Rad Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 A quick history first. About 2 weeks ago I had a puncture in the rear tyre. It was my first skid but I held it. I rode "normally" for about half a mile before I stopped to check the tyre. I was in a middle of nowhere but fortunately not far from a bike shop. So I rode for another half a mile 20-30 mph with little to no pressure left. At the shop I got the plug repair kit and went about fixing it. I had to use more strength then I expected to drill the nail hole bigger for the plug. I almost made the bike fall of its stand. I got it fixed and pumped.On my way home I noticed the handling changed. It was raining so I attributed it to the wet surface and the plug. But later in dry it behaved the same. I check the wheel alignment and it looks good. The chain is running bang in the middle. I hoped the issue would go away when I get a new tyre but it didn't.The handling issues seems most evident at low speeds. At 60 the bike seems stable even around bends. When I go around an island I have the feeling the back wheel is trying to overtake me on the outside. It's the same around left corners. When going straight at 30 it feels like the tyre has low pressure. Especially on bad surface the back is dancing. For the brief period when I was running on the plugged tyre this made me think the plug went.- tyre pressure is correct- front tyre is about 2 years old but has plenty of life left (Bridgestone 021)- rear tyre in now new and wheel was balanced (Bridgestone 023)- wheel alignment is as good as I can get itWhat else can it be? Quote
Mr Fro Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 If you'd said you experienced the problem only since you got the new tyre, I would have suggested it might be because the old one was worn and you're getting used to the profile of the new tyre.Could be that the old one had low pressure in it for a while before it got the puncture which would cause a similar thing...I take it your rear suspension is travelling as it should. Quote
Rad Posted June 6, 2014 Author Posted June 6, 2014 What do you mean by travel? The suspension preload?I check the pressure regularly and the old tyre didn't loose much. The problem started with the puncture / repair.Could I've bent the rim somehow? Wouldn't the bloke putting new tyre notice it?Today is the last day of good weather for a while here. I'll get out and try figure it out. Quote
klingelton Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 get your bike up on a centre stand and grab the rear swing arm. give it a shove. you should feel no lateral movement in the swing arm. if you do - you've effectively got a second pivot point on your bike and have 2 wheel steering! (not good)check to make sure your suspension is behaving properly. make sure your front forks are not pissing oil. make sure your rear shock isn't weeping and that it bounces, but doesn't wallow. Quote
Tango Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 Check both wheel bearings and steering head bearings too...... What are you measuring the tyre pressure with? ....maybe it's reading high, causing you to under inflate the tyres.Are the tyres fitted correctly.....ie, running in the right direction? Even though the front tyre has tread left on it the tread may be worn on the shoulders more....giving the tyre more of a V profile.....which can cause the bike to drop into low speed turns..... Quote
Chrissb6 Posted June 6, 2014 Posted June 6, 2014 Hi Mate if you rode the bike for a good distance with the tyre flat before you got it repaired there's a strong chance that you might have damage the carcase of the tyre. Get the bike up on a stand and give the wheel a spin and seen if the tyre spins true. Any ripple or wobble will be prevalent at slow speeds and will fade away as you speed up. if this is the case change the tyre without hesitation. On the other hand if the tyre runs true, can you be sure that the guy who did the repair rebalanced the tyre before he refitted the wheel??? Quote
bex Posted June 7, 2014 Posted June 7, 2014 you say your front tyre is about 2 years old and your rear is new? there could be an edge on your front as this 'turning in on slow speed' can be caused by the front too. if you have now got a lovely round back tyre then you are possibly dropping of the shoulder that has been created on the front. before you changed the rear you probably didnt notice it as the rear would have had the same worn in profile. have a look.some times its he small things that need checking before the big things lol Quote
Rad Posted June 9, 2014 Author Posted June 9, 2014 Thanks for all the help. The front tyre seems fine. It's round with now visible edges.On Friday I took her for a spin and I noticed that she pulls slightly to the left when I let go off the handle bars. I guess my "as good as I can get it" traction isn't good enough. So yesterday I adjusted it again. I was too hang over for a test ride but on the ride around the block she didn't pull. It stopped raining so I'll see if I made it better or worse in the evening. Quote
klingelton Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 probably will pull a little to the left - it's the natural camber of the road. Quote
numptyspence Posted June 9, 2014 Posted June 9, 2014 There could be no issue with the rear. Some times you have something go wrong and even though its fixed or replaced that little voice in your head keeps saying. "Its not right"If after doing all the tests mentioned above you can still feel something wrong. \you might have to develop another little voice that tells the other one to be quiet!! Quote
Rad Posted June 10, 2014 Author Posted June 10, 2014 My baby is healed... well almost. It wasn't in my head although I admit I started thinking that .In the end it is traction. The adjustment from Sunday made things a lot better, not perfect yet. I got myself the Profi SE-Cat thingy and if weather doesn't break down, I'll try getting it right again.I'm thinking about getting 2 cheap line lasers too and building a contraption for the future. Quote
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