Rear wheel alignment

[SwagenGTI]

So I will be taking off my rear wheel tomorrow to get a new tire put on and I need to figure out how to realign everything. I know the hash marks are not very accurate so I tried measuring from the swing arm bolts to the axle bolts. Its kind of hard to do with the exhaust in the way. I guess a piece of string would work better than a tape measure :/

Is that accurate enough? How exact does it have to be? I know that people have trouble keeping everything aligned when they tighten the axle bolt, what exactly is the best way to go about this? Measure, tighten the axle bolt, remeasure and loosen the alginment nuts or is it necessary to always loosen the axle bolt?

[Motofool]

Read this threrad:

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13833

If you keep forward pressure on the rear wheel as you tighten the axle bolt, everything will stay as adjusted.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by SwagenGTI

How exact does it have to be?

You can be way off and not even know it. We eyeball at the track. But..... do your due diligence here to get the max life from your tire and chain. Because at the track we have very nice suspension* setups and don't really care about tire life.

*Suspension can eat up alot of things like vibrations, alignment issues, unbalanced tires and even warped wheels.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Read this threrad:

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13833

If you keep forward pressure on the rear wheel as you tighten the axle bolt, everything will stay as adjusted.

Great thread! Who is this KKIM guy and why don't the pictures work?

[Alex]

[SwagenGTI]

lol. It really bums me out that there are so many diy's/how to's but none of the pictures work

[SwagenGTI]

So here is my rear tire. It definitely has chicken strips from the previous owner; very little tread in the center and tons on the sides.





Its pretty dusty in my garage, hence the huge contrast in shade; flash doesnt help either. Anyways, I was going to take the tire to get it changed out today but do you think it is necessary? As long as I dont ride in the rain, I feel like it would be fine for a little bit (a few hundred miles). Or should I get it changed out right away?

[Alex]

The tire is in terrible shape, way past the wear bars in the center. But more than that, it's so flat spotted that the bike must feel pretty awful. A new tire will make it feel like a new bike. If the back looks that bad, what does the front look like?

[SwagenGTI]

dammit. I wish I could have gotten a reply a bit sooner, now I will have to wait to get a tire installed

Front has similar wear (sides are pretty clean) but there is still quite a bit of tread left.

[CC Cowboy]

Get two new tires and you will enjoy riding this summer so much better (and safer).

[Motofool]

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ho...rcycle_wheels/

[SwagenGTI]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Get two new tires and you will enjoy riding this summer so much better (and safer).

Like I said, I have a new rear, just not sure if it needs to go on asap or not. I am still learning, and riding down a neighborhood to a parking lot. I am afraid to really go anywhere more than walking distance away from my house

I think I might as well pick up a new front as well since they are on sale at motorcycle superstore. Probably wouldnt throw it on for a while though.

[SwagenGTI]

Got the new rear on today, but I havent been able to ride since it took me forever to get the damn wheel aligned.

I built a tool like in that thread (metal pipe, clamps, etc) and it seems accurate enough. I spent 3 hours doing the damn string method though...god it is awful. I feel that the string method is just as accurate as the tool method; not 100% but close enough. My problem with the string method is that there are too many variables. The string on the back of the tire can end up in between tread, the point where it hits the front area of the tire is always different (can be just barely touching, might be almost touching, might be touching a bit more than "barely"), then measuring the distance between the strings and the front wheel can be slightly off, and the front wheel might not even be completely straightened. The string method is way to tedious and I felt like I was able to get equal measurements just by slightly adjusting tension on the string and varying the amount that it was touching the tire :/

There has to be a better way. The tool is much quicker and easier but it still only gives a result that is "close enough"

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by SwagenGTI

Got the new rear on today, but I havent been able to ride since it took me forever to get the damn wheel aligned.



There has to be a better way. The tool is much quicker and easier but it still only gives a result that is "close enough"

It's quick and easy if you get a couple of buddies to help;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkhH3nl0glc

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by SwagenGTI

...........There has to be a better way..........

May not be better, but there are other ways:

http://www.realclassic.co.uk/techfil...alignment.html

http://www.proaligner.com/howitworks1a.html

http://www.1off-design.co.uk/wheel_alignment.php

http://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2010/...-handling.html

[SwagenGTI]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

It's quick and easy if you get a couple of buddies to help;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkhH3nl0glc

Just getting the axle bolt back in takes at least 20 seconds.

The proaligner looks good but how the hell does it work?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by SwagenGTI

The proaligner looks good but how the hell does it work?

Info here:

http://proaligner.com/RW.ProAlignerTest.pdf

[SwagenGTI]

Just found that. Kind of weird, so do you sit it on the rear wheel and then lay down and look from the front of the wheel to the ruler? I feel like that is kind of hard to see, especially with fairings in the way

[Alex]

It's a distant cousin to the string method. Visually seeing whether the two tires are in line, with a guide.

[lgk]

Originally Posted by Motofool

http://www.1off-design.co.uk/wheel_alignment.php

i was going to build something like that out of wood but the pieces i had were not straight enough.

[SwagenGTI]

Originally Posted by Alex

It's a distant cousin to the string method. Visually seeing whether the two tires are in line, with a guide.

I feel like I would end up needing a telescope to see those numbers from the front

Originally Posted by lgk

i was going to build something like that out of wood but the pieces i had were not straight enough.

This way looks easiest but It wont work with the bike on the rear stand. I guess if I could get someone to hold the bike up straight it would work. I might have to fabricate something out of some stainless steel tubing I have lying around

[alex.s]

i measure the distance from the swingarm pivot to the axle bolt on both sides

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by lgk

i was going to build something like that out of wood but the pieces i had were not straight enough.

The most straight pieces that you can find are aluminum extrusion rectangular profiles (like the frames of aluminum-glass doors).

Pipes will always have some deformation.

More about the Pro-aligner:

http://hans.fugal.net/blog/tag/proaligner/

Originally Posted by SwagenGTI

I feel like I would end up needing a telescope to see those numbers from the front

Note that you should locate the ruler behind the front tire and look from the front of it.

You could use the side stand if your bike has one; all you have to do is to incline the ruler.

[dustoff]

Like many members, I always eyeball it. More importantly, I always change front and rear tires at the same time to preserve handling.