Bike veering to one side

When you go to lift the front end off the ground to check the steering head bearings, make sure the front wheel spins easily and that there is no brake rotor drag. If problem with right front caliper draging on rotor, this will cause a very slight veer to right once you remove pressure from bars, but would otherwise go unnoticed.

As far as the alignment marks go on the rear, I purchased one of Muzzys alignment tools, then asked myself what had I accomplished by being certain that the axle was perfectly aligned to the swingarm pivot? Who is to say that the swingarm pivot is square to the frame?

I usually just sight along the chain to make sure its running true on the rear sprocket.

Then again, whose to say the motor is in the chasis straight. They do have adjusters. How do you know? I would agree short of the GMD computrac its impossible to get it perfect.

One last thing I can add is that when I used Muzzys tool, the marks on the swingarm where much closer than I would have thought. Damn near spot on.

Something In your front end is slightly out of kilter, my best guess.

Ken H2Os

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Andrew, thanks for starting this. I still disagree with Brett that a dragging caliper will not cause a veering problem. So I set out to experiment on this. I have a friend who has a 93ZX7 that he has made into a dragbike, extended swingarm, usual other silly modifications such as removing one front caliper and rotor, he says saves weight. He doesnt feel he needs the extra braking power for what he does. I coasted this bike down a long hill in my neighborhood and when grabbing a handful of front brake “HARD”, you can definitely feel some twisting in the front end. But would a dragging caliper cause it to VEER? I wasnt able to replicate this at first. How can you BARELY apply front brake to simulate this with both your “HANDS OFF”, the bars.

So into my shop we went and made up a extra long brake hose and actuated the front single caliper off the rear foot operated master cylinder. Back to the top of the hill we went. While coasting down the long hill and just barely applying the front rotor with the rear master cylinder DID cause the bike to pull slightly to the left. This was much more than veering. Trying this again by putting normal pressure on the bars with body weight and no pulling was noticed. Its amazing how much body weight does to cancel front suspension anamolys. His single rotor is on the left, hence the left direction of the pull.

Ken H2Os

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