If you align the marks as Suzuki expects and then you have misalignment problems of the belt/pulleys, then you have other problems, maybe loose pulleys, or bushings wore or something else.

The marks on the swingarm aren't right because your either spreading thr swingarm to put the wheel in or compressing it when you tighten the axle ,either way the ends are flexing which will change the length between them and the swingarm pivot point.If the bearing on the axle are good (2 wheel-1 pulley) and the spacer s are not damaged ,when you align the belt you also align the wheel( and tire if the rim has no runout).

JOG the flex may change both sides ,but if you look at the forward brace ,in front of the tire you'll see that the tire doesn't run in the center of the swingarm and the brace is asymmetrical where it's welded to the arms, it's longer on the side where the belt runs ,making the flex uneven.

batman wrote on 07/09/17 at 20:37:48:

Are you saying because the axle compresses (or spacers and hub expands) the distance between the forks that the length of the forks change?... a measurable amount?  I don't think you can measure the distance in Angstroms.

batman wrote on 07/11/17 at 00:00:18:


I can't imagine any compression or expansion of the swingarm side to side could be that significant on the length of each arm.  Trig it out, and roughly it is a 2 to 1 (from my memory) would mean that compression of the arms (let's say .010) would only yield a length difference of only a few thousandths.  Hardly significant.

Besides aligning the rear wheel has more importance that just tire wear.  It also affects handling which is far more important.

In my mind, also, is the fact that this is a crucial issue so I still would trust Suzuki on the marks rather than just a lightly squealing belt.

Virtually impossible to measure oneself unless set up on a stand with a laser measuring device.

I am just saying that all of this alignment assumes that the frame and its locating points for the swingarm to attach to are in proper location AND that the swingarm was mfg. so that it is also uniform (i.e. not twisted or bowed or somehow mis-aligned from pivot points out to marks) AND that the marks are properly stamped in (probably after assy was welded and stress relieved).

It would be hard for any of us to measure any of this using any techniques that we as users might have.  I think it would take a CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) that would be large enough to accommodate the whole frame.)  Also important would be the steering stem in relation to the rear swingarm.  Its angle and precise position.

I once as a employee at a Honda dealer changed a tire for someone on a smaller bike and I didn't properly align the rear wheel to the marks and the customer knew it right off by its handling.  I corrected to marks and it worked fine then.  I am just saying that the rear adjustment and marks are there for rear wheel alignment to the frame, not to be ignored to get belt aligned or to keep from belt from squeaking.