Wheels mis-aligned!

[ginger_jim]

Hi all, took the K7 for MOT yesterday and it sailed through except we couldn't get the wheels aligned (got soaked to the skin in to the bargain )  Tester was using two straight lengths of ally. We had to adjust the rear wheel miles out on the chain adjusters.  Hopefully you can see from the photos that the chain side is adjusted out about 5mm more than the brake side. As far as the tester was concerned it wasn't a failure as long as the wheels were aligned so the bike passed.

When I rebuilt the bike the right, front brake lever side, fork leg was found to have a small bend in it.  My question is, if the bottom yoke is twisted due to the same impact would it kick the front end out that much?

Cheers, Jamie

[Green1]

I have known the marks to be out on an ER5 from new and my CG125 is the same.
I would be very surprised if the yoke is twisted as they normally crack rather then bend more likely the swingarm is bent.

Mick

[Bryanj]

Ignore the marks as Honda tell you to because then are only a guide for chain adjustment, as long as the wheels are it line and vertical thats all you need

[Nurse Julie]

I'm no expert but after putting the back wheel in my 400/4 after I changed the swinging arm bushes, I put the rear wheel spacers in the wrong way round, ie, the left on the right and vice versa. The bushes are slightly different lengths on the 400 but I don't know about on your bike. I only knew about it when riding at quite high speed and got the wobbles at the back end. The wheels were definitely not aligned.

[MarkCR750]

Riding at high speed always gives me the wobbles at the back end as well Julie 😀

[Nurse Julie]

Having met you Mark, I can understand that 😃😃😃

[MarkCR750]

Ha, btw you were on a 400/4 at high speed?, did you go over a cliff? 😄

Back to the subject, agree with above, no problem with your bike, but go to the same MOT guy next time, if you get another one that thinks your frames bent you'll be in a world of pain, I had one say my ZXR had a "slightly bent frame ", he put it on as an advisory the idiot, I had to get a letter from another MOT guy stating the frame was fine (which it was) or I'd have never been able to sell it!, slightly bent!, same as slightly pregnant?.

[Nurse Julie]

Trust me Mark, it was fast for a 400/4 

[ginger_jim]

Think its time to arm myself with a couple of nice straight edges as mentioned for alignment purposes.  Ive always used the marks which would explain a lot as when you wheeled the bike backwards the chain used to snag ever so slightly on the rear sprocket.  I didnt think there was too much wrong as the bike handles reasonably well, although the front end has a rather alarming knack of reminding you its a 40 year old bike if you get too friendly with the throttle.

Anyway, thanks all....you learn something new every day!  Now all ive got to do is get my kit dry for the early morning commute!  Yesterday the rain was running off my jeans and straight down my boots.....nice.

Bike didnt miss a beat though which isnt bad as the roads were more like rivers on the way home from the mot station.  My K7 back in the late 80's used to stop if you squirted a water pistol at it.....ah the innocence of youth!

[MarkCR750]

Trust me Mark, it was fast for a 400/4 

I have to say I was quite envious when I saw it , exactly the same as the one I had in 1980, a mere 36 years ago 😳