Chain question

[Gilps]

I posted on here a while back about how I was so surprised that my chain didn't need adjusting. I was lubing it well and often and it seemed to do the trick. The bike has just gone in for it's annual service at 4,400 miles. It's been mostly road riding but with two track days in there too. Before the service the chain was just as it has been since its 600 mile service. To me it looked just right.
The bike has just come back from the service last week. All I've done is ride it 45 miles home and park it up. I've just gone out to make sure it's all OK before going for a ride tomorrow and I've checked the chain. Now it's as loose as a very loose thing. I can push the chain up until it hits the rubber under the swingarm. It is running on the rubber on the top of the swing arm. And I've got bloody chain lube all over the place, swing arm, wheel, tyre, yuck ,so they've obviously lubed it. I had forgotten what a mess crappy lube can make. My question is this:
Is this now the correct chain tension coz if it is then it's the loosest chain I've ever had and it's been overtight for the last 4000 miles, or
Has the dealer adjusted it badly?
I would normally have called the dealer but they are shut so I will have to wait until Monday. Meanwhile, anyone on here have an opinion? Sorry, stupid question. I meant does anybody know the right answer.
Cheers
p.s. and I just found out the BMW's sprung a water leak. That'll teach me to not ride it for 2 months.

[Scotty]

well i have an opion but im also an idiot

slack is good in my book

but touching the underside of the swing arm is bad (again in my book)

the sprockets my look round but are in fact oval (or worse), so make sure its not too tight when the chain is least slack

im sure its said somewhere that chains stretch the most at the start and end of their life, so maybe its on its way, have a good look at it and see if any bits are missing / cracked

[sadbiker]

Chains don't stretch, its the give in the rollers overtime.

Gilps sounds as if they may have loosened it up a bit, remember when you sit on the bike, the chain will loose some of the slack so all may not be as bad as you think. The book and that sticker on the swing arm do show how much slack there should be.

[slob]

Paul,
your chain will almost certainly have some sections that are 'tighter' than others. I hope you have a paddock stand.
Below the swingarm, midway between the sprockets is where there is the most play, so measurements should be made here.
Rotate the wheel, with the bike on a stand and you will probably see that the chain gets looser and tighter at the measurement point.
Find the 'tightest' bit of chain and adjust it for the correct free play there. You're usually looking for around 1/2-1" free play, with your weight on the bike.
Adjust the free play a looser point an it will be too tight at the tighter points, this risks snapping the chain, damaging bearings and will bind the rear suspension over large bumps.
As loose as you like is fine as long as it's not in danger of jumping teeth and coming off the sprocket, although you may feel excessive snatch getting the power on. It's unlikely to come up and hit the swingarm, since centrifugal force constantly pushes it outwards.
Let me know if this doesn't make sense to you, as I'm sure I could have explained it better.

[Gilps]

Thanks for your thoughts. I know it will tighten up when I sit on it so I must not have it too tight. Slob, on mine there is no one spot which is tighter. I really think the lube I have used is good stuff. As I have said before, I have never had a chain last this long without adjustment. The chain is now much slacker than before the service. It came from a dealer having had the 600 mile service done with the chain at a certain tension and has stayed that way ever since. Another dealer does a service and slackens it off. One of them must be wrong and I think it is the latest. The chain now has at least 2" of freeplay in it. I thought that this has to be wrong. You have just confirmed it.
Just a thought. How many of you have managed to adjust the chain whilst sat on it. Every time I try I slide off the saddle.
Tomorrow I'm going to get white spirit and clean off the crap that the dealer put on, relube it, and tension it up to where it was before the service.
Thanks for you thoughts.

[CK & AK]

tomorrow.........

you could check out the Wilts thread on the 'other side' ;)

maybe see you at lunchtime?

:D

[slob]

Better still, get Dr.AK to check your work over, you might even get a 'fettled by' sticker

[sadbiker]

You must have been sitting the wrong way round.

[CK & AK]

Better still, get Dr.AK to check your work over, you might even get a 'fettled by' sticker


:eek: :fou:

:yoparty: :scratch:

:D

[sadbiker]

:roger: :roger: he he he

[Spud]

I posted on here a while back about how I was so surprised that my chain didn't need adjusting. I was lubing it well and often and it seemed to do the trick. The bike has just gone in for it's annual service at 4,400 miles. It's been mostly road riding but with two track days in there too. Before the service the chain was just as it has been since its 600 mile service. To me it looked just right.
The bike has just come back from the service last week. All I've done is ride it 45 miles home and park it up. I've just gone out to make sure it's all OK before going for a ride tomorrow and I've checked the chain. Now it's as loose as a very loose thing. I can push the chain up until it hits the rubber under the swingarm. It is running on the rubber on the top of the swing arm. And I've got bloody chain lube all over the place, swing arm, wheel, tyre, yuck ,so they've obviously lubed it. I had forgotten what a mess crappy lube can make. My question is this:
Is this now the correct chain tension coz if it is then it's the loosest chain I've ever had and it's been overtight for the last 4000 miles, or
Has the dealer adjusted it badly?
I would normally have called the dealer but they are shut so I will have to wait until Monday. Meanwhile, anyone on here have an opinion? Sorry, stupid question. I meant does anybody know the right answer.
Cheers
p.s. and I just found out the BMW's sprung a water leak. That'll teach me to not ride it for 2 months.

Hi Gilps,

My chain did the same, but while touring in France, ended up marking the swingarm and hugger, at around the same mileage. All work now completed under warranty - but if yours has suddenly gone slack, it might not be adjustment by the dealer, but could be the same fault - watch it like a hawk. I had to adjust my chain twice in less than 300 miles just getting it back from france and to the dealer for repairs.

[Rockhopper]

I think, although i might be wrong, that the chain touching the underside of the swing arm is an MOT fail as its judged to mean that the chain is excessivly worn.

[Norton]

What torque setting do you guys use for the swingarm pinch bolts when adjusting the chain? For what its worth I check the tension by lying over the saddle on my belly. Not sure if you can reach the adjuster from here as I haven't got one yet!

Cheers

[slob]

What torque setting do you guys use for the swingarm pinch bolts when adjusting the chain? For what its worth I check the tension by lying over the saddle on my belly. Not sure if you can reach the adjuster from here as I haven't got one yet!

Cheers
33Nm +/-5%