Apologies to more experienced but may be useful to noobs.
When you adjust your chain you might go through the following scenario:
measure chain slack - slack is too loose/close to adjustment limit.Loosen rear axle nut.adjust chain to correct slack - measure slack - slack is now within correct adjustment.tighten rear axle nut to correct torque setting.re-measure chain slack and find that chain slack is now too tight - e.g. tightening the axle nut compresses the swing arm and further tightens the chain.Loosen rear axle nut and go through the process again until you get it right.To avoid the above scenario:
Measure chain slack with tape before loosening rear axle nut.Loosen rear axle nut.Measure chain slack.Subtract the before loosening axle nut chain slack measurement from the after loosening axle nut chain slack measurement - e.g. 5 mm.When adjusting chain slack allow an extra 5mm play in your adjustment to allow for extra tightening of chain slack introduced by doing up the rear axle nut. e.g. if you want to have your chain finally adjusted at 35mm play - adjust it for 40mm play.Tighten the axle nut - your chain will be adjusted to the desired 35mm play - and not the too tight 30mm play - which would have been the result had you not taken into account the extra tightening introduced by doing up the axle nut.Hope this is useful.
I hope this is useful and makes sense - it was always something that was a problem for me in the past when adjusting my chain - e.g. getting the adjustment right with the axle nut loose - tightening the axle nut and then having too start again because the chain was now too tight.
Yes - good point - chains pick up tight/loose spots across the length of the chain over time.
The technique will still get you where you want to be in terms of adjustment - once you have identified and measured both the loosest and tightest points in your chain.
E.g. the extra tightening introduced by doing up the axle will be an equal amount across the chain - whether it’s at a tight or loose spot.
Identify and write down the measurements of the loose/tight points and aim to get a level of slack that is mid-way between the loose/tight measurement - having taken into account the extra millinetres of tightening that wll be introducd by doing up the rear axle nut.
(assuming the chain is still capable of falling within the specified slack measurements in your manual - if not - then replace it).
I knew I was gonna get the p1ss ripped out of me on this. . .
It’s true though isn’t it - you think you have got the chain adjusted - do the axle nut up - and then find it’s too tight - I can’t be the only one that has had this problem.
on padock stand, with front fairing and wheel missing, some spanners left in the exhaust, and a couple of bolts that dont wanna be removed… oh! and after doing some meditation
yeah I know what you mean - personally with me it’s only on the side stand - although I know some people will even remove the rear shock to get the swing arm in a horizontal position and then adjust the chain to take into account the full range of movement/or adjust the chain with someone of a similar weight to them sitting on the bike to get it right. . . :w00t:
