hey guys, i have a question. the other day my girlfriend was riding behind me in my truck while i was on my bike and she noticed that, while driving in a straight road, i was riding to the left side. so when i get home, i check my chain and tire to make sure everything is in balance. with everything back to normal, i ride and ask her to follow me again. she says i still look the same. i might just be being paranoid, but now i think that my bike pulls to the right, which is the same side as the exhaust. i have an akraprovic exhaust on my 2001 f4i. my question is, do you think this would make the bike pull to the right? or should i have it looked at to see if everything is in tact? any response is appriciated. thanks.

 

the weight of the exhaust is so minimal it wouldn't matter. The stock can weighs like 10-12 lbs compared to slip ons which are like 3-5 lbs. Next time you're on a straight road, let go of the bars and see if you still go straight.

 

wrap some string around the rear tire then pull it up to the front tire to see if the string lines up with the front tire.

 

could you explain a little more about the string trick? i dont understand the method here.

 

just let go of the bars while your riding, if your bike instantly leans one way then the forks or somthing is off ballance or alligned incorrectly... if not then your fine... sorry for the typos.. .i'm drunk

 

At 20 mph that 10 lb exhaust should not even come into play. Your bike will always balance out if you are constantly cranking. Now, I dont think it has anything to do with the bike. I think its you! If you ever follow other new riders you should note that they have a tendency to lean left unless they are comfortable(ill explain that later). Because we can have a full grip on the the left handle bar we might displace more weight to that side. Right hand is a bit busy with the gas so we do not push as hard on that side. I leaned left in the begining, my buds same. Seems just too common than a coincident. Try to have the same pressure on both side and see if there is a difference.
Ultimate test is, go up to 30mph in 2nd(dont go into neutral/in gear), then sit up straight and let go of the bars with both hands. Pratice few time before doing it for a long period. If your bike does pull to one side, then you have a problem. If that bike goes straight then its your weight displacement. Good luck.
The bike has almost 500lb limit. I dont think the 10lbs will throw your bike completely off.

 

Ha Lockless, you posted your comment right when I was writing mines. Pretty much I was thinking of the forks too, its just i want to make sure its not the rider issues before getting to mechanical issues.
Whathca drinkin?I killing myself with grand marnier.

 

probly looks like your leaning becuase of crown in the road

 

the string should line up with both the front and back

 

well i teseted out the theroy of letting go of the handle bars when riding. it did move a little to the right. so i got off at my parents house, checked everything out, adjusted the shocks in the front to be harder, and the problem seems to have ceased a little. i think, however, it has a lot to do with the way i ride the bike. i was reading alekinci's post and he is right, i tend to put more weight on my left hand. i have been riding for 2 years, and barely noticed this a week ago when my girlfreind pointed it out. i guess now, i have to learn to ride straight up and down, instead of slightly placing more weight on my left side. ill just do what seems comfortable. thanks for all of the help everyone.