L@@K no hands
- Thread starter Five Five
- Start date
Always had that issue with my 03. Most of the problem is due to the motor and tranny moved to the left a couple inches for the belt to clear the tire/wheel.
Some on here say they don't feel it lean but I always did so main reason I traded mine in for the 05.
I would also check the front tire for abnormal wear. See if it's wearing faster on one side then the other. This can be caused by the rear not lined up properly pushing the bike to one side.
Some on here say they don't feel it lean but I always did so main reason I traded mine in for the 05.
I would also check the front tire for abnormal wear. See if it's wearing faster on one side then the other. This can be caused by the rear not lined up properly pushing the bike to one side.
Billy,
have you ever been able to let go while you are riding and have it track straight???
Just to be on the safe side, you may want to put the bike on a lift and check your fall-away.
I don't know that you will ever be able to ride hands free on a LSD like the RSD bikes do.
have you ever been able to let go while you are riding and have it track straight???
Just to be on the safe side, you may want to put the bike on a lift and check your fall-away.
I don't know that you will ever be able to ride hands free on a LSD like the RSD bikes do.
It is where you measure the fall away from center to left then right and ensure that it's even.
Basically, you center the bars, then you should push no more than 1.5 to 2 inches to the left/right before the bars fall away on their own.
Don't quote me on the spec. There are other threads here on the subject.
Perhaps someone else can chime in with a linky....
Billy, what the Captain is saying is..... It's the tension on the front forks measured at the fork stem. loose or tight.
There's a thread on it around here somewhere.
txchopperguy
Well-Known Member
Some folks ride with a bit more ass on the right side of the seat (scootched over a bit) to overcome this. They say once ya get used to it it really isnt uncomfortable.
Five Five
Well-Known Member
Googled it..came up with the procedure....
***HANDSHAKE***
Thanks for the replies
How To - Checking and Adjusting "Fall Away"
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For those new or who don't know, "fall away" is the distance your front end will pivot side to side before falling away by itself. It is tricky to understand until the front end of the bike is off the ground.
I decided that I can do this myself, so I did. I followed the service manual and I took photos of each step. What follows is a tutorial that anyone with some mechanical skill should be able to do themselves using ordinary tools and household objects.
First, remove the airbox cover. Jack up the bike until the front tire is suspended in the air and make sure the bike is level. *Make sure to strap the bike to the jack*
Remove all accessories (windshields, etc...) that may interfere with the way the front end swings. Make sure the front end swings easily and the cables/wiring are not binding or interfering.
Loosen the top triple tree pinch bolts, but do not remove them. (see pic 1)
Place a piece of tape on the front edge of the front fender to protect the paint. Then tape a ruler or long stick (that's what I had, so I used it) to the front edge of the front fender perpendicular to the plane of the wheel. Tape it well enough that it doesn't move when the front end is moved side-to-side.(see pics 2 & 3)
Center the front end from the driver's perspective. Place a stationary pointer in front of the front wheel so that it lines up with the center of the front wheel. (see pic 4) I used a chair and a screwdriver and some tape to do this. Make sure that when the front end is swung side-to-side that the stick on the fender doesn't hit or move the pointer (screwdriver)
To check the fallaway spec, while watching the pointer, tap on one side of the wheel gently until the front end flops to full lock. Make a mark on the stick with a Sharpie at the point where the front end fell away under its own power. You'll see what I'm talking about when you actually do it. Then do the other side. (see pics 5 & 6)
Measure the distance between the two marks (see pic 7). The fall away spec is between 5" and 7". (Note: in the pic, my fall away is 5 1/2", so it's within spec) For the metric follks, spec is 127-178 mm. If your bike is within spec, then you are finished. Easy enough. Just make sure to re-tighten the top triple tree pinch bolts to 30-35 ft lbs (41-47 Nm).
If the bike is out of spec, then you can easily tighten or loosen fall away to bring it in spec.
Unscrew and remove the fork stem cap in the top center of the triple tree. (see pic 8)
Bend down the fork stem lockwasher tab (see pic 9) and loosen fork stem nut. (see pic 9)
The adjusting nut is between the neck and the triple tree. (see pic 10) Using a small screwdriver or drift, tap the bolt clockwise to tighten the adjustment, counterclockwise to loosen it. Do it in small increments and keep re-checking the fall away until it is within spec. When re-checking the fall away, you must re-tighten the fork stem bolt to 45-55 ft lbs (61-74.5 Nm). Get it to spec, and you are done with the adjustment.
Tighten the fork stem bolt to above referenced torque.
Tighten top triple tree pinch bolts to above referenced torque.
Re-bend the fork stem lockwasher tab and reinstall the fork stem cap.
Reinstall all your accessories, airbox cover etc...
And that's it! Took me about an hour to do, but would only take me half that now I've done it.
Hope this helps save some people a few bucks at the dealer.
Attached Thumbnails
***HANDSHAKE***
Thanks for the replies
How To - Checking and Adjusting "Fall Away"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those new or who don't know, "fall away" is the distance your front end will pivot side to side before falling away by itself. It is tricky to understand until the front end of the bike is off the ground.
I decided that I can do this myself, so I did. I followed the service manual and I took photos of each step. What follows is a tutorial that anyone with some mechanical skill should be able to do themselves using ordinary tools and household objects.
First, remove the airbox cover. Jack up the bike until the front tire is suspended in the air and make sure the bike is level. *Make sure to strap the bike to the jack*
Remove all accessories (windshields, etc...) that may interfere with the way the front end swings. Make sure the front end swings easily and the cables/wiring are not binding or interfering.
Loosen the top triple tree pinch bolts, but do not remove them. (see pic 1)
Place a piece of tape on the front edge of the front fender to protect the paint. Then tape a ruler or long stick (that's what I had, so I used it) to the front edge of the front fender perpendicular to the plane of the wheel. Tape it well enough that it doesn't move when the front end is moved side-to-side.(see pics 2 & 3)
Center the front end from the driver's perspective. Place a stationary pointer in front of the front wheel so that it lines up with the center of the front wheel. (see pic 4) I used a chair and a screwdriver and some tape to do this. Make sure that when the front end is swung side-to-side that the stick on the fender doesn't hit or move the pointer (screwdriver)
To check the fallaway spec, while watching the pointer, tap on one side of the wheel gently until the front end flops to full lock. Make a mark on the stick with a Sharpie at the point where the front end fell away under its own power. You'll see what I'm talking about when you actually do it. Then do the other side. (see pics 5 & 6)
Measure the distance between the two marks (see pic 7). The fall away spec is between 5" and 7". (Note: in the pic, my fall away is 5 1/2", so it's within spec) For the metric follks, spec is 127-178 mm. If your bike is within spec, then you are finished. Easy enough. Just make sure to re-tighten the top triple tree pinch bolts to 30-35 ft lbs (41-47 Nm).
If the bike is out of spec, then you can easily tighten or loosen fall away to bring it in spec.
Unscrew and remove the fork stem cap in the top center of the triple tree. (see pic 8)
Bend down the fork stem lockwasher tab (see pic 9) and loosen fork stem nut. (see pic 9)
The adjusting nut is between the neck and the triple tree. (see pic 10) Using a small screwdriver or drift, tap the bolt clockwise to tighten the adjustment, counterclockwise to loosen it. Do it in small increments and keep re-checking the fall away until it is within spec. When re-checking the fall away, you must re-tighten the fork stem bolt to 45-55 ft lbs (61-74.5 Nm). Get it to spec, and you are done with the adjustment.
Tighten the fork stem bolt to above referenced torque.
Tighten top triple tree pinch bolts to above referenced torque.
Re-bend the fork stem lockwasher tab and reinstall the fork stem cap.
Reinstall all your accessories, airbox cover etc...
And that's it! Took me about an hour to do, but would only take me half that now I've done it.
Hope this helps save some people a few bucks at the dealer.
Attached Thumbnails
Nice find there Billy but it lists a fall-away at 5-6". Just for comparison and mostly due to our 40 degree front ends I would guess but ours are closer to 2" I think. You will need to verify this with your model before you adjust it.
:2thumbs:
:2thumbs:
Yes,Billy, what the Captain is saying is..... It's the tension on the front forks measured at the fork stem. loose or tight.
There's a thread on it around here somewhere.
thanks Ray. I forgot that little (important) piece of info. Loose/tighten the fork stem bolt!
And to make up for my leaving out some info....
Here's the thread (I believe
).http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/technical/4152-triple-tree-bearing-replacement.html POST #9
2nd dat!:2thumbs:Always had that issue with my 03. Most of the problem is due to the motor and tranny moved to the left a couple inches for the belt to clear the tire/wheel.
Some on here say they don't feel it lean but I always did so main reason I traded mine in for the 05.
I would also check the front tire for abnormal wear. See if it's wearing faster on one side then the other. This can be caused by the rear not lined up properly pushing the bike to one side.
CanDog, in the thread I linked, I believe the spec was 2 inches for a chopper. I actually did mine a while back and went anywhere from 1.5 to 2.
The KEY is to go for a ride and see what it feels like. I like mine a little tighter
D) but not to the point where it 'locks' in place. I felt that 1.5 was still too loose so I was closer to 2 inches and that felt about right. Have put a few hundred miles on it since then and it still feels good/right.
Make sure you tighten everything up good and tight first, to seat the bearings and stuff, then loosen it up to get the fall away correct.
Kool, you might for the hell of it check your rear wheel alignment too. I posted some time back on how to use an old hanger with a tie-wrap (I learned form chucktx) to check that your rear wheel is aligned in the frame. If it's just a bit off it could make your bike track to one side.
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I used a skinny rod (sorry don't know the measurement) I picked up at a hardware store and put a zip tie on it and clipped the end like a pointer (arrow).Kool, you might for the hell of it check your rear wheel alignment too. I posted some time back on how to use an old hanger with a tie-wrap to check that your rear wheel is aligned in the frame. If it's just a bit off it could make your bike track to one side.
Bent the other end at 90 degrees which i put into the swingarm pivot bolt, slide the zip tie to the center of the axle, then make sure it matches to the other side.
There you go! Done deal!:2thumbs: