Chain adjustment and wheel spindle pin

[Hovmod]

Had to tighten my chain yesterday. I thought it got *very* loose all of a sudden, and a slight wobble/vibration in left turns I've been postponing doing anything about has been getting worse (I still have some of that, but I'm waiting with the main troubleshooting until I've changed tyres and swing arm bushes, later this weekend).

So I took out the pin from the wheel spindle, and noticed that the grooves on the wheel nut that the pin is supposed to hit were deeper on the spindle than the pin holes, so the wheel nut is free to loosen a couple of turns before it engages the pin. I assume this is what happened; the nut loosened enough from vibrations and whatnot to allow the wheel to move enough to loosen the chain.
Now I've tightened it (after tightening the adjusting bolts about two turns each), but I worry that it will come loose again. (Handling is better, but not super tight yet)

What do you think? Do I just get some washers to build under the wheel nut so the pin can do its job?
Also, shouldn't there be a marker somewhere to align with the alignment scale? I couldn't see one.

[SqDancerLynn1]

There should be a washer on it. !!!

[Hovmod]

I'll go get one. Thanks.

[Suzuki_Don]

If you can't see a mark on the adjusting sideplates then it has probably been put on the wrong way, reversed or upside down.

[sharpy]

Yep a washer thats about 2-3mm thick and the notches you are looking for are more than likely on the bottom side of those adjusters. Or you can string line the wheels running some string up along both sides past the front wheel by about a metre and tied to two bricks or simular.. When pulled tight if all four widths from the front and back of the front tyre are the same you have your wheels in line. Meaning the rear tyre is wider than the front so you have 4 measuring widths on the front wheel between the string and the edge of the tyre. 2 on one side and 2 the other side. Confused?

[Hovmod]

Not confused. I have the string ready for after I change the tyres, add washer and reverse the adjusters, perhaps later tonight. Thanks everybody.

(great forum)

[7981GS]

I always take a file and make the adjuster mark a bit more noticeable.
Just a wee bit deeper. Some, are barely visible when they are in the correct position.

Daniel

[JEEPRUSTY]

Castellated nuts functionwith the cotter pin trapped in the grooves in order to work properly.

You are missing a washer but is there one on each enad of the axle?
There is a heck of a gap there.

This is a safety issue get that axle nut secured properly.
According to the experts at Motorcyclist magazine may yrs ago, the marks are not very accurate anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E84Xh1yz7xg

try the vid method.
A slightly misaligned chain wears out everything it transmits power through.
Bearings, sprockets, tires and itself.

[Hovmod]

I'm doing all sorts of things about this tomorrow. Of course I'm aware this is a safety issue. No hard riding until this is sorted...

Thanks.

[Suzuki_Don]

The general method I use is to measure between the centre of the swing arm pivot bolt and the centre of the rear axle on both sides. Obviously both measurements should be the same. This method does not take into account the frame being bent or out of alignment, but if the frame is straight this method works OK, for me anyway.

[Suzuki_Don]

Suzuki don't generally use a washer on the other side of the axle, only on the end where the castellated nut is positioned. The washer in this position is 4mm in thickness. The other obvious solution is to the buy another castellated 19mm nut of the longer variety.

[hampshirehog]

The general method I use is to measure between the centre of the swing arm pivot bolt and the centre of the rear axle on both sides. Obviously both measurements should be the same. This method does not take into account the frame being bent or out of alignment, but if the frame is straight this method works OK, for me anyway.

And that's the way we used to do it in the shop - easier than counting those pesky lines.

[Hovmod]

OK, so I took off the wheels, changed tyres, fitted new washer (that I had to hack with a drill so it would fit; obviously the GSX 750 wheel pin is skinnier than the GS750), adjusted using a gauge, checked with bits of string, and just as I was about to pack up and leave I noticed the tyre looked a bit wrong. I had punctured the inner tube. :x

Yeah.

Tomorrow's another day. Off with the rear wheel again, off with the tyre again, patch it (if possible) or stick a new one in (if I can get one. Probably best option anyway, who knows how old the old one is...), get the tyre back on (without damaging the inner tube), on with the wheel again, adjust again.
Should go faster tomorrow, but damn...

I only have one more week of riding before I go away for 6 weeks. Agh. Don't want to spend it wrenching, really. Want to break in those new shoes...

[Hovmod]

Right. Went in with a new tube, took the wheel off, popped one side off the rim, and pulled the old tube out. Stuck the new one in, and after a session with a few choice expletives managed to get the valve through the hole in the rim. That was a test of my patience, right there... So I got the tyre on all the way around, inflated to spec and went for a spin. Failure! Both wheels wobbled and shook all over the place, and the mere idea of going faster than 60 kph seemed ridiculous. Back to the garage.
An inspection showed that the tyre hadn't settled properly all around the rim, and I tried various lame ass strategies to fix it, to no avail. So I gave up, thought perhaps I was to stupid to own an old bike, locked up and walked away.

So I sat down in a park (it's a music day in town today, so there's live music everywhere) with a cup of coffee and sulked.

For about fifteen minutes.

Then I remembered Robert Pirsig, and realized I had gone through the whole exercise with all sorts of HASTE all over it.
Time for some zen.
So I walked back up to the garage and sat down next to the bike and tried to think of a way of fixing this. Every other bike on the road has tyres on it, why shouldn't mine?
Then it dawned on me that I could just try with a big bunch of psi, and pumped up each tyre past 80 psi, and then deflated back to the specified pressure. Guess what? The tyres were perfectly aligned with the rim, all the way around, both sides of both tyres.

So I went for a quick spin.

Win.

New tyres, well mounted, with correct pressure, rear wheel meticulously aligned - it's a new bike!

Thanks to a book I read 20 years ago, I managed to empty my mind enough for the right idea to pop into it.

It's such a relief to be able to fully trust the rubber, and to get rid of that icky wobble in left turns...

Happy Trønder!