Help! -> How to adjust belt tracking...

[smokier]

Greetings,

On the new Vaq, the belt tracks towards the INSIDE. Towards the tire.
The older Vaq, the belt is tracking towards the OUTSIDE. The Older Vaq squeaks a little bit when rolled around the garage. You cannot hear this while riding.

Where SHOULD the BELT be tracking? I am assuming INSIDE?
How do I adjust to get the belt to slide to the other side of the pulley?

Looking from the back of the bike, I would do what?

Ride safe, and thank you!
Smokier

[hlknvlcn60]

You first have to get your bike up on a lift in the level position, the bags off, then rotate the wheel with your hands. On each side of the rear of the swing arm you have little alignment marks that you can reference to equalize the wheel on the swingarm. You remove the kotter pin, loosen the axle nut, then back off the nut just a teeny little bit on the left side and tap the wheel into the left a little, spin the wheel by hand again and watch where the belt lines up. If you can get it dead-on center that would be the best position. At this point, after adjusting the position nuts on the back, retighten the axle nut and replace the kotter pin and you are done. It is like doing a chain driven bike mostly. You should have about a half inch of up and down play in the belt in the middle underneath on the bottom. Mine came rotating just a little to the left, but mostly in the middle with the factory settings and even after 2 tire changes, still like that but I keep a good eye on it. Hope this helps!

[smokier]

Thanks HlknVlcn60,
I will follow your guide to try to get them both centered...

Ride safe,
Smokier

[rick6375]

They are supposed to track just off the outside of pulley, away from tire. Should be about 1/16" gap from outside edge.

[smokier]

Greetings,
So loosening the right side allows the belt to slide to the right. Then slowly, incrementally, tightening the right side brings the belt back to the left. (Viewed from the rear of the bike).
The interesting thing is, finding the 'middle' proved nearly impossible. The belt wanted to either ride right or then jump to the left. Settled for locking it down as soon as it decided to slide to the left. Was going in 1/6 of a turn increments, using the flat side of nut in the horizontal orientation as the guide.
Repeated this on both bikes. The process seemed to hold true on both bikes.
Would be nice if the scale on the side of the swing arms were finer, more notches...
Thanks for the input.

Ride safe,
Smokier

[kpmhspirit]

Originally Posted by smokier

Greetings,
So loosening the right side allows the belt to slide to the right. Then slowly, incrementally, tightening the right side brings the belt back to the left. (Viewed from the rear of the bike).
The interesting thing is, finding the 'middle' proved nearly impossible. The belt wanted to either ride right or then jump to the left. Settled for locking it down as soon as it decided to slide to the left. Was going in 1/6 of a turn increments, using the flat side of nut in the horizontal orientation as the guide.
Repeated this on both bikes. The process seemed to hold true on both bikes.
Would be nice if the scale on the side of the swing arms were finer, more notches...
Thanks for the input.

Ride safe,
Smokier

I just went thru this as well. I measured the exposed bolt length with a caliper and got it centered that way. I was amazed how little adjustment was needed to loosen the belt from about 3 mm to 6 mm. I also put a little collar on the tool so it was easier to apply the 10 lb pressure while trying to read the deflection.