Chain alignment

[MRCapps]

Quick question. When I use a chain alignment tool to get my chain straight, my adjustment screws and axle indicators are not even. If I go by the adjusted screws and line them up equally on both sides, my chain is way off. Using the makers on each side of the axle bolt when my chain is straight, the left side is about 1/8 of an inch different from the right side.... Is this normal? Thanks.

 

[halfmt1]

That's why they make chain alignment tools. The marks are seldom accurate.

 

[MRCapps]

That's why they make chain alignment tools. The marks are seldom accurate.

OK thanks. So as long as the chain is straight and with the right slack, I'm good?

 

[halfmt1]

Yes.

 

[frog13]

I suppose I'm lucky........my adjustment indicators / markers are spot on.

 

[bikemiser]

I suppose I'm lucky........my adjustment indicators / markers are spot on.

I'm having trouble with Honda installing adjustment indicators on a new bike that are faulty.

 

[670cc]

I suppose I'm lucky........my adjustment indicators / markers are spot on.

I'm having trouble with Honda installing adjustment indicators on a new bike that are faulty.

It is much talked about that the swingarm axle alignment marks can be faulty or incorrectly placed, but I have never personally experienced that on any of my chain drive bikes. I have a chain alignment tool, and I have used it in the past, but since I never detected any significant error, I just use the stock swingarm adjustment indicator marks.

 

[itsmenc700]

I too have not had the adjustment marks off on any bike or verified them.
BUT isn't the whole point of them putting the marks there is for chain adjustment, and you want the chain to be aligned?
I think if you saw this when the bike was still under warranty you have a claim for them to fix it!

 

[670cc]

I too have not had the adjustment marks off on any bike or verified them.
BUT isn't the whole point of them putting the marks there is for chain adjustment, and you want the chain to be aligned?
I think if you saw this when the bike was still under warranty you have a claim for them to fix it!

Is there a Honda published specification for rear axle or chain alignment? Since I don't know of a Honda published specification or alignment tolerance for rear axle alignment, I don't know how you could put in a warranty claim. You would be claiming the mismarked axle alignment marks are outside of some specification that doesn't exist. The only case you could make would be if the motorcycle was inoperable or unsafe to operate with a misaligned chain or axle.

 

[halfSpinDoctor]

When I bought my bike (2013 NC700X) used three years ago, it was pulling pretty hard to the left. It turned out to be the adjusters on the rear wheel: the adjuster on the right was backed off, but the left one wasn't. The chain was very crooked, and the rear wheel was pointed to the right, resulting in the bike pulling left (if you think about the geometry for a brief moment, it all makes sense).

TL;DR - in the process of getting the alignment just right, I used four different measurements. I wrapped a string tightly around the bike, through the front wheel, and measured the distance between the front of the rear wheel and the string. I also counted the number of alignment marks visible, measured from the rear of the axle nut/bolt head to the rear edge of the swingarm with a calipers, and finally also used the motion pro chain alignment tool.

When the wheel got into alignment, all of these measures agreed with one another +/- about 1 mm. The alignment marks were about 0.5 mm off from measuring from the axle bolt to the swingarm. The chain looks perfectly straight, and no pull to either side. I call it a success.

I removed the rear wheel to re-grease the bolt and replace the chain, put it all back together again, and it was again within 1 mm of matching.

 

[frog13]

I'm having trouble with Honda installing adjustment indicators on a new bike that are faulty.

I'm not being silly when I ask this, but, are you sure you're looking at the alignment marks straight on?. I do not know your experience with such things, so, no disrespect intended.
If your looking at the alignment marks and "YOU" are slightly off center, you get a bad line up. I know this sounds crazy.
670 can answer this I'm sure.......any possibility the internal portion inside the swing arm is binding up.....needs cleaned and lubed?. I've never had that apart before.
And, just for the record, I'm not a fan of this bikes chain adjustment type, style or whatever it's called; I prefer snail type adjusters......that's just me though.
Make sure your holding the adjustment nut while securing the lock nut.......the adjustment nut could move causing inaccuracies.

 

[670cc]

I'm having trouble with Honda installing adjustment indicators on a new bike that are faulty.

How far off are your adjustment indicators, and what method have you used to prove them faulty?

 

[showkey]

It is much talked about that the swingarm axle alignment marks can be faulty or incorrectly placed, but I have never personally experienced that on any of my chain drive bikes. I have a chain alignment tool, and I have used it in the past, but since I never detected any significant error, I just use the stock swingarm adjustment indicator marks.

I agree ^^^^^^^^ and that’s after being in the industry for 40 years.

 

[MRCapps]

I'll get some pictures of what my setup looks like this weekend.

 

[670cc]

As was already mentioned by halfSpinDoctor in post #10, let’s not forget that using the left/right alignment marking on the swingarm is going to affect two things: the alignment of the front and rear sprockets, aka chain alignment, and the alignment of the rear wheel with respect to the frame and front wheel. So if we have a verified case of improperly placed swingarm marks by the factory, is the error impacting chain alignment, wheel alignment, or both? We can’t assume that frames are all built perfectly, such that perfect wheel alignment and perfect chain alignment are going to automatically coincide at the same axle position. you may need to prioritize one alignment over the other, or compromise between the two, if they don’t coincide.

So let’s say we have a chain alignment tool setup that suggests or demonstrates that using the factory swingarm alignment marks results in incorrect chain alignment, the next question is going to be, with the chain properly aligned using the tool, how good does the wheel alignment look?

A real word example of how well frames are made is my own 2012 NC. The problem is documented elsewhere on the forum, but the problem was the spacing between the side frame members where the swingarm mounts was too large, resulting in excess swingarm play. I had to add thrust washers on the ends of the swingarm to take up the excess space. So should I add equal washer thickness to each side, or was the error on only one side such that the washers should all be on one side to recenter the swingarm in the frame? In the end I decided it was too difficult to determine exactly where to put the swingarm in the frame, and any misalignment wasn’t worth worrying about. However, my swingarm could actually be offset, causing my chain alignment marks to appear to be incorrectly stamped, when in fact the error, if there was one, is farther forward in the frame.

The bike works fine and the chains last long if I use the factory marks. I don’t worry about it.

 

[NCGUY]

many times the internals are not tight so they are not aligned and this causes misalignment. Canyonchasers.net has many good instructional videos and shows you how to tighten them up. I use a fat shafted phillips screw driver between the chain and the sprocket. Then I use the chain markers to get close. then I put on my motion Pro alignment tool to do the final alignment.

https://www.canyonchasers.net/2009/06/how-to-adjust-and-align-a-motorcycle-chain/

 

[ST13Fred]

I've used the old taunt string method on several bikes. With bike on center stand wrap string around centered front tire, run down either side that is easiest in clearing 'obstacles' (hardest part of job), wrap around rear tire.
Adjust rear to have string contacting all four tire tread edges. Mark both top adjuster bolt flats to finish.

 

[670cc]

I've used the old taunt string method on several bikes. With bike on center stand wrap string around centered front tire, run down either side that is easiest in clearing 'obstacles' (hardest part of job), wrap around rear tire.
Adjust rear to have string contacting all four tire tread edges. Mark both top adjuster bolt flats to finish.

How do you have two wheels in a line and get all four tread edges against the string when the front and rear tires are different width?

 

[dduelin]

The important thing is to correctly line up the chain path regardless of the wheel alignment. There are bikes that do not have wheels directly one behind the other when they come out of the factory or after an accident. With a monotrack vehicle it is actually not that important. Bikes can "dog walk" with no apparent ill effect but if the chain is not aligned between sprockets the chain, sprockets, and even the counter shaft output bearing can wear rapidly.

 

[dduelin]

How do you have two wheels in a line and get all four tread edges against the string when the front and rear tires are different width?

I think he means two front outside edges and the two rear outside edges. That's four points of contact and possible with differing tire widths.