Can You Push Your Bike Backwards?

[Anonymous]

My 1980 GS850 has become very had to push backwards while in neutral. I noticed this last fall while pushing it into parking in the garage. What does this mean? Has anyone had this problem before? The shaft fluid appears fine.

Thanks,
Terry

[Anonymous]

Is that model A shaftie??? Mine gets funny when tires need air. i have a chain model. Im just curious about the bike being a shaftie. I have no ideas to contribute mysel on this topic though.

[saaz]

Backward or forward should not matter. Dragging brake? have you tried turning the wheels on the centre stand to see if it is different forward or back? Are you pushing backwards uphill

[Anonymous]

I have not been trying to push it uphill at all. The bike will roll forward easily but when you try to back it up it really gives you a work out. I have never had this problem before last fall. It runs and shifts smoothly but will not roll backwards easily even now.

Thanks,
Terry

[Anonymous]

I think you should check to see which wheel it is. My 400 had this problem when going forwards because my front brake pads were beveled. They would wedge themselves and not let go for a few blocks.

Steve

[dpep]

I tend to concur with Steve; sounds like a brake pad related problem. If your brakes were gunked up and not releasing it would affect forward rolling also. If it was in the bearings, rolling backward would be the least of your problems. If you are in neutral, that pretty much eliminates everthing else.

Put it on the centerstand and spin each wheel in both directions. When you find which one has the resistance, take a small flat-blade screw driver and carefully pry the pads away from the disk. Then spin again to see if the resistance is still there.

With some luck this should at least advance your diagnosis. It may not work because the physics are different with the wheel supported vs. under weight.

[dwarf8]

I'm new to these bikes....
Is it possible that he needs to create a small chamfer** on the back edge of the brake pads? If the leading edge has one ...... ??

** a slight "breaking" of the edge of the brake pad, usually with sand paper or a file, so it doesn't meet the rotor at 90 dgrees.

[gremlin]

sounds like gunk in the caliper. I did a total clean out and up on a yam. the owner had it in storage for a few years that let all the gunk in the system to settle to the bottom. the pistons would not move back fast enough to release until you drove it for a few blocks.

[satchmo]

Is there a slight possibility of it being a nuetral problem. That perhaps even in neutral the gears transmission doesn't quite disengage?

I find that even in Nuetral my bike doesn't push that easily, but when I pull in the clutch, when in nuetral, it pushes much better.

Also, if my bike is on the center stand, and running, the back tire spins, ever so slowly.

Satch