Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all, a problem on the category "C" repairs. After fitting the new shocks and rebuilt wheel I seem to have a slight "list to starboard" in that the wheel opposite the shocks is closer to the right than the left so I think there must be a slight bend to the swinging arm with the left arm (from the back) being slightly higher than the right arm. Oh Bugger! so seeing as this is a new ABS Euro 4 bike with the new swinging arm design my question is :- is there anywhere that can "true up" the S. arm. I'm sure our hosts will not have a new Item for the "NEW" bike and the importers took months to get the 400 quids worth of parts to date? Any advice welcome . Thanks.

Google Motoliner in Maidstone, they have a very good reputation and can probably do it through the post. Not the repair obviously!

REgards, Mark

Good advice. I ended up making swing arm adjusters as neither our hosts nor Royal Enfield seem to have parts. Still, mine won't break.

Andy

I have realigned a swinging arm , (not Enfield,) that was over one and a half inches out of alignment, BUT how I did that is something I would not detail to anyone, only to state it was done slowly over two years. Now the rear wheel spindle can be pushed into position with one finger.

I second the recommendation of Motorliner Maidstone. They have a good reputation and specialise in all frame, fork and yoke repairs

Funnily enough they have recently checked that both the frame and the swinging arm of my Crusader Continental is straight.

They will accept certain items through the post.

Phone them and speak to Tommy (or his Dad).

Another vote for Motoliner. Years ago I had a Moto Guzzi California III that came off second best in a collision with a Renault 5 in France. This occurred in May. The supplying dealer ordered a new frame, but having waited months with no news we cancelled the order and had Motoliner straighten the frame on their hydraulic jig. The bike was eventually ready for me in December, though I had to take it back again to the dealer because one of the fork legs supplied by Moto Guzzi turned out to have been machined incorrectly, causing the caliper to sit offset relative to the disc and resulting in the brake binding. Whilst the Motoliner repair was speedy and efficient and they did a great job the Italian bike industry lived up to its rotten reputation for back order spares delivery at that time, deterring me from ever buying an Italian bike again. I got rid of the California a week later and bought a Triumph Trophy 900.

If you want to actually check it for true, it's pretty straightforwards. Get a couple of long bolts with a couple of nuts and washers on each. Clamp them to either side of the swingarm "fork ends" so the head of the bolt is facing in the middle with a small gap between it and the opposite one and the bolt is secured firmly to the swingarm between the two nuts.



If it's all straight and true, the bolt heads will face one another and be paralell and should be level when viewed from behind (but not necessarily from above because they could be in a different position in the fork).



This is effectively how you check the dropouts on a bicycle frame for alignment (they have a special tool, but it's effectively a pair of long bolts). Very accurate too, especially when you come down to how paralell the air gap between the bolt heads is. It's easy on a push bike because if they are out of true, you just grab the bolt and bend it until they both line up. I don't think it'll be so simple on a motorbike one but the principal is the same for checking alignment.

Disc braked bikes don't have fork ends on the swing arm. Its a box section. Like this https://flic.kr/p/ZhA2A7

Andy

Same idea should still work, just with the bolts through the axle holes instead.

DIY repairs are OK but the services of Motoliner might be useful in the case of an insurance write off. They will supply written details indicating that the frame etc is straight which may be a comfort to a future purchaser of the bike.
That’s why they are checking my bike even though it is a Category N write off.