Does this look odd to you?

potade · October 09, 2006, 05:19:20 PM

It looks like my rear tire is off to the left side. It doesn't look pronounced as it does in person. It bugs me, not only on an aesthetic level, but also as a potential mechanical problem. Pics may take a while to load.

Thoughts?

TragicImage · October 09, 2006, 05:22:07 PM

sub frame totally ruined.

buy an 07 and let me test ride it/break it in for you.

Afzzr12 · October 09, 2006, 05:23:44 PM

make sure your spacers are in correct. There should be a hat shaped one on the brake side and just a straight circle on the sprocket side. I'm new to this bike and am only going off the bike I have no book or anything. But my rear wheel lines up just fine and doesn't look like that. Hope this helps.

alex

starwalt · October 09, 2006, 05:46:40 PM

Also make sure the rear wheel isn't cocked in the swing arm.

There are little "tic" marks on the swing arm that provide an alignment guide for the axle adjusters. The two nuts on the threaded parts sticking out the end of the swing arm are part of this assembly.

Have you, or someone else, taken this apart lately? If so, the previous post about spacers would apply also.

potade · October 09, 2006, 06:11:02 PM

I have not taken her apart at all. I am the 4th owner and have only had her about a month now. Here are pics of the tics.

Right hand side:

Left hand side:

DerekNC · October 09, 2006, 06:14:17 PM

If you look closely in the second pic the frame, swingarm, or both are actually skewed. Does it track straight going down the road? It may be as simple as replacing the swingarm though it looks like it would take a very serious crash to bend one.

potade · October 09, 2006, 06:26:21 PM

I think it tracks pretty straight down the road. However, when my friend helped ride it home for me, he kept saying it wanted to go off to one side, can't remember which side though.

starwalt · October 09, 2006, 06:28:17 PM

It also looks like the LH passenger foot peg is pressed in -- as compared to the RH one that also supports the exhaust.

That swing arm has seen some rattle can paint jobs for sure.

I don't have any pics up of my project's rear end or I would show some for comparison. Anyone else want to show their butt end??

potade · October 09, 2006, 06:39:01 PM

Quote from: potade on October 09, 2006, 06:26:21 PM
I think it tracks pretty straight down the road. However, when my friend helped ride it home for me, he kept saying it wanted to go off to one side, can't remember which side though.

I'd like to mention that at the time of purchase, I had only had the 10 hours of MSF experience while my friend had several years of riding experience.

starwalt · October 09, 2006, 06:44:35 PM

Ok, I scanned the OEM page showing the rear wheel assembly breakdown.

CLICK HERE for a view of the proper assembly.

Feel free to right-click and save as so that you can resize it with Photo Editor.
At least you will know if the thing is assembled correctly.

Me thinks yon GS has been treated with less respect than due her.
Typical for a third or fourth owned GS. Sad, but typical.

potade · October 09, 2006, 07:04:09 PM

I'm not sure what to make of it all. As far as the assembly goes, wouldn't it act up if it weren't put together correctly? And if she were laid down real gently (like I did on my first day with her), the swingarm shouldn't be affected (as much?) since the brunt of the weight would sit on the exhaust and the swingarm itself is a pretty meaty chunk of metal anyways; am I correct in my logic? I've taken her up to 90 mph with nary a hitch. But now that I'm aware of this off-centeredness I'm wary of riding her anywhere.

As far as her history goes, the previous (3rd) owner had it serviced maybe a month or two before I bought her (new carbs, new battery). I'm thinking she might have learned about the problem and then offed the bike. All I know about the owners previous to her is from the mods they did. There's a dragon emblem epoxied to the right side of the frame. The handlebars sport aftermarket grips, new mirrors, the lamp was changed to an HID and there's a wind deflector that sits above the instrumentation.

che mike · October 09, 2006, 07:11:59 PM

This is like one of those games where they give you two pictures side by side, and you have to circle the parts that are different ...

On my bike, the castle nut is on the left side of the bike, along with the sprocket. The right side has the head of the axle. Since those two parts are switched on your bike the spacer may be off, too ...

Dropping the bike shouldn't bend anything; maybe you'd bend a mirror or something. Nothing like that.

Mandres · October 09, 2006, 08:09:47 PM

you need to remove the wheel and swingarm and examine them. Either your frame or swingarm are bent badly out of alignment. Once you have them stripped down you'll be able to see which it is.

CirclesCenter · October 09, 2006, 09:09:53 PM

500 people eyeballing it is worth about one quarter of one actual measurement...

Measure

Measure

And measure some more.

Trwhouse · October 10, 2006, 01:04:15 PM

Hi there,
Something is not right here.
It looks like a previous owner is trying to hide damage to the bike.
Note the silver spray paint bubbling up on the chain adjusters and axle nut. NONE of those parts should have paint on them. Someone sprayed them silver, I bet to hide damage from a crash.
And you say a dragon emblem is epoxied onto the frame?
I'd bet there's a bend there on the frame they were trying to cover up. I'd start looking there first.
Let us know how you are doing.
Yours,
Todd

makenzie71 · October 10, 2006, 01:10:23 PM

I wouldn't give a shaZam!. Go get a chain and a ratcheting come-along and find a couple trees in close proximety. Park by one tree, opposite the other, and strip the tail. Tie the chain to the tail, the comolong to the steering head, then hook the chain and come-along together around the 2nd tree...then get to ratcheting and bend it back.

potade · October 10, 2006, 11:23:54 PM

Makenzie, I'll take that as a joke to cheer me up. But the geometry of the wheel needs a little more precision than that. It is off by a couple degrees as well as an inch to the left.

Trwhouse, I will take the dragon off to check for damage. I would laugh if the bike were to just up and fall apart when I pry it off.

makenzie71 · October 11, 2006, 01:47:53 AM

Umm guy your subframe's tweaked...not anything remotely reletive to your wheel.

...why are the noobs always looking at it the hard way?

MarkusN · October 11, 2006, 01:51:40 AM

Yep. basically the part that carries your seat is off. It does affect weight distribution, but that's about it.

makenzie71 · October 11, 2006, 01:55:50 AM

^Exactly. This is why the bike has a tendency to pull to one side: weight distribution is tweaked because your ass is an inch or two too far to the right. If the wheel were misaligned it'd have an undeniable effect...offset tracking, when severe, gives a feeling similar to height induced vertigo. The bike will naturally center and will actually become lethargic, if not fight you, when trying to lean. It'll stand out as odd even to a noob.

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Does this look odd to you?