Motorcycle Repair: Honda c110 swing arm bushing

Question
I have a 1965 c110 (50cc) that I am restoring.  I have disassembled everything, and I wanted to check on the swing arm bearing.  It appears to be a rubber mounted bushing (the inner sleeve does not rotate at all and does not come out).  Is that correct?  If yes, then how tight should the pivot bolt be tightened?  Thanks.

Answer
Kevin, The swingarm bushings are pressed into the arm assembly and are tough to swap out if needed without a press and appropriate sized bushing tools, even if you can find the right bushing for it. There may be wear on the inside diameter of the bushing center, as they are not lubricated. You may find wear on the bolt itself or the ID of the bushings. There may be some play in the frame holes where the bolt passes through, as well.

I would remove the rear shocks and allow the swing arm to rotate freely. Tighten up the swingarm pivot nut until it either stops (runs out of threads) or starts to bind the swingarm's motion when you move it up and down. Back it off slightly to relieve the binding. Check for any sideplay in the swingarm to frame fit, after you have tightened up the end play on the bolt/nut. It's not a real precision fit, so don't expect to find it with no play in any plane, horizontal or vertical, but a little bit is acceptable, unless you are building a Bonneville racer or roadracer project.

Really excessive looseness can cause "rear steer" conditions, but I would be more concerned about the steering head bearings/races to ensure that they are not worn and notched, causing a self-centering steering condition.

Bill Silver