chain needs to be tightened?

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:58 am

Anyone have any experience tightening up a chain? I think mine needs to be, because I'm starting to hear and feel a noise coming from that area when I'm riding. I figure I probably need a new one and will work on getting a new one after this weekend. Anyone have the available time to help out before this weekend?

Post by **DemonDuck** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:01 am

It is a simple thing to do. Just go little at a time... I would be glad to help you today or tomorrow if you want to make the trip.

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:08 am

as in tonight or tomorrow night?

Post by **DemonDuck** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:11 am

Sure... not tomorrow night ... tonight would work though.

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:20 am

Cool....Pm me directions again and your address and I'll let you know when I leave the Casa after I get home from work

Bailout · Post by **Bailout** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:30 am

Wear plenty og gear....supposed to get to 36 tonight!!

Firewa11 · Post by **Firewa11** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:32 am

It's easy enough to do, and is pretty standard maintenance. Check your manual for specifics, but you should be safe to have around 1" of travel. If it's greater than that, you tighten it using the axle blocks (loosen the axle nut, then turn the adjustment screws to push the blocks (and thus axle) futher back). You should have a whole section in your manual for how to adjust it. Either way, it's pretty easy to do. Just be careful that the travel is the same while on the rear stand or centerstand as it is the kickstand. Manufacturers lists chain travel measured with the bike on the kickstand.

Now, what's the impact either way? Too tight of a chain is probably more of an impact than too loose. Too tight will wear out the chain quicker, causing kinks and such, wear on the sprockets, but more importantly can cause quick wear on the drive shaft, seals, bearings, all that nasty stuff. Too loose of a chain (depending how loose) you run the risk of it slipping off the sprocket, but also power delivery delay when you get on the throttle (waiting for the chain to tighten up).

I personally go on the high end, 1.5-2" of slack.

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:27 pm

Yeah, what Firewa11 said.

Look in your manual or search online for the correct procedure to tighten it. You may need funky tools--for my Versys I have to loosen the axle nuts which are freakish huge (like 22mm and 27mm). I ended up just buying really big sockets for them. But basically the process is that you loosen the axle, adjust the adjusters (mine are little 10mm nuts in the swingarm) making sure you adjust both sides exactly the same so your rear wheel stays straight, then re-tightening everything. Should only take a few minutes.

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:50 pm

Yeah, it's in the manual, I just don't like messing with stuff that involves my life by myself the first time around so I like to have assistance just to be safe:)

I knew you guys and gals would have all the answers

Post by **DemonDuck** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:53 pm

I will shoot you the PM in a second but I really hate to see you come out all this way for about 5 minutes of work then take the long trip back ... specially if it gets cold.

Post by **sckego** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:40 am

Your toolkit should come with all the tools necessary to adjust the chain, including a wrench for whatever the axle nut size is...

Post by **DarcShadow** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:42 am

True, but the wrench is usually crap and a torque wrench to tighten it back down is always nice to have.

Firewa11 · Post by **Firewa11** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:41 am

Highly recommend a torque wrench for any work on a bike, even if it is a 1/2" drive analog gauge one like I have.

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:17 am

yeah, my neighbor had the torque wrench so we tightened it up last night. Unfortunately, he noticed that my front forks are done, and need to be replaced, so no Cresson for me this weekend

Post by **DarcShadow** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:18 am

probably just need new fork seals and fresh oil.

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:40 am

well at first he said it might just be that, but then when there wasn't any rebound in them. He's been a suzuki mechanic for almost 20 years so I trust that he knows what he's talking about.

Post by **DarcShadow** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:11 pm

oh yeah, no rebound would be a spring problem, not a fluid problem. Wonder what exactly happened.

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:50 pm

thinking kinda normal wear and tear because I have 25k on her

Post by **dufremle** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:18 pm

Your crash might have had something to do with it.

Or all of those wheelies I see you do down 820.

Post by **DarcShadow** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:12 pm

25K shouldn't be enough to wear the springs out like that. The crashes might have something to do with it. The forks might not be true straight anymore which would cause faster wear. Wonder if maybe you lost all the oil some time ago and the springs were working harder because the oil wasn't there.

You replacing/rebuilding the forks yourself or taking it to the shop?

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:27 pm

dufremle wrote:Your crash might have had something to do with it.

Or all of those wheelies I see you do down 820.

hahahahahaha......IDK about the wheelies but yeah, I did think about that bad crash I had probably didn't help anything

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:28 pm

DarcShadow wrote:25K shouldn't be enough to wear the springs out like that. The crashes might have something to do with it. The forks might not be true straight anymore which would cause faster wear. Wonder if maybe you lost all the oil some time ago and the springs were working harder because the oil wasn't there.

You replacing/rebuilding the forks yourself or taking it to the shop?

Going to take it to the shop. Either cyclewerks, family powersports, or suzukie west or whatever it's called now

Grinner · Post by **Grinner** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:21 pm

Youd probably be better off startin with the Werkz. Suzuki west is no longer there.

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:49 am

Yeah, that suzuki place is over in Bedford or something now....I'm going to check with Werkz first

El Diabro · Post by **El Diabro** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:59 pm

well I'm dropping the 'busa off with CycleWerkz but the they can't get ot it till Tuesday

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chain needs to be tightened?

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