Finding chain mid point the easy way on a M696

[Paul_]

Right, had the bike just under a month and I've managed to put just over 800 miles on her playing around having fun with a bit of commuting thrown in, time I thought to see how the chain tension was. After reading the owners manual I have been looking for an easy way of marking the chain mid point on the swingarm, initally after measuring up the midpoint my intention was to mark it with a perminant marker pen until I realised you don't have to do this.

If you look along the lower edge of the swingarm on the drive side the front half has a rubber chain protector,at the rear of this guard is a small cut out, exactly the same size as the end of a tape measure. This is at the exact midpoint of the chain, you can even hang the measure from this whilst you push down, then release the chain to measure your chain slack.

Fluke?, or designed this way? Either way, it makes this job alot easier.

[gary tompkins]

I usually just guess the mid point, and doubt I'm ever far enough out to make any real difference. If you simply lift the lower run, and take up freeplay with your finger the mid point prteey much finds itself.

What's more important is that this is checked at the tightest point on the chain. Other wise you risk damage by randomly picking a point where there's excessive slack, and overtensioning the chain elsewhere as a result.