Kawa ER5 2001, been getting a rattling from the rear end for the past couple of days. thought the chain was loose originally but I’ve checked according to the manual and it’s spot on. I’ve a scott oiler fitted dripping on the outside links ok.
I ran it on the stand just under idle power and can see the chain at the top jumping up and down erratically. gets worse at higher speeds. The lube on the chain feels a bit gritty so I guess it needs a clean up. Do I do this while it’s still sat on the bike? and is it a case of petrol and a rag or WD40 and a rag? I’ve heard wd40 can get into the O-rings in the links but I really have no idea if my chain has these or not.
need to get this sorted by Saturday ideally as I’ve a 7 hour ride planned! any advice? should I just take it to a shop and hope they can fit me in? thanks
The chain will always jump up and down at the top (and normally the bottom) when the wheel’s not under any real load (i.e. in the air), so that’s not something to worry about.
+1. I’ve just done mine. Chain was tight one minute, then as you span the back wheel 1/2 turn, it was loose again You could hear the chain going (crunching) round!
Replaced all drivetrain and it now smoother than velvet underpants
if you have the time, just take the rear off and check the chain for tight spots… it doesnt really sound like there is an issue with the chain, so a good clean with parafin should do it, but to be safe, take the rear wheel off, roll the chain round and see if you have any tight spots, if you do, replace it, if not, just clean it.
when my chain went bad i nursed it for the last few days till i changed it. Plenty of lube, keep checking tension often. You should be ok if you don’t give it too much stick
depends if you think diesel is cheap…lol,…i use parafin, or wd40, or anything i have got to hand. Diesel is better if you need to soak a chain overnight though
Is it past it’s wear limit on the rear slider thing? If it’s not then it may just have a few stiff links. Clean it with motorax chaing cleaner and then lube it. (Invest in a massive topbox so you can) take the lube with you and lube the chain again when you are riding out. If it’s not showing any signs of improvement then it could need replacing.
Note to everyone. If you go on a long rideout and when you get home you look at your chain and think “mmm that needs adjusting” then I suggest you do it then rather than have it come off on the way to work the next day.
What a bunch or paranoids. (Or may be perfectionists.)
Back when we were still mourning the passing of the last king, a chain was only shagged when there were several patches and lots of split links.It was only realy shagged when it broke more than once on a ride.
Just give it a good wash and brush up with some parafin, a dose of WD40, tighten it up a bit and go for a short run.
When you get back, give it a good dose of Wurth chain lube.
Look after it a bit and I’ll bet there’s another thousand miles in it.
I’m gonna give it a shot cleaning it tomorrow evening in diesel and re-grease it properly. run it to work and back sunday then decide if saturday (north herts to huddersfield) is gonna be possible
I regularly saw couriers riding around with saggy chains. I only replaced a chain on the fazer when it started make a “popping” noise. I don’t know how many 10’s of thousands of miles I got out of it. A good clean should do the trick, aye.
took it to the local bike shop, guy took a quick look and said the chain was too slack. I’ve given it a tighten and it seems fine now. looks like saturday is a goer will book it in for someone to have a proper look soon
You could hear the chain going (crunching) round!
will book it in for someone to have a proper look soon