Noticed that after removing and refitting the rear wheel on the Drz, the chain looks pretty loose to the point it’s almost at the max adjustment. Double checked everything as thought I’d missed something but all looks fine on the reassembly. Riding short distance nothing strange in the shift or handling. It’s a DID X Ring chain (new sprockets) with less than 600 miles so not expecting it to stretch yet.
I’t was definitely not that loose before originally when fitted, so have I’d done something obvious? If not then will take it back to the garage that fitted. Assume that maybe the chain was incorrectly fitted can I take off necessary links and refit?
Check the size of the front/rear sprockets that they fitted - maybe they are a different size? Also, are you measuring it the same method (side stand vs paddock/jack/etc).
I would just measure the chain slack, if it’s within limits then leave it - otherwise look into removing a link (you would need a chain breaker and either a riveter or chain-links.
Check that like for like sprockets were fitted with the same number of teeth on the new front and rear sprockets as were on the old front and rear sprockets.
Check that a like for like length chain was fitted with the same number of links on the new chain as on the old chain.
You can remove chain links if there are too many, you’ll need a soft rivet link for the chain and a chain riveter to do this.
Why would the sprockets have changed size? They don’t tend to shrink in the wash, and there’s no suggestion of their having been replaced. The cause for concern here is that the chain is slacker now that it used to be despite only having removed and replaced the wheel, isn’t it? Or have you done more than take the wheel off for a clean since the chain was the right tension?
If I remember rightly, the DRZ has snail cams for the chain tension, did you make sure those were at the same orientation after assembly as they were before it? There’s not really much else that could have happened; on bikes with more complex ways of holding the wheel in place it’s sometimes possible to reassemble them wrongly to get the chain tighter or looser than it was before, but that’s not really the case with snail cams. Can you take a photo of the ends of the swingarm, showing where the axle nut/bolthead is?
Noticed that after removing and refitting the rear wheel on the Drz, the chain looks pretty loose to the point it’s almost at the max adjustment. Double checked everything as thought I’d missed something but all looks fine on the reassembly. Riding short distance nothing strange in the shift or handling. It’s a DID X Ring chain (new sprockets) with less than 600 miles so not expecting it to stretch yet.
I’t was definitely not that loose before originally when fitted, so have I’d done something obvious? If not then will take it back to the garage that fitted. Assume that maybe the chain was incorrectly fitted can I take off necessary links and refit?
cooltempo
Pay attention there BRS
I’m assuming the chain was too slack from day one when the new chain and sprockets were fitted or cooltempo has adjusted the chain correctly.
Yeah, so we know the chain and sprockets are what cooltempo would describe as ‘new’, but also that the wheel was taken off to clean the bike. I don’t think we know if the chain and sprockets were replaced as part of the cleaning.
Does your bike have reversible chain adjusters like most KTM’s? I have on my SMT a block that the axle goes through and it allows you to have two rims with different spockets for easy changing, you simply spin the block round 180°. See linky (not working).
Big Red is in the money, I did not change the sprockets but removed the wheel to clean. The chain and sprockets were changed last year, and at the time seemed to fit correctly.
Chain adjuster is not a snail cam but instead like the below. So the blocks are not reversible as have a clear marker/shorter on one side. I’ll double check tomorrow though incase Kevsta has identified the problem. Otherwise I’ll just assume not fitted correctly and pop along to said mechanic to amend.
