Looking at a picture of that bike, the swingarm has aluminum adjusting blocks, right?? In the past I've used a dial caliper to measure the distance from the end of the swingarm to each block. Don't know how identical the length of each side of the swingarm is, or how identical the block dimensions are, but its probably close enough. I'm not suggesting that you need the accuracy of the dial caliper in the first, place, but its a convenient way to measure it if you happen to have one. Also, I don't know how much tolerance there is for optimum chain alignment, but once you get them even with this measurement then you can just count turns on the screws for all subsequent adjustments.
Yep, makes good sense..
Lots of bikes have an intentional offset between the front and rear wheels. Harley and BMW for two. BMW K and R bikes are offset in different directions. They run parallel, but not inline. There are measuring systems like GMD Computrack that can measure for parallel and axial misalignment of the swingarm and headstock. The reason you are doing chain alignment is not to fix handling and tracking ills, but to assure that the chain rides properly in the sprockets and does not wear faster because of misalignment. If you want to do that by pulling a string, check for same distance between the axle centerline and swingarm pivots on both sides.
It's not on the Glock. That Glock is long gone. Are you sure you went to that Navy school with the goat? You are beginning to sound like Gunny Larsen. psst…..he lives in Florida too. Maybe that's it.
This must be something new. I used to have a frame straightening jig some years back and used to straighten frames that were damaged. i also used to straighten up frames for race bikes and provide services to brace frames and swingarms. I never saw a frame made that intentionally had wheel tracking in parrallel tracks. This would greatly change the transition leverage and feel from upright to lean angles into turns.
This is not for adjusting to an offset, it is a spec for an allowable offset. What you want is to have no offset but a slight offset can be acceptable. If I were making an adjustment to the frame I would attempt to have zero offset either way. I thought you were saying that the offset was specified to be there. That would be wrong. Wow, the alignment spec tolerance for the +offset on the K Bile is ridiculous at over .55 inches! I would consider it being off that much a defect or bent frame as I have fixed frames off by that much.
I thankfully have no Harley experience, but you will find it widely reported that there is an intentional track offset with them. From my reading, it is believed to be because of the heavy primary case on the left side of the engine.
| Technical Data | K 1100 LT | K 1100 RS |
| Location of type identification plate | Rear right frame tube | |
| Location of chassis number | Rear right frame tube | |
| Maximum width (over mirrors) mm (in) | 915 (36.02) | 802 (31.57) |
| Seat height, without load mm (in) | 810 (31.89) | 800 (31.5) |
| Wheelbase, without load mm (in) | 1565 (61.6) | |
| Unladen weight kg (lb) | 290 (639.45) | 268 (590.9) |
| Gross weight kg (lb) | 480 (1058.4) | |
| Track offset mm (in) | 12 (0.47) | |
| Steering head angle ° | 27 |
