loose tight chain

[Ward P]

In other words, the left sides top and bottom notches aren;t perfectly aligned.

Does that mean my axle isnt straight? If so, how would i align them?

Sorry for wasting your time with that little pee wee up, but i do appreciate all your advice and learned a lot about chains and sprockets :)

Some people run strings from front to back wheel to check alignment, I've seen people lie down and swear they can tell just by looking,

BUT I set them by those marks on the swing arm religously. Loosen the axle nut and the chain tension nuts, and adjust till they are EXACTLY the same on both sides and the chain is the correct tension. I use a rubber mallet (or a carefully calibrated kick) on the back tyre to make small adjustments. As you tighten the axle nut, continue to check the chain tension. Remember that once off the stand with you sitting on it the chain will be a bit tighter, so it is better to have the chain a little bit loose rather than a little bit too tight. It isn't hard to get perfect.