Yesterday, I almost dumped my bike on the expressway. :yikes Got so panicky had to pull over to collect my thoughts. Incredibly, some H-D biker pulled-over to assist but I waived him off. The brotherhood lives on.

That damn left drift. What I mean by "left drift" is that on the street and especially the freeway, my bike has a tendency to drift to the left of lane. So if I'm riding in the right lane, for instance, I gradually drift to the center line and have to fight to keep it off the lane center (line) and to the right. This constant battle lessens bike stability. It's to the point where I've begun to angle my right leg out and lean right to counteract.

Doesn't make sense for two reasons: 1) roads have a right-bias for storm drainage, and 2) I run 2-into-1 exhaust so bike's weight is also right-side biased. I've owned four Sportsters to date and have had the same experience with all of them.

Anyway, absent taking another riding course, could it be that:
1) Sportster just isn't well suited for expressway travel, or
2) Need a windshield to block wind blast to enhance stability, or
3) Simply don't ride enough. This seems the least plausible since I've been riding since '86 and learned from MSF course. On the other hand ...

Any suggestions/ideas? Thanks in advance.

Yesterday, I almost dumped my bike on the expressway. :yikes Got so panicky had to pull over to collect my thoughts. Incredibly, some H-D biker pulled-over to assist but I waived him off. The brotherhood lives on.

That damn left drift. What I mean by "left drift" is that on the street and especially the freeway, my bike has a tendency to drift to the left of lane. So if I'm riding in the right lane, for instance, I gradually drift to the center line and have to fight to keep it off the lane center (line) and to the right. This constant battle lessens bike stability. It's to the point where I've begun to angle my right leg out and lean right to counteract.

Doesn't make sense for two reasons: 1) roads have a right-bias for storm drainage, and 2) I run 2-into-1 exhaust so bike's weight is also right-side biased. I've owned four Sportsters to date and have had the same experience with all of them.

Anyway, absent taking another riding course, could it be that:
1) Sportster just isn't well suited for expressway travel, or
2) Need a windshield to block wind blast to enhance stability, or
3) Simply don't ride enough. This seems the least plausible since I've been riding since '86 and learned from MSF course. On the other hand ...

Any suggestions/ideas? Thanks in advance.

Haven't experienced this myself, save to say that alignment MAY have something to do with it....

Look at your tire wear....and check your front and rear alignments....

I vote negative to all three above....

But check out the alignment....Sounds like you have a bit of a dangerous situation on your hands right now....


Good Luck!

I'd check your rear tire alignment first. It doesn't hurt to make sure your tires have the correct psi. In the mean time, I'd suggest you ride in the right tire track of the right most lane of travel. Be careful on two lane roads.

JB

I haven't had that problem either. I've ridden long stretches on interstate highways and in pretty strong winds on my Sporty. i'd say they are suited well for highway type riding.

Alignment could be the cause...I can't think of anything else mechanical that could cause it.

I ride highways all the time and never have had drift.........unless I'm looking up some skirt passing by in her car....................even fighting wind I don't drift less I want to. I'd agree that the rear wheel is off alignment.:)

I haven't had that problem either. I've ridden long stretches on interstate highways and in pretty strong winds on my Sporty. i'd say they are suited well for highway type riding.

Alignment could be the cause...I can't think of anything else mechanical that could cause it.

No problem here as I ride a lot with one hand and alittle bit with no hands.

Another thing to check is the tire balance. Those stick-on wheel weights have been known of fall off. Right now I have four weights on my tires. I usually check them when I wash the bike and inspect the tires. Personally, I don't like a lot of weight on my front tire. I'll tell my tire installer to reposition the tire on the rim if he has to put a lot of weights on it.

Now, if I had a tire that caused the bike to act as severe to make me lose control, I'd replace the tire, even if the tread looked good.

JB

The man says he has had 4 sportsters so far and had this problem with all of them.
Leads me to believe the problem is not the bike.Mabe the rider????

The man says he has had 4 sportsters so far and had this problem with all of them.
Leads me to believe the problem is not the bike.Mabe the rider????

Like improper belt tensioning or possibly washing the wheel weights off and/or not keeping up with the correct amount of wheel weight on each wheel.

JB

Same problem on four bikes? Weird.

I rode an old 750 Honda that had been wrecked, the frame and forks were tweaked a bit, so at times that bike had a mind of its own. It used to get a high speed wobble around 75 mph that would go away around 80. It also made better rights than left.

Not sure what else to say in this case, everyone else gave good advice.


Bart

I've owned four Sportsters to date and have had the same experience with all of them.


Good catch...I did NOT see this before....

There is something to this, to be sure...I just don't know what?????

Same problem on four bikes? Weird.

I rode an old 750 Honda that had been wrecked, the frame and forks were tweaked a bit, so at times that bike had a mind of its own. It used to get a high speed wobble around 75 mph that would go away around 80. It also made better rights than left.

Not sure what else to say in this case, everyone else gave good advice.

A bent frame/forks or wrecked bike is good advice for troubleshooting. ¿What is the chance someone had four bent frames? Anything is possible.

JB

A bent frame/forks or wrecked bike is good advice for troubleshooting. ¿What is the chance someone had four bent frames? Anything is possible.

JB

Well, if he wrecked them all in exactly the same way right after he bought all 4 of them... :laugh

It's got to be something he's doing...not the bikes.

Perhaps his left arm is heavier than his right? really heavy wrist watch or arm band worn on the left arm? Dang it...I don't have a clue! :frownthre

Wears his wallet in his left hip pocket..................got so much money, the weight is leaning the bike left :p

The more I think about this, the more I would suggest 'Midnight Rambler' take his/her Sportster to a dealer and get it properly inspected. The neck bearings could be loose and need adjustment. Heck, any number of bolts could be loose; ie swing arm, axle, shock. It is impossible to troubleshoot this with a brief description and no feedback. My best advice is to have a professional look at it.

JB

Wears his wallet in his left hip pocket..................got so much money, the weight is leaning the bike left :p

Being a poor state employee, I never even considered that! :laugh

If ya ride with only a right side mirror, it will pull the right side bar back and...

How many mirrors ya got? Sportys are left side heavy anyway. Maybe we just learn to adapt?

Bike's got only 700 miles on it. Guy I bought it from won it in a lottery and it sat (needless to say). Claimed dealer maintained it in off-season. So chance of unsound mechanicals low.

Good chance it's either my riding style (experience with all four bikes that I recall) or wheel balance/alignment problem from comments.

How prone are wheels to becoming unbalanced/unaligned?

Thanks for all of your comments, BTW. Hate to let the beast sit.

How prone are wheels to becoming unbalanced/unaligned?


Not very.....Usually its when you change a wheel or something else that may affect it..assuming the bolts are torqued correctly....

I'm REAL concerned that it happened on all 4 Sportys..

How many other bikes have you regularly ridden?

Bike's got only 700 miles on it. Guy I bought it from won it in a lottery and it sat (needless to say). Claimed dealer maintained it in off-season. So chance of unsound mechanicals low.

Good chance it's either my riding style (experience with all four bikes that I recall) or wheel balance/alignment problem from comments.

How prone are wheels to becoming unbalanced/unaligned?

Thanks for all of your comments, BTW. Hate to let the beast sit.

It is not uncommon for the stick-on wheel weights to fall off. Additionally, it is not uncommon for someone to adjust the rear belt and get the rear wheel out of alignment.

To be honest, the way you described your problem leads me to think sump'tin more serious could be going on. Please take my advice and have a dealer, maybe a different dealer, to inspect you bike throughly. Typically, out of balance wheels and misaligned wheels will not cause you to dump your bike. They will cause your bike to handle poorly.

Be sure to tell them what you experienced.

JB

How many other bikes have you regularly ridden?

Besides the four Sportys, two Japs (excuse the political incorrectness) and a Buell (Buell Thunderboldt handling and acceleration were sweet, btw, but that's a different story.)

But not regularly and maybe that's the point. Can't imagine what technique, though, I'm using to cause left drift. That's why I posted in this forum.

Other thing is, I've been riding off and on for almost twenty years now so one would think that if my technique was poor, I'd have already crashed; but never have. Maybe been riding on the edge all this time without realizing it. Scary thought.

do you know anyone else with a sporty? if so see if they will let you ride it and see if you have the same problem with their bike? or let them ride your bike and see if they experience the same problem on your bike. I know a lot of people don't want anyone else sitting on their bikes let alone riding it but it won't hurt to try it.

Do you by chance keep the Jewels on the left side? If so, try shiftin em over to the other side and see if it helps.












I'm sorry, sometimes I get silly. Just can't help it. :laugh

Have you ever broken an arm?
Serious question,no pun.
If you have how did it heal,any deformaties?
I seriously doubt that you would have the same prob with 4 bikes,unless there is an overlooked problem with you personally.
Just my 2%.

Have you ever broken an arm?
Serious question,no pun.
If you have how did it heal,any deformaties?
I seriously doubt that you would have the same prob with 4 bikes,unless there is an overlooked problem with you personally.
Just my 2%.

That's another good thought there Don. A broken collar bone that wasn't aligned before it healed could cause one arm to extend more than the other, too. I have personal expierence with the broken collar bone...though mine only limits range of motion.

Other thing is, I've been riding off and on for almost twenty years now so one would think that if my technique was poor, I'd have already crashed; but never have. Maybe been riding on the edge all this time without realizing it. Scary thought.

Like anything we do, if you developed a "bad" habit early on you would never realize you have it. Well, until it starts imposing limitations and/or causing problems. It would be the same with say learning to play an instrument or hit golf balls.

I know you said you started with the MSF course but how much open-road work did they do in the course? How much can they really fit in in a weekend anyway? You know? I would suggest checking into the MSF advanced rider course. And, if you do go, tell the instructor your issue. See what they have to say and see if they can help work on specific techniques to counter it.

With the issue occurring with four different bikes, it makes me look to the one common denominator and that is the rider.

And btw, good on ya for having an open mind on this. Right up front you offered the possibility that you may be the issue and didn't just trash on the bikes. That's cool and in my mind shows tremendous potential to get to the bottom of this no matter what the issue.

I sure as hell hope ur left ass cheek is the same as ur right!! I remember getting my ass kicked one time and I SWEAR one cheek was bigger than the other for awhile :laugh
All kidding aside...get to the bottom of this issue. it just ain't right.....and dangerous Brother...Be Safe...Please! :smoke

Do you pay a lot of attenion to the line on the road -- are you cautious about getting to close to the shoulder. We tend to go in the direction we look -- motorcycles -- cars -- planes -- boats all the same. Don't jump to no I dont look any place other than straight -- you may not even be aware of where you are fixating.

Have you ever broken an arm?
Serious question,no pun.
If you have how did it heal,any deformaties?
I seriously doubt that you would have the same prob with 4 bikes,unless there is an overlooked problem with you personally.
Just my 2%.


Yeah, I was gonna say you should maybe go to the doctor and see if you have some kind of mild inner-ear disturbance that could lead to balancing problems. Maybe you're always leaning left a little bit. Try riding a bicycle and see if the same thing happens.

Yeah, I was gonna say you should maybe go to the doctor and see if you have some kind of mild inner-ear disturbance that could lead to balancing problems.

Ya know, I've had an inner-ear infection for awhile now and got my ears cleaned (of wax) and took anitbiotics, but still noticed a ringing in one or both ears. Infection is probably still present but interestingly, balancing problem on bike didn't occur until freeway speeds. Maybe higher speeds coupled with increased fatigue triggers balance problem.

Good call!

Ya know, I've had an inner-ear infection for awhile now and got my ears cleaned (of wax) and took anitbiotics, but still noticed a ringing in one or both ears. Infection is probably still present but interestingly, balancing problem on bike didn't occur until freeway speeds. Maybe higher speeds coupled with increased fatigue triggers balance problem.

Good call!
I would get rechecked. If your having balance issues they maybe it would be better to not ride (I probably would want to ride anyway) and keep yourself, others and your bike safe. Be Safe Hope Ya get to the bottom of it soon. Good Luck :)

I dont really have the answer but I have "an idea" to quote Dogma.

I would say you are stiff on the highway. Mabey gripping the bars hard. Our limbs are not the same length. So one arm may be a fraction longer on the left side. Which may create a push which as we know is how you steer a bike. You wont notice this around town but at sustained speeds it will show up. I had a handle bar on my nighthawk that was just a kink out of symetry and it woul cause me to pull left at speed because I was unknowingly pulling on the bar just a lil bit.

I think this is your issue. Your probably a lil scared on the freeway. That explains you overreaction that almost caused your demise.

Try loosening up a bit. Do your arms or hand hands hurt after awhile? This is a good tell that your putting too much weight or pull on the bars.

On the Buell you didnt get it cause the bike setup has far less rake and it wont show up as bad.

Just relax and let the bike do its thing. I wouldnt be suprised if a buddy tried it out and didnt have the problem. BUT letting someone else ride you lady is like having someone else RIDE your lady! So I understand if you dont want to let another man throw a leg over her!

Adios
Benny The Kid
VP RRMC TGC

New member (and rider) here, but willing to post...

I would think that there is an unmentioned tendancy to favor the left side of the road. I've been doing some i-net research on a 85+ mph tank-slapping issue my 2002 1200 has (iknow, iknow, iknow :o ) and saw this mentioned on an article about uneven tire wear.

Even though technically we know it would be worse to be hit head-on by on coming traffic, we rationalize that we would have at least a bit of control to avoid this since the "rubber is on the road." Everyone knows that the shows over if you go off the right side and hit gravel or other off road items. I'm thinking that the higher speeds and expecting this to occur on these types of bikes because "it always has before" contributes the most to this phenom. Couple this with an out of alignment bike during your formative years around the MSC time, and presto.

I'm betting dollars to doughnuts that you'd experience the same thing on my bike although I've never noticed it before...

Just my $0.02

Thau

I wonder if you might not be sitting straight on the bike. When I sit on mine, I find that when I think I'm sitting absolutely straight, I'm consistently off to the left side...just enough that I notice it by sighting the position of my idiot lights (turn sig, oil, neutral, high beam) against the head light housing. I don't notice any drift when I'm driving normally. However, on those rare instances when I have both my hands off the handle bars I notice I always drift off to the right...but this seems independent of any slope to the road.

You might check your siting position and try adjusting if necesary.