88vmax pulling to the left

[Ga2wheels]

Hi, my 88 vmax (all stock) pulls to the left. Noticeable when coasting with hands off but can tell the issue is always there as holding a straight line seems as it take some correction that I have never had in a motorcycle before. Going to start with looking at the suspension. Any tips or suggestions to get me in the right direction?
Already just rebuilt the front forks.



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[Fire-medic]

Dragging brake? Worn tires?

 

[[email protected]]

I think every vmax pulls just a little left due to the wheel offset and weight distribution of the bike. If I ride w/ hands off the bars, I can feel it but easily overcome it by shifting my weight a bit.

I really do not notice it at all while riding normally.

If yours is bad enough to feel it under normal riding conditions, maybe something is off. Check the front end to see if anything is out of alignment.

You can put the bike up on the center stand and set up some strings to see fi the front and rear wheel are parallel They won't be perfectly in line but, they should be parallel.

 

[Ga2wheels]

Brand new tires and it did it before I replaced them. Just use to how balanced a sport bike is with no hands....tracks straight and you can veer left or right by slight weight shifting.
Is this just how a vmax is because of the weight and the stock suspension set up?

Once I am up past 60mph it seems much better, 30-45 is the worst


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[D-Max2012]

I would check your calipers as previously suggested by Fire-Medic. I found 1 of the 2 pistons seized in my rear caliper.. If that happened on my fronts, something would be pulling, left or right.

 

[Ga2wheels]

I’ll check the calipers


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[Fire-medic]

I’ll check the calipers

If that is what you're facing, you're in-luck:

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?p=472188#post472188

 

[1FK00]

I don't see how a dragging brake would make a two wheeled vehicle pull to either side.

 

[Bill Seward]

If a dragging brake would make a bike pull to one side, bikes with a single disc brake would pull..

 

[sdt354]

Check the swingarm bearings and their adjustment.

 

[Fire-medic]

Ah, I beg to differ. A frozen piston on a single-pair opposed caliper can cause a 'pull.'

 

[[email protected]]

Ah, I beg to differ. A frozen piston on a single-pair opposed caliper can cause a 'pull.'

For the sake of learning something, I will say that I don't understand how that is possible.

 

[Fire-medic]

OK, I will say that in my experience, which is probably different from yours, that a frozen piston causes a difference in braking force apart from-what the original capacity of the system was designed to be. Yes, I'm familiar that there are single-piston systems, where one puck is fixed and immovable. That's what the fabulous CB750 K0 wore, in 1968. Fortunately, we've improved our braking since then, fifty years-on.

While I'm not a pro mechanic, and I don't have my hands deep in the guts of contemporary braking systems on motorcycles every day (I don't even have an ABS-equipped bike) I can relate that a system designed for two opposed pistons, when one piston is frozen and immovable, as it was designed to be movable in-conjunction with its opposite counterpart, there is a difference in braking force and feel, to me.

Your results may vary.

 

[Ga2wheels]

The brakes are not dragging. Will check the swing arm pivot points.
I tried a lean while coasting to counter the pull and I have to be a good bit off center to even it out. If the rear tire was to be out of alignment there isn’t any adjustments that can be made right? Only way I could figure the rear wheel could be off is the swing arm is bent causing the wheel not to be completely vertical. But I can’t see how it could be out of alignment from the frame and front wheel due to how it is built.


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[Vinmax]

The brakes are not dragging. Will check the swing arm pivot points.
I tried a lean while coasting to counter the pull and I have to be a good bit off center to even it out. If the rear tire was to be out of alignment there isn’t any adjustments that can be made right? Only way I could figure the rear wheel could be off is the swing arm is bent causing the wheel not to be completely vertical. But I can’t see how it could be out of alignment from the frame and front wheel due to how it is built.


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There is actually an adjustment that can be made. You need to replace the fixed swingarm pivot bolt with the same adjustable style that's on the left side. Then you move both pivot bolts to center your swingarm and tire assembly under the frame. You'll be able to see how the entire swingarm moves over and centers the tire under the rear fender.

I did this with mine. Not because of a pull, but because I wanted the bike all centered up and aligned. I'm not sure if the bike would have had a pull before, as I never checked back then. But now my bike runs straight and will not pull to either side unless I keep hands off bars and either shift my weight or push on one of the footpegs to help steer the bike off center.

BTW, I had a Kawasaki Ninja ZX9R (1995 model), that had a pull to the right. No amount of wheel adjustment would cure it. I removed the heavy side muffer and went to a D&D slip on and to me it improved. I think the stock heavy muffler on the one side made the bike pull to that side.
I could have probably improved it with moving the swingarm the same way I did with the Vmax.

Vinnie

 

[Ga2wheels]

There is actually an adjustment that can be made. You need to replace the fixed swingarm pivot bolt with the same adjustable style that's on the left side. Then you move both pivot bolts to center your swingarm and tire assembly under the frame. You'll be able to see how the entire swingarm moves over and centers the tire under the rear fender.



I did this with mine. Not because of a pull, but because I wanted the bike all centered up and aligned. I'm not sure if the bike would have had a pull before, as I never checked back then. But now my bike runs straight and will not pull to either side unless I keep hands off bars and either shift my weight or push on one of the footpegs to help steer the bike off center.



BTW, I had a Kawasaki Ninja ZX9R (1995 model), that had a pull to the right. No amount of wheel adjustment would cure it. I removed the heavy side muffer and went to a D&D slip on and to me it improved. I think the stock heavy muffler on the one side made the bike pull to that side.

I could have probably improved it with moving the swingarm the same way I did with the Vmax.



Vinnie

Thanks will look into that, when I re-assembled the bike I just installed per the manual


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[Fire-medic]

You might want to check your wheel bearings too.

 

[MaxMidnight]

One thing not already mentioned is if there is a light twist in the forks.

Lift the front end up and loosen (NOT undo!) axle nut and pinch bolt, mudguard support and upper and lower clamp bolts on the yokes.

Give the bars a good shake to allow all parts to settle into their natural position then tighten in reverse order.

As for a sticking piston causing the issue I'm with Mr Mabdcmb in failing to see how that could be the cause.
If one piston was stuck that bad a) I would expect to see some sign of overheating and
b) All it would do is offer some resistance to the rotating wheel.

As has already been pointed out there are plenty of bikes with a single disc which when lightly applied would mimic a sticking or stuck piston.
I don't see that the force being applied to one side of the disc is relevant.

But as always I'm happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Ga2wheels]

One thing not already mentioned is if there is a light twist in the forks.



Lift the front end up and loosen (NOT undo!) axle nut and pinch bolt, mudguard support and upper and lower clamp bolts on the yokes.



Give the bars a good shake to allow all parts to settle into their natural position then tighten in reverse order.



As for a sticking piston causing the issue I'm with Mr Mabdcmb in failing to see how that could be the cause.

If one piston was stuck that bad a) I would expect to see some sign of overheating and

b) All it would do is offer some resistance to the rotating wheel.



As has already been pointed out there are plenty of bikes with a single disc which when lightly applied would mimic a sticking or stuck piston.

I don't see that the force being applied to one side of the disc is relevant.



But as always I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Yes, already went through and reset the front forks. And I know the bearings are good. Have checked the brakes and no issues there and yes I don’t see how they would pull a bike.



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[Ga2wheels]

Been checking the rear suspension, look like I have an oil seal leak on one. Going to swap the left for the right and see if I notice a difference.
Another question, if I am going to replace these will the shocks from the 2000-2007 years models fit?


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