+1 with Jinks on the alignment - I have a 00 Electra Glide Classic, earlier this year I did a full vehicle alignment and used string around the back tire under the bike to the front tire. Sounds funny but the vibration I was chasing for 6 months is gone. Good luck.

 

Also, I believe that Harley still puts small holes in the swing arm for wheel alignment. You measure from the center of them to the center of the axle to get proper alignment . Not saying the way you did it is wrong, but just easier to do form a closer point.

 

Nightking,

Yes, I've already put the rear wheel straight by doing those measurements.

Jinks,

I'm doing this in my garage and the floor is level side to side and drops down to the outside, as it should. If you put the front tire in the vise how can you be sure that the bike is 100% vertical? Or even 100% straight? If it's not 100%, then trying to adjust the rear tire to be truley vertical might bevery difficult. So I figured if I level the bike horizontally by using the frame under my seat, I'd then be able to adjust the rear tire to be vertical. I used my jack stand under the bike with some shims to get the top frame level in the bubble. Once I got the bike 100% vertical, you could see the rear tire wasn't standing straight up so I used the upper adjuster to move the top of the engine over, as per the book. But the adjustment was so extreme, as it is now spread apart so much, that I feel something just isn't right.

 

Yachtman - I agree with you if you are making major adjustments some thing doesn't smell right, in my case I had made no more than a turn and a half on the lower adjuster
and just over a half turn on the one between the jugs and every thing lined right up.

Has your bike ever been in an accident?

 

You don't care if your floor is level or not. Find a wheel vice (or use a wheel chock & tie downs or blocking) to hold the bike upright by the front wheel. Place a magnetic torpedo level on the front brake rotor to verify that it is level in the vertical. Unless your frame, forks, or triple tree is bent the bike will now be level. You lay a long straight edge between the front wheel & the back wheel. It may not touch on both sides, but you can measure how near the straight edge is to the front tire. Your shop manual should give you the measurements you're trying to correct to.

I just looked at my shop manual & was reminded about unloading (loosening, then re-tightening) the motor mount after changing alignment. Not doing that can induce vibration. Of course you re-check the alignment after unloading the motor mount.

What part of S.E. Fla. are you in?

 

Jinks and Mainshaft, Thanks a bunch!

Mainshaft, Yes in the driveway! Stupid I was, but it did hit a little hard. Blah!

Jinks, Stuart, Fl

 

+1 if you made no changes before it started

 

Spoke with the dealer service and they said belt rubbing while backing the bike is not uncommon, almost a common thing and not to worry.

 

see post #6 LOL.