Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: 2002 honda shadow ace front end shakes when leaning right, honda shadow ace, honda shadow ace 750

Question
My 2002 honda shadow ace 750 feels like the front end shakes when you lean into a right curve,even when the road is smooth.It never feels unstable when you lean left? I bought the bike used from a dealer and it only had 1500mi. I am now at 400mi. and it has done it since i got it.I thought at first it was my riding style be it was a new bike ,but now I am very comfortable on it and the shake is still there.Pressure check is good on front and rear. Could it be a balance issue?? Please help Thanks

Answer
If this is something the bike has always done since you've had it, then it must have something to do with the set up of the bike, rather than a condition that has developed while you've had it. So, we can rule out the most common cause of shaking - wrong tyre pressures; wouldn't be a bad idea to check you have the recommended pressure front and rear though.

Check the front wheel and forks for alignment: Is the wheel rim in good condition; have someone hold the rear end down so you can spin the front wheel and check that it is not wobbling; Is the front tyre in good condition - no bumps or bulges? do the forks appear to be in parallel and mounted equally in the triple tree (yoke) clamps.

Now check the rear wheel: Is it positioned equally on both sides of the bike; when you spin it, does it appear to rotate evenly?

What do you know of the bikes history? Was it involved in an accident that could have put the frame out of alignment? You can check this by drawing a chalk line on the floor and pushing the bike along it to see if the front and rear wheels follow the same line; another method some people use is to place timbers down the sides of each of the front and rear wheels to see if they are aligned.

What about luggage? If you have saddle bags and one is loaded more than the other side, this can affect handling.

Have you considered your own riding style? Ask a friend to check your bike and see if they can replicate the problem. If they can't, maybe you have a preference for riding left corners rather than right - many people do, so they tense up more on one direction, thus producing stiffness in the bars. Relax your elbows when riding, especially when cornering and especially the elbow on the inside of the turn. Do you sit centrally in the saddle or have you a slight bias to one side?

Hope one or more of these suggestions is of use to you!

For more on bike control and cornering, feel free to download the PowerPoints in my website.

Regards

Alec
www.alecgore.com