Hitchcocks Forum

I'm sure this topic has been flogged to death but.... Having changed the tyres on my C5 classic 500 I have used the string method to align the wheels. I have found that the wheel now rubs slightly on the chain guard. has anyone else had the same issue? When riding, the bike pulls slightly to the right if i release the handlebars. I'm not sure if it did this before as i wasn't brave enough due to the dodgy rubber fitted by the last owner. The bike is now much better at cornering with Avons and no longer tries to hop over white lines.
I have also bought the throttle rocker as advised and found it quite useful. Mirror extensions have made it easier to see behind rather than my shoulder. Next job is to fit the 19t sprocket on a nice day.
Panniers etc tried out and work ok, ferry booked so still full speed ahead for my Europe trip. The bike toolkit will be augmented by a big adjustable and a hammer as per the best Indian workshops as my proper 30mm spanner is way too big to carry to do the chain adjustment.
Thanks in advance
Andy

Don't forget the front tyre is narrower than the rear and you need to use the string both sides and average the difference.

Have someone follow you while riding. It is obvious if the wheels are out.

If the wheel is rubbing on the chain guard, then the wheels aren't in line. Unless you've fitted a much bigger tyre? I'd say check again, "if at first" and all that. Good luck.

Check the front bracket offset on the chain guard, it may be that a slight bending of bracket may move the guard more outboard if chain clearance allows..

I once became frustrated trying to align a rear wheel that kept moving when tightening so having got the chain tension about right i knocked in a couple of wooden wedges between tyre and swing arm to keep it central, tightened everything up and surprise surprise, wheel alignment with the front was spot on..

Obviously this is not the correct way to align wheels given that difference in welding accuracy/construction of the swing arm has to be taken into account, No two are exactly the same but its a starting point if you know the tyre is dead centre of the swing arm to start with..

If alignment is out then reposition wedges for best clearance and retighten nuts/adjusters to complete..

Brake and stoplight switch last check..

I suspect you are over-thinking this. Just make sure you have the same number of detents on the snail cams at each side and you will be near enough. As you have discovered, it's easy to get it badly wrong with other methods. Even if they are not perfect the manufacturing tolerances seem good enough for the speeds a bullet will do, unless you are very unlucky. Wind direction, load balance, tyre pressures, baggy clothing will all make a bigger difference to stability at speed than getting the nth degree of perfection in wheel alignment. The wheels go up, down, back and forward. The bike banks from side to side, the frame and forks flex, roads have ruts, cambers and so on. Near enough is good enough if you are not racing on smooth tarmac.

Relying on the snail cam notches for accuracy would depend on whether you've a second world or third world quality swinging arm fitted to your bike.
My wheels are in perfect alignmemt with a 7 notch difference between them.

One way of keeping the wheel in position when tightening the axles is to put a rag on the lower chain rung against the sprocket, turn the wheel backwards and apply the brake. Release the brake only after the larger nut has been fully tightened. Repeat again for the smaller nut.

Hi,
Yes recent posts suggest that the snail cams are very inaccurate.
I need to start somewhere with the alignment as i have found on other bikes that they fall into corners on one side and are sluggish on the other if the wheels are too far out.
looking at the string, the path is behind both centre stand springs and i have accounted for the different tyre sizes. I might just mess about with it and try different adjustments until i can ride a straight line with no hands. If Valentino Rossi can do it at over 100mph i'm sure i can manage it at 30

I find that reasonable accuracy in wheel alignment can be gauged by the chain on the sprockets. In theory if the chain is aligned with the gearbox and rear wheel sprockets the wheel will turn freely (assuming the brake shoes are not rubbing) and there will be no clicking sound as each link rubs against a tooth on the front sprocket as it passes over it. Also on some bikes it is possible to look down the chain towards the gearbox sprocket, when it can be assessed reasonably accurately whether or not the chain is in alignment. Certainly if the rear tyre is the right size it shouldn't rub against anything. Whilst the snail cam marks are not spot on, on my C5 nor are they miles out. It sounds to me like the l/h adjuster needs to be tightened. Often the actual chain tension alters when torquing up the axle nut, so allowance has to be made for this. Don't forget to torque up the brake plate retaining nut: some reckon that this nut loosening off is a cause of the rear wheel locking up on a C5. Good luck.