble and too tight and the bike will tend to wander as it is going down the road.
8) Keep in mind, the fall away will not be centered due to the weight of the brake caliper and rotor on the left side of the front end.
B) Proper front end alighnment, if you can really call it that, is critical
Of course the two above listed items are dependent upon the mechanical being in good condition i.e. your fork oil doesn't need changing or worse to be rebuilt GasMan has an excellent post here for this http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/how/2498-how-service-your-forks.html, bearings are good e.t.c.
The 2nd trick I learned from a Temecula, CA bike mechaninc. When I could not find a mechaninc who could solve my issue in San Diego I ended up there. The mechanic said all they do is loosen all the front end bolts, force the bike, via the front tire against the wall and while against the wall they tighten up the front end starting at the top and working their way down to the axle. Now I know to some this may sound unorthodox others may even say its stupid but I can only tell you that when I set my front end up in this manner the bike tracks straight. Of course the back tire needs to be in alignment as well but that is a whole different post.
The above procedure only applys to our types of bikes, as far as I know, and it does not take into account any issues you may have with all the other items i.e. transmission, motor, swingarm e.t.c. on you ride. As I mentioned earlier my 03 had major build issues that took me a week, part time, to fix. However, when I got those issues fixed and followed the above alignment procedure that bike tracked straight also.
I'm no exprert by any means and I only speak from personal experience so follow my examples at your own risk I take no responsibility.
Last edited:
Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
On sportbikes we used to loosen up the tree bolts and bounce the front end to get it all straight, same concept I guess. Have someone ride behind you and see if you're leaning to that side while riding down the road. I wouldn't sweat it too much, LSD bikes with big offsets are just heavier on one side.
hollywoodjohnny
Banned
:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:You make to many right turns.
:iagree: its a good habit to get into, checking tire pressure & fluids before every ride, SAFE THAN SORRY
Chuck B
Member
When you know the pressure is correct. Grab the rim and push down on the middle of the tire with both thumbs. Notice how far you can push into the tire. Not much at all.
I don't check the air pressure with a gauge each time I ride but I can tell pretty easy if the tire has lost much air pressure with this technique. I had ChopperJeff test me and I was within a pound or so. Guess I have educated thumbs now huh? :lol:
Anyhow...it works for me.
A
adamthisis
Guest
sounds like the front tire is out of balance to me, and wow on 21 psi check tires pressure atleast ever week or your asking for trouble:2thumbs:
check tires pressure atleast ever week or your asking for trouble:2thumbs:
Five Five
Well-Known Member
Good Info Curtis......My scoot has never tracked straight...
and there is definitly something going on with my front end besides low tire pressure....I'm going to give a go see how it turns out...
KaptinAmerika
Guru
I hope it helps. I know from personal experience that their just isn't anything worse than knowing something isn't quite right and have smoke blown up your ass when you ask serious questions.
Left side drives with big rear tires are weighted to the left because of primary offset. When riding you lean to the right to balance the weight out. After the right side final drive was introduced for bigger rear tires they became more equally balanced again. Thats my understanding of this issue.
RAW Blue Rider
Active Member
I have a deal for you!
I have a lightly used front tire - Metzler ME880 Marathon 90/90-21 mc 54 H
(came with the chrome wheel I bought off e-bay)
I'm thinking $50 plus shipping - sound reasonable??
Happy Motoring!
RAW
P.S. - I'd check alignment first.
I have a lightly used front tire - Metzler ME880 Marathon 90/90-21 mc 54 H
(came with the chrome wheel I bought off e-bay)
I'm thinking $50 plus shipping - sound reasonable??
Happy Motoring!
RAW
P.S. - I'd check alignment first.