Adjusted the chain-L/R swingarm notches not equal?

[BarryG]

They're close...L just before 4th notch approx 85%, R about 70% to 4th notch. But if I try to get the left side to go back a bit to match up with the right, I have to loosen the chain to the point that it's too loose. R doesn't go any further back.

Is it a big deal to have a little difference like this?? Bike seems to ride ok but I could swear that it might feel a little off in the turns but that's probably my imagination to be honest?

[shovelstrokeed]

The only way to be sure about wheel alignment is to meaure from a fixed point on both sides of the chassis to the axle centerline. At least until I get around to building a fixture for using my trammel points, you are going to have to remove the silencers to do that.

Try this.

Loosen the axle nut and bring both adjusters as far forward as they will go.

Now take all the slack out of the adjusters using just finger tension. From there, sneak up on the chain adjustment by turning each adjuster a couple of flats at a time, or the same number of degrees of rotation each time, ie 90 degrees with the left, 90 degrees with the right. You probably went too far with one adjuster first.

Also, check your chain to be sure it is the right one. The stock chain and stock sprockets call for 110 links.

[Guest rockmeupto125]

Barry...its not a precise system. The swingarm marks are approximates. If the bike rides straight down the road and the bars don't seem turned in relationship to the tank one way or the other, its probably okay.

I'm more concerned with "R doesn't go any further back." How many miles on that chain, and how tight are you running it?

[shovelstrokeed]

Motion Pro makes a neat little chain alignment aid that clamps to the rear sprocket. Not as precise as my method but will gett he job done,

Rockmeup is dead right. If your chain is so worn that you are working at the end of the adjuster's travel you need to replace it. I would also have someone look at the sprockets so you don't kill your new chain.

I just replaced the chain on mine and the difference in smoothness has to be felt to be believed. I pushed the factory chain to nearly 18K miles, I won't do that again as the one that came off was more like a rubber band than a chain.

[davesXX01]

Or try this: http://www.project-one.us/

looks awsome! And cheap!

Dave

[BarryG]

I'm more concerned with "R doesn't go any further back."   How many miles on that chain, and how tight are you running it?

I think I mis-communicated this part. The right side WILL go further back (i.e 3rd notch, 2nd notch) but it won't go any more forward......so it's at about 75% towards the 4th notch and won't go any closer. Anyway, that's what I meant.

FYI....original chain on the bike....just over 10K mi.

[Guest rockmeupto125]

I don't understand this. If anyone else does, clue me in.

Barry...if everyone else is as confused as I....please restate the problem, and use your directive adjectives in terms of the motorcycle itself.

And if I'm the only dunce here, ignore me. :dunce:

[shovelstrokeed]

I'm a little confused here too.

At 10K, if you haven't been good about lubing and adjusting the chain, and from the fact you are having trouble now, I would say you haven't, your chain is probably shot. Over sensitivity to adjustment is one of the signs of a worn out chain.

Let's define some terms that will make things a little easier.

We will refer to moving the rear axle.

Forward = towards the front wheel and will make the chain looser.

Backward = away from the front wheel and will make the chain tighter.

The adjusters work as follows:

Counterclockwise turn on the adjuster will move the axle backward, clockwise, forward.

If you are, indeed, between the third and fourth notches, you should have no problem getting the wheel squared up and the chain at the proper tension. If it is very sensitive to axle position, it is likely, as I have stated, worn beyond its service limit and should be replaced before it damages the sprockets if it has not already done so.

[Dano]

I've got 22K on my stock chain and it is only 1/2 way through the adjusters. However I clean it and lube it about every 500 miles.

What kind of life should I expect. I know it depends on how happy you are with the loud handle and the care given to the chain.

It doesn't have any stiff links ( no comments please) and the stock sprockets appear to be in good shape.

It's going on three plus years. As long as it adjusts OK and the links and sprockets are good should I just keep doing what I'm doing?

db

[BarryG]

The chain tension is fine. It's just that when it's at the correct tension, which it seems the left adjuster is mostly responsible for, I'm very close to the 4 notch on the left side of the axle.

But the right notch is maybe a tad over 3 1/2 notches (so not as close to the 4th notch as the left side). With the big main axle bolt loose, I cannot adjust the right adjuster to get any closer to the 4th notch.....

I CAN get the left side of the axle to the same notch as the right (little over 3.5 notches) but that requires loosening the chain more and it seems to have too much slack when I do that.

Bike seems to be riding fine as is. Took my hand of the bars this morning at various speeds and it's not pulling.

Hope I explained this better....

[Dano]

Barry it'a a dance you play between the left and the right. You are using a wrench on the adjusters, correct ? Axle just loose enough that you can make the wheel move but not so lose that you have a gap between the spacer and the swingarm.

As long as the adjusters aren't frozen up, you should be able to walk the axle straight and have both at the same marks.

Loosen the axle and chain adjusters. Push wheel forward then pull back. Snug up the adjusters. Line them both up, chain loose and then just walk them both back a little at a time keeping the axle straight. You may end up to loose or too tight, just keeping making small 1/16 turns or less until you have it straight and the chain at the right tension. To loose is better then to tight. i.e. 1 3/8" slack is better then 1"

You should be able to get them within a pencil line width of each other in relation to the marks. You're probably just walking it too much at a time.

[MileHi]

Barry... Check out my post in this thread. http://www.cbr1100xxforums.org/forum/viewt...ght=coat+hanger When my chain(s) are correctly aligned the hash marks (on both of my bikes) don't line up. The the previously mentioned tools will help but so does my cheap coat hanger tool.

[51'er]

Or try this: http://www.project-one.us/

looks awsome! And cheap!Dave

Looks like the Motion Pro. They work well. Kind of spendy I think. I paid around $24 for the Motion Pro.

[redxxrdr]

I made a version of the laser tool shown on another board. Laser shoots forward from the rear tire to a set of targets mounted on the front tire.

Once I aligned with this tool, my chain ran straight down the sprockets.

The left and right indicator notches are not the same. They miss by at least 1/2 notch. There are a number of great ways to align the wheel correctly. Seems the only one that does not work well is the notches supplied by Honda. :cry:

[86gn]

I set my chain tension how I want it then adjust till the sprocket is centered on the chain.

[davesXX01]

Copied from a different forum:

Let me explain the differences.

I think the one you have is from Motion Pro. I don't know of one made by Lockhart, but maybe they were distributing the Motion Pro tool.

The major differences between the PROJECT | ONE and Motion Pro tools are 1)Rod and 2)Rod/Tool interface.

1)Rod.

-Motion Pro rod is 8" long cold rolled steel 0.1875" in diameter sheared to length. It's way too short to even be useful and bends very easily.

-PROJECT | ONE rod is 18" long precision ground stainless shafting with an OD of 0.250" (with a tolerance of +0.0000" -0.0005").

The PROJECT | ONE rod will be very close, if not directly on top of, the front sprocket. The Motion pro rod is so short it makes the tool useless.

2)Interface

-Motion Pro tool is extruded aluminum. Extruding cannot guarantee parallelism between the face the rod is mounted to and the face that contacts the sprocket.

-PROJECT | ONE tool is completely machined from 6061-T6 aluminum. The alignment rod hole and sprocket contact surface are machined in one operation. You cannot get any more accurate than this.

I hope the is very obvious and worthwile to everybody. Everybody using the PROJECT |ONE tools really likes them. I encourage you to see why they are the best.

Mike @ PROJECT | ONE

[davesXX01]

And:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ridgeway

I think the thumb screws only serve the purpose of:

1. Holding the rod in place, which doesn't seem to have any side-to-side play.

Exactly. The nylon is very "grippy" on the stainless without any marring of the rod. It's actually hard to move the rod with the screw tightened down. There is no slop between the rod and the hole. It's a reamed hole and has about .001 to .0005" clearance.

2. Holding the clamp part tight against the face of the sprocket. As long as it's tight, it should hold the rod in-line with the sprocket.

Exactly again.

I'll leave the metalurgy to those who know what they're talking about, (and those that know how to spell metalurgy, cause I think I slaughtered it)

At any rate, it looks like this would be a lot easier than the old fashioned "string around the back wheel pulled past the front wheel" alignment method I've been using, though I would be interested to hear opinions on aligning the sprockets vs. aligning the wheels. As I understand it, aligning one does not necessarily take care of the other.

Aligning one hopefully aligns the other. The only way this wouldn't be true is if the mounting surface on the wheel wasn't machined in a parallel plane to a plane running through the wheel. If that were the case you would notice a wobbly sprocket even if it wasn't bent.

So, aligning the sprocket will also align your wheel. You can do that by either aligning the sprocket or the string around the wheel trick. I've never like the string method and it's fairly time consuming. With the string method, you are also using the edges of the tire which are not accurate at all.

[shovelstrokeed]

Before we get all puff chested about the Project One vs the Motion Pro gadgets, the difference is not all that great. For all practical purposes you could just buy a piece of 1/4" all thread, cut it too length and clamp it to the sprocket with a little C-clamp. Eyeball the relationship to the outer plates of the chain and Bob's your uncle.

There is no need for TGP for the rod. Plain old cold rolled is fine. It's a chain drive, they will accept some misalignment. No need for picking fly shit out of pepper.

[blackhawkxx]

No need for picking fly shit out of pepper.

What, you don't do that???

[shovelstrokeed]

No need for picking fly shit out of pepper.

What, you don't do that???

Of course I do. I own 4 BMW motorcycles. Anal retentive is too mild a term. I just know when precision is required and when a little Kentucky windage will get the job done. Doesn't stop me from getting the job done, I just don't measure curtain rods with a dial caliper.

[BarryG]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions on this one. I was just turning one of the adjusters too much before adjusting the other one.....rushing through it. Readjusted and L and R are equal and chain has plenty of slack and just barely into the Green (chain life).

[Project-One]

Before we get all puff chested about the Project One vs the Motion Pro gadgets, the difference is not all that great. For all practical purposes you could just buy a piece of 1/4" all thread, cut it too length and clamp it to the sprocket with a little C-clamp. Eyeball the relationship to the outer plates of the chain and Bob's your uncle.

There is no need for TGP for the rod. Plain old cold rolled is fine. It's a chain drive, they will accept some misalignment. No need for picking fly shit out of pepper.

I'm not here to argue, but if you're going to align the chain at all, why not do it right. It only takes an additional couple of minutes while you're replacing a tire or tensioning a chain.

[hillbillyxx]

I set my chain tension how I want it then adjust till the sprocket is centered on the chain.

Exactly. I use the adjustment marks as a guide to get the adjustment close then fine tune by watching how the sprocket teeth line up in the chain while rolling the wheel.

[shovelstrokeed]

Before we get all puff chested about the Project One vs the Motion Pro gadgets, the difference is not all that great. For all practical purposes you could just buy a piece of 1/4" all thread, cut it too length and clamp it to the sprocket with a little C-clamp. Eyeball the relationship to the outer plates of the chain and Bob's your uncle.

There is no need for TGP for the rod. Plain old cold rolled is fine. It's a chain drive, they will accept some misalignment. No need for picking fly shit out of pepper.

I'm not here to argue, but if you're going to align the chain at all, why not do it right. It only takes an additional couple of minutes while you're replacing a tire or tensioning a chain.

There is nothing "wrong" about the method I suggested. It has worked for me for over 45 years of motorcycle riding. Of course, a lot of those years were/are on BMWs with no chain to worry about. I learned the all-thread thing from the dealer mechanic at my BSA dealer back in about 1965 or so. I now use trammel points on a custom jig I made up and my wheel is square to the swing arm pivot within about 0.020". Should be pretty close to rignt. Kept my 170 mph nitrous, car tire bike running dead straight down the 1/4 mile.

[Pete in PA]

I checked my wheel allignment with a string (can be VERY acurate if you take your time) and found the allignment marks to be perfect. The front wheel was offset to the right 4mm though, might be a front fork length problem.

Once you have your rear wheel alligned (however you do it) to your satisfaction it should never change. Just count flats on the adjuster bolts.

Say I adjust my chain, I turn the left one one flat and the right one one flat. Then I turn the little C-clip on the end so the open end is pointing straight up which is my new reference flat.

Also if you do this on the centerstand there is some play in the set up. Always push forward on the rear wheel when tightening up the axle nut. If you can't feel this play it's time to rip it apart and clean all that mung from the adjusters and swingarm.

Then lightly tighten the adjusters. or the axle will move, even with the 69 ft. lbs. on the axle nut. (yes it does, I was surprised)

Of course I and this whole post could be on crack if my tire mileage is any indication.