[webbmeister25d]

Well, it appears that the marks on mine are accurate too. The new sprocket is in, the chain has been cleaned and lubed with DuPont Chain Lube, the chain has been adjusted to well within spec, and the rear wheel has been aligned using the marks on the swing arms. Heck, I even splurged for a new cotter pin! While at the Ford dealership for regular car maintenance yesterday, I got a chance to ask my mechanic (a lifetime rider - man - you'll have to hunt far and wide to find a bike as beautiful as his!) about the rear wheel alignment question. His answer was interesting. He advised that I wet down my driveway or the street in front of my house and drive the bike through the water and beyond in a straight line. He said that if the bike is properly aligned, I'd see that both tires would combine to make one line of water as the bike emerged from the wet down area. If not, I'd see two lines, one slightly offset from and parallel to the other. After realigning the wheel according to the swingarm notches, I tried this. One line!

Here's a +1 for the 16 tooth sprocket. There seems to be more first and quite a bit more second and third. Haven't gotten all the way through 4th - still practicing in my subdivision to make certain I know exactly what I'm doing when I get up to 55 and when I get into traffic. The sense is that the collection of gears has evened out and I'm up and down shifting less often. A less busy ride. For me, that equals a less tense and more natural and fun ride. Certainly, the regular practice is helping too!

Thank you, my friends, for your help with these questions.

Jim