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matt

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mattman

Posts: 228
Winter Springs, FL
Gender: male

swerve
10/08/09 at 10:49:18

i get a swerve to the left, im not sure where to start.

I recently had my rear tire replaced, but i dont know if i had the swerve before that as I dont take both hands off the bars too often simultaneously Wink

I was thinking when i get home to prop up the rear and spin the tire to see if the belt is centered or not.

Does that seem like a good place to start, or wold that be a front end thing? Huh

thanks

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EJID

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Work to ride and
ride to work.

Posts: 1536
Pocatello, ID
Gender: male

Re: swerve
Reply #1 - 10/08/09 at 13:04:18

Exactly the right place to start. The tire is likely out of alignment.

Did you remount the wheel to the bike or have a shop do it?

If you did it yourself, go back through the steps. Loosen the axle bolt, then adjust the axle alignment bolts (or whatever they call them - the thingys with the small bolt and bracket that pulls the axle towards the back of the bike). On the bracket, and on the swingarm there are alignment marks (these are only for reference as many members here will agree just because they are both set on the same mark does not mean they will be in alignment) I think with the bike swerving to the left, you probably have the right side (when looking from the rear) pulled back further than the left. Trial and error with several short test runs worked best for me to make sure I had the tire in alignment and the belt not too tight. When you tighten things back down, make sure you set the adjuster bolt on the back of the swingarm and then don't forget to retighten the axle bolt before you test ride it (don't ask why I know Shocked

) Give it a few tries and you should get it back in alignment.

Good Luck Grin

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05 S40 15" Memphis Slim, FXDWG Bars, Moved Rear Signals, Saddlebags, Fork Bag, Mini-Tach, Raptor, Cone Filter, Fishtail Muffler, Mix Screw Out 2.5 Turns, 4" Fwd Controls, 147.5 Main/55 Pilot @ 4500

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28725 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: swerve Reply #2 - 10/08/09 at 13:59:18 Don't know about swerve, but I get a little drift... it may be normal, from belt drag on decel, or weight balance... lots of bikes do it...if I lean a little, it goes straight...
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justin_o_guy2

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What happened?

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East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.

Re: swerve
Reply #3 - 10/08/09 at 14:57:58

Do you have saddle bags? If the left side is loaded more heavily,,,

The belt IS on the left, but the forward or backward pressure it applies to the bike is applied at the tire/ road contact area, so the belt has no bearing. If it did, then we would turn left every time we nailed it & we would drift right on decel, since the Pull is on top on acceleration, pulling the left side of the rear tire forward & sending the rear to the right & swerving the bike left, opposite on decel. It just dont work IMO.

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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Ebikerman

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Fitzgerald, GA
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Re: swerve
Reply #4 - 10/08/09 at 18:08:09

If, big if, if you can find the center of the swing arm bolt on each side and the center of your axle, you can bend a coathanger wire so that it has right angles at both ends. Then get your belt tight as you want it using the tensioner tool that came with the bike. Now point one end of the wire to one of your centers. Then bend the wire to allow it to point to the other center on the same side of the bike. You will have to make several tries on each side to get both sides to match the same length that you have bent the wire to. This is how I aligned my Sporster axle. It had centers already on the swing arm and axle. Good luck.....Dan

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2006 S40. Christian biker. Bikes rock, but there is more to life than bikes.

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matt Full Member Offline da na na na na mattman Posts: 228 Winter Springs, FL Gender:	Re: swerve Reply #5 - 10/14/09 at 10:50:22 Cool thanks for all of the tips. Unfortuantly i have not had a chance to even look at it! My finals for class are today and i start up again next week BUT hopefully this weekend will go MY way and i can go for long rides look at pretty girls and things drink lots of beers and get my bike moving in a straight line. i wish my self luck LOL.
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matt

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mattman

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Winter Springs, FL
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Re: swerve - fixed
Reply #6 - 10/17/09 at 06:17:19

Well all i can say is so far so good. cold front came in, man its so nice outside, if i had a weather thermometer i bet it would say 60 with a nice breese.

Anyway i got my rear in line Shocked

I didnt have the patients to find a wire coat hanger, tape mesure wasnt cuttin it becasue of the curves in the swing arm, so i used a baseball bat to confirm the right side was back just a little. the ball on the handle of the bat fit right into the cavity where the swing arm pivots, no guessing there (had to remove the chrome cover of course).

got her all loosened up jacked the rear and spun like hell.
i notice the belt all the way to one side, so i mess around with the right guide (belts tension was ok so i didnt mess with the left side) until i get the belt in the center, after the second test run i knew i had it right.

and i was thinking it would take lot longer to get it right.

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