ER6-f chain making nasty noises (doesn’t everyone wait that long before paying attention?) so decide to tighten the chain. What a performance. Find the right sockets - 30 minutes, fiddle around with trying to remove the cotter pin, 10 minutes. Give up.
Check the chain on KLV (the backup bike to avoid me riding an unsafe bike and loosing a days work) - note chain also loose.
Watch a couple of you tube videos and realise I was gonna leave my wheel misaligned anyway. WTF.
Anyone want to come and look after my bikes until OMC knock some sense into me???
Are you serious. Chain adjusting is on “piss easy” end of the DIY maintenance scale. Next time I get to mine, I’ll PM you, come round and I’ll show it to you. Shouldn’t be more than half an hour max unless you encounter corroded parts.
I didn’t approach the project with the right attitude. That fecking cotter pin is coming out tomorrow. I think it is rusted in, and I couldn’t get any grip on it with pliers. Some oil, WD40 and something in the eye might do it. I’ll drill the fing thing if I have to. I just bought some spare ones. I don’t have a chain alignment tool so I guess I’ll be measuring/guessing and hoping I don’t f that up. I also bought a torque wrench since mine is too small for the wheel torque settings.
You don’t need an alignment tool, just measure the exact length from the foremost part of the spindle hole to the middle line if where the axle is (there should be a series of lines to use as a guide, milled into the swingarm) and make sure the length is exactly the same from one side to the other.
Tighten her up, sit close to the wheel put some white paper behind a wheel edge with a vertical line drawn on it… spin the wheel, if its true, the wheel won’t “move” back and forth compared to the line… if it moves, she ain;t true.
ITs not perfect, and you obviosuly can’t do it on tyres where you’ve shredded the edges… but I ride like a granny and still have FAT chicken strips, so I know my edges are good and straight… but its just another guide to give you a bit more confidence in what yo’ve done, or show up a definite flaw (if there is one) in your work
(Mods, do I need to do one of those “we refuse to acknowledge this as a good way to operate” disclaimer thingy’s now, :hehe:
Simon, I’m no motobike mechanic but I’ve managed to adjust the chain on mine a few times and the wheels haven’t fallen off yet. It’s pretty easy to keep the wheel straight if it’s anything like mine - just turn each of the tensioner bolts the same amount.
If I can do it, anyone can. The fact that you have a torque wrench puts you one step ahead of me.
Thanks Mark and Toby. I’m sure I’ll manage - and if not I’ve got the weekend to sort it out!. I have four motorbikes at my house at the moment so I might just go and do them all - I’m sure they all need checking…
40 sounds a little over to me, my Haynes for my ZX9 recommends 20-30 max… have you checked what’s recommended for your ride? or just gone with 40 cos it felt right?
40 sounds a little over to me, my Haynes for my ZX9 recommends 20-30 max… have you checked what’s recommended for your ride? or just gone with 40 cos it felt right?
