Ryker Rear Wheel Camber??

[RickD]

I just noticed that the rear wheel on my Ryker is not perpendicular to a level surface. I noticed it yesterday when approaching the ride from the rear end straight on from a distance of about 30 feet. I took it home and pulled it into the garage (flat, level floor). I used a framing square to check for "out of square" on the right side of the wheel. I found about 3/8" of what I am calling camber.

Is this normal? Thanks.

[racer83l]

I dont have mine with me to check, but I would guess this is a result of something going on in the front suspension of your ryker.

[sKiZo]

Yup - far as I know, there's no camber adjustments for the swingarm, so I'd also suspect a front end issue. Maybe a simple preload setting that's off? Tire pressure? Whatever - whatever way the rear is leaning would be the front end side to look at first.

[RickD]

Tire pressures are good...front tire pressures are as equal as I can detect. Shocks not adjustable. I measured the height from the floor on corresponding points on the lower A-arms and they are within about 1/16" of each other. On the other hand, the 3/8" dimension I cite is not reliable as it is measured on the tires. I plumbed my framing square alongside the tire and measured to the top and then bottom of the rim face and compared the two readings: they are within about 1/16 inch.

While doing all this I have found that my rear fender is not centered over the wheel, and it appears to be somewhat "twisted" (e.g., better aligned over the wheel at the front than at the rear), which gives the appearance of leaning. Still studying the whole thing, but I'm starting to believe that it's just a cosmetic thing...maybe poor fit due to accumulation of tolerances.

[Bfromla]

Tire wearing evenly Good to keep eye on

[sKiZo]

Time for some minor body adjustment then ... wanna borrow my hammer? <G>

What you did to check the front end are good steps to add to your regular walk around - kick the tires and light the fires!

PS - bent bodywork could certainly fool the eye. Shouldn't be an issue though if you measure clearance at each end of the axle?

[Greven]

I dont remember where I saw this, on these forums or on facebook. But someone asked if anyone else had their rear wheel at a slight angle, and everyone that actually checked could confirm that was the case.
I measured the angle of the rear rim on my own Rally, and sure enough it was also angled... So I'd say you dont have to worry, it seems it is just how they are

Would be interesting to hear from Chris or any other riders who have ridden a lot of miles and used up some rear tires, to see if this seems to affect the wear of the tire as well.

[RickD]

I dont remember where I saw this, on these forums or on facebook. But someone asked if anyone else had their rear wheel at a slight angle, and everyone that actually checked could confirm that was the case.
I measured the angle of the rear rim on my own Rally, and sure enough it was also angled... So I'd say you dont have to worry, it seems it is just how they are

Would be interesting to hear from Chris or any other riders who have ridden a lot of miles and used up some rear tires, to see if this seems to affect the wear of the tire as well.

I wonder if it could be to compensate for torque. Could the designers have had that much foresight?

[sKiZo]

Good point on the offset though, even if it doesn't seem to make much sense. My Ural has a pretty unique setup as well, with adjustments for road pitch and toe in for the sidecar wheel. Brakes and lean angle are also adjusted to compensate for a tendency to pull right on decel (typical boxer there) and pulling left on braking. If you brake while decelerating, it's actually capable of going straight! <G>

PS ... road pitch is something that even afffects two wheelers, but you don't really notice it as you automatically compensate for that by leaning against the pitch. Worth noting, average pitch changes based on location - We get a steeper pitch here in the Great White for rain and snow runoff than you'd see in the flatlands down south and west.

[Markubis]

PS ... road pitch is something that even afffects two wheelers, but you don't really notice it as you automatically compensate for that by leaning against the pitch. Worth noting, average pitch changes based on location - We get a steeper pitch here in the Great White for rain and snow runoff than you'd see in the flatlands down south and west.

I notice the pitch sometimes while changing lanes on a highway. The Ryker will dart across faster than I was intending due to the wheels traveling over the crown of the road.

[sKiZo]

Yup yup ... that's the wider wheelbase and bigger contact patches. One of those little surprises that may take some getting used to, especially if coming over from two wheelers. Secret is to limit the OMG moments to WTF moments when possible. ;-}

PS - anyone experimenting with front end damping? Made a world of difference in reducing steering oscillation (vibration) on my Ural sidecar rig ... Different animal, same principle. Started out as a backyard mechanic tweak to the bike, but a similar setup is now offered as a factory upgrade.