Bike veers to the right

Abaaba · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 14 Nov 2021 Karma :

Hi All,

Not sure if this is a big thing or just normal.

I was doing 20mph on a quiet road and for some reason took my hands off the handlebar and noticed the bike veers to the right..........tried a couple of times to make sure it wasn't the road or I was leaning without realising but both times the bike wants to go right............what could this be and has anyone had it?

The bike is: Honda CBF600 2008 Model.

struan80 · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Nov 2014 Karma :

No idea but I guess a rear wheel alignment after a tyre change or something may cause this. Take it your tyre pressures are all ok?

Could be your right bollock is bigger than the left causing unusual weight distribution. Laughing

Abaaba · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 14 Nov 2021 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

First thing I'd check is the wheel alignment. Could be the rear is misaligned on the adjusters or sometimes the front can be twisted slightly in the yokes. A CBR6 should track straight with no hands on the bars.

Have a look at the tyres and see if there's any uneven wear.

An old trick for straightening up the front end is to loosen the pinch bolts on the yokes and pump the front end up and down a few times with the brake on then re-tighten them. Not so loose as the forks slip down through the yokes but enough so they can move a bit if they need to.

You can check the wheel alignment with the bike on the mainstand and a straight edge held on the rear wheel so it's touching the tyre in two places and see if it's the same distance from two points on the front when the steering is central. You can even use a tight piece of string to do this.
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DJP · Crazy Courier Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Karma :

Also check that you don't have any tight cables. Get the front wheel off the ground and check that the steering moves freely from side to side.
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Zen Dog · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Karma :

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

It sounds as though someone has been messing with one the fork preload adjusters.This happened to a friend who had got his bike back from the dealer after the fork seals and oil had been replaced.One preload adjuster was on the hardest,the other was on the softest.A quick adjustment with a screwdriver and all was good.
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notbike · Posted: 16:06 - 07 Apr 2022 Post subject:

Wheel misalignment, bent or misaligned forks, bent frame. Could be any. My Cat D R125 had this issue.

Nobby the Bastard · Harley Gaydar Joined: 16 Aug 2013 Karma :

Did you buy it off Donk?
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

A100man · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Aug 2013 Karma :

Easy-X · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :

Isn't it compression adjustment in one fork and damping in the other? (Springs with pre-load in both.) But yes, same principle would apply.
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Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Nobby the Bastard · Harley Gaydar Joined: 16 Aug 2013 Karma :

Easy-X · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Nobby the Bastard · Harley Gaydar Joined: 16 Aug 2013 Karma :

Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

Preload applies only to springs, it's the amount the spring is pre-compressed before it begins to travel. Not seen any that you adjust with a screwdriver though.

Compression and rebound are two types of damping nowt to do with the spring.

Damping should not affect the geometry since once the fork stops moving damping has zero effect.as above, many bikes have compression damping on one fork and rebound on the other.

Edit:Nobby got in there first.
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Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Preload doesn't just apply to springs as it also applies to air shocks.

If someone has the wrong spring then they're never going to be able to set the preload correctly.

Nobby the Bastard · Harley Gaydar Joined: 16 Aug 2013 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

SpiritMr89 · Nova Slayer Joined: 26 Oct 2019 Karma :

If you've accidently dropped into one of the very few potholes on our roads, it could have slightly twisted the bars.

Your brain will not register the difference, since it is used to riding straight and compensating for it.

Pretty sure (many moons ago), a maybe wrong.

Piece of string down back wheel to front to check alignment?
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Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

Hong Kong Phooey · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Apr 2016 Karma :

The most obvious one is somebody adjusted the chain slack, and trusted the markers on the swing arm were accurate/the same either side.

You should be able to tell if the rear is aligned by eye, lying on the ground, using the lined up edges of the rear tyre as a reference, but string or a straight bit of wood is how I did it in the early days.
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