Bagger follows cracks....

[tireater]

My 05 FLHT likes to follow big cracks...It sometimes feels like the wheels are going in 2 directions...
I think the neck may not be perpindicular to the swingarm pivot...Besides this the bike handles great...
Anyone else have a bike that follows cracks...and what you did to fix it...Thanks..

[Sonny S.]

" My 05 FLHT likes to follow big cracks...
Anyone else have a bike that follows cracks...   "

YUP !!   but mine prefers small cracks   

[AllanW]

What size tires ?

[Coyote]

Must be a Dunlop tire. Switch to Metzler and that goes away.

[tireater]

I run avon venoms...The last new front tire I put on made it worse...?

[AllanW]

What size tires, not what kind

[tireater]

16" by 130mm...stock size...both ends...

[AllanW]

Mine was a crack hunter also. Put a 150 on rear lost 90% of the crack tracking!

[Coyote]

I've never ran Avons but I can say for sure, both my softail and ultra did this with the stock tires. Switching the ME880s all but eliminates it. Has to do with the tire groove design.

[03deuce]

Agree with  Coyote.   

Not sure how the Venom thread pattern compares to the Metzler?

[blk-betty]

Noticed it a lot with stock Dunlops but not at all aftwer switching to Avon Venoms on last bike, an 02 FXST.

Plan on going with the Venoms on present bikes and hoping they will not follow cracks like the stock Dunlops.

[Clintster]

I'm running the Venoms with no tracking issues.  Is your bike still have stock springs and factory weight oil could have issues.  Is your stearing head in adjustment.

[tireater]

Steering head adjustment was checked recently...I replaced the cart. and have prog. springs, cart. emulators and 15wt oil...
It seemed to get bad after I put on the last tire...I guess I should swap it out...No more 7 yr old e bay tires for me...!!!

[CrazyRay]

Interesting how the responses vary so much. When I ran the Dunlops my '99 RK would hunt. Changed to Metzlers and not only did that stop, but handling in all areas improved. I just can't afford to replace the Metzlers 3 or 4 times a year. So last go round I put an Avon on front. Started hunting cracks again right away plus I noticed a little wobble that wasn't there before. I don't know though, could have something to do with the worn out rear tire. I'll change that and see.

Tireater, are you serious, is yours an old tire? Because I bought mine at a local shop and I think it is old too. I just can't remember how to read the date code.

CrazyRay

[FLTRI]

The front Dunlop is the cause. I run Metzler front because it doesn't follow cracks and feather the tread after trail braking and accelerating off the corners. I run Dunlop rear because I do not like the soft sidewalls of the Metzler rears. They need 48-50lbs to not squirm in the sweepers, whereas the Dunlop works excellent @ 38-40lbs.
PS- Brazil Metzler rears are worse than ever.
As always, JMHO, Bob

[Bakon]

Metzlers will make it stop but they are junk. Had one bubble up on the inside from the heat of riding an Iron Butt ride. Got a puncture after the balance was thrown off and let go after 700 miles and had to hunt for an 18 inch tire in Kentucky to finish the ride. Dont know if the puncture happened because of the bubbles as nothing was inside the hole, but when it was removed there was several large bubbles in the rubber on the inside. Ended up at a Honda dealer changing it myself. Tires rode nice but never again.

[Sonny S.]

Anyone having this problem with Dunlop E3's  ?

[Caper]

Tireater, are you serious, is yours an old tire? Because I bought mine at a local shop and I think it is old too. I just can't remember how to read the date code.

CrazyRay
[/quote]

   Example:    4703 would mean the tire was made in the 47th week of 03.

 

[smoserx1]

I agree with everyone else about the tires, but on my bike the rear seems to make the most difference when worn out.  As the stock rear Dunlop wears, the profile goes from very rounded to fairly flat, almost like a car tire.  A new rear tire will get rid of the crack following for several thousand miles, but then it starts coming back as the replacement tire wears.  The front tire seems to retain the rounded profile even when very worn.

[Deye76]

Metzlers will make it stop but they are junk. Had one bubble up on the inside from the heat of riding an Iron Butt ride. Got a puncture after the balance was thrown off and let go after 700 miles and had to hunt for an 18 inch tire in Kentucky to finish the ride. Dont know if the puncture happened because of the bubbles as nothing was inside the hole, but when it was removed there was several large bubbles in the rubber on the inside. Ended up at a Honda dealer changing it myself. Tires rode nice but never again.

I ride through curves a lot more than through cracks, and metzlers suck in the curves. Also don't do well in the rain anymore.

[Dennis The Menace]

Avon venoms here....Dunlaps were much worse than Avons.  And many roads in Colorado have grooved surface, and expansion joints running down the lanes.  So, a pretty good testing ground out here.

menace

[tireater]

Front and back Avons are basically new....I had a mostly bald front Avon that didn't follow cracks...
I noticed crack following when I replaced it with an old e bay tire. A new back tire gets rid of the flat tire wobble...

[Flat Dog]

The fatter the tire, the less the effect. A skinny 21 incher is lovely when negotiating a grated Florida drawbridge...

[RoadKingTrooper]

As others have said, I found this condition prevalent with the Dunlops on my RK. It got worse as the tires wore. Switched to Metzlers and haven't had it "wander" since.
RKT

[Big Dan]

I found it better with E3's than with 402's.