Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lcarlson on July 01, 2015, 04:25:30 PM
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My new Cali 1400 pulls slightly to the right if I take my hands off the bars. Other than the obvious advice, is this a common phenomenon? I will have my dealer check the rear wheel alignment during the break-in service, but wonder how many people have experienced this.
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Mine does too.
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It's common for Guzzis to pull right when you let your hands off the bars.
Engine rotation, engine offset in the chassis, blah, blah, blah.
"They all do that".
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Not disagreeing with Rocker, but my Mille pulled to the right a lot less after I aligned the fork tubes carefully. Road crown is a factor, of course.
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Is this with cruise control engaged ?
Or just off throttle rolling along ?
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The latter -- I haven't even tried the cruise yet
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Assuming that you are keeping the throttle constant, like on cruise control, then check to see if any cables are 'tugging' on the handlebar. Try to jack it up so the front end flops back and forth and check it.
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I don't believe this has anything to do with the throttle/cruise. It's just what happens on hands-off deceleration.
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When decelerating which you would be doing, you pull that way. Pete's Cali 1400 did the same, with cruise control on it went straight as an arrow. I think you find most bikes with any compression do the same when letting off the throttle and letting go of the bars.
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Could be -- that's why I'm asking. FWIW, my R1150R tracks straight and true under the same conditions.
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Does the beemer maybe have some counter-rotating mass of some sort to negate that p-factor thing?
Since the rotating mass of the guzzi engine is in line with the direction of travel, it wants to rotate the bike around the crankshaft. This works good to hold you in a line -- as long as you keep the revs constant. As soon as the revs change the line you've got changes as well. In a curve that means your angle rises or drops. On a straight it means you yaw (pull left or right). P-factor. A joy reserved for the few, the proud, the shafted.
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p-factor is a new concept for me :). But the Beemer is also a longitudinal engine, in my case with no counterbalancing.
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Handle bars are called that for a reason. Don't go looking for things to worry about.
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My Griso pulls slightly to the right with the cruise control on. I just lean slightly to the left to counteract it. I suppose it could be the crown of the road causing it, but it doesn't bother me.
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True that.
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Different reaction according to direction in which you're heading?
Might have something to do with the curve of the earth :wink:
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p-factor is a new concept for me :). But the Beemer is also a longitudinal engine, in my case with no counterbalancing.
"P" for propeller. It's the tendency for an airplane to want to spin while the propeller stays put. Ever noticed those wwII films where the carrier planes always tip a wing as they leave the deck?
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lean off the bike to the left?
load the left saddle bag with tools?
move swingarm on the frame to the right?
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My Goldwing would always pull to the right too. I loaded the saddlebags differently to compensate and forgot about it.
My Honda ST1100 didnt track properly either - I tried re- aligning, re-tightening, and experimenting, and got the tracking a little better. It was a powerful but bland riding experience on that one.
They both had counter-rotating alternators, so blipping the throttle did not cause the bike to react. The ST1100 exhaust was so embarrassing awful the manly act of blipping was pointless.
Back to the present. I like the Guzzis reaction much better.... its kinda like I am tickling something alive. :shocked:
And the lusty sound of my V7C Mistrals ....... :bow:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Penderic/needs_zpsankbtlwu.jpg)
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Not disagreeing with Rocker, but my Mille pulled to the right a lot less after I aligned the fork tubes carefully. Road crown is a factor, of course.
My money is on road crown.
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Sounds like the bike is truly defective.
I'll take it off your hands for $5k. I should be able to fix it for the difference and you can put the $5k on a new Beemer.
win-win :grin:
I am just here to help.