Practical motorcycle: adjust the chain tension
Content
Practical tips for maintaining your motorcycle
- Frequency:. Theoretically, every 500 km ...
- Difficulty (1 to 5, easy to hard): 1
- Duration: less than 30 minutes
- Material: basic tools + torque wrench to tighten the rear wheel
Expand your chain
Stretching the chain is a common operation for a biker taking care of his car. However, no matter how simple it may seem, it requires a minimum of attention in order not to be mistaken ...
Maybe you don't have a 1098 R in your garage? They are bales because with one hand the chain tension is even easier. The wheel is unlikely to become the wrong way ...
Over the course of kilometers, wear will cause the chain to loosen up and eventually beat up while driving. A good interview, the subject of which we will come back to, reduces this phenomenon, but most importantly do not travel for too long with a portable chain.
Indeed, during the transition from acceleration to deceleration phases, the chain suddenly tightens and relaxes, causing jolts in the transmission, harmful to the transmission shock absorber, gearbox and comfort. The chain kit itself suffers from the consequences and lasts less time. Finally, skates and other guides work harder and also wear out faster. In short, it’s nothing good when it doesn’t come in addition to hitting the frame or the exhaust that is passing nearby.
It's time to act ...
Hear yes, but how much? ...
It might be tempting to stretch the chain a little more so as not to repeat the operation too often, but that would be a blunder. Indeed, when the rear suspension moves, the pivot and the gearbox output gears do not get confused (except for the BMW 450 enduro ...), the chain tightens as the suspension deflects.
a little, but not too much
Therefore it is necessary provide slack, otherwise the chain kit will wear out very quickly again, like the bearings of the door crown, but especially the bearings of the box outlet, which works like a console. Once it is damaged, the operation will have a completely different cost (deposit and opening the engine to replace it ...). In extreme cases, you can even break the chain on impact, but before you get to this point, you probably noticed that your rear suspension is performing abnormally poorly under the stress and forces it causes ... Moral: not too much.
Very often, the ideal value is indicated by the manufacturer either in the manual or directly on the swing arm using a sticker.
Signature: A small sticker on the swing arm indicates optimum tension. If not, refer to the interview brochure or white paper.
The manufacturer gives all the conditions for chain tension. Here you will notice that although for the same motorcycle the values quoted are ... different. “What's mine? "I ride in Italian !!!
Indeed, it is not possible to provide one link because it varies from one machine to another depending on the length of the arm, the importance of movement and the distance between the pivot axes. We can still talk about the range of 25 to 35 mm for the chain arrow, that is, the change in height between the low and high point when pushing the chain in height. (see photos)
Sometimes the manufacturer specifies the distance between the swing arm and the chain at a specific location in order to measure the motorcycle against the crutch by pushing the chain upward. Be careful, however, if you change the final gear (for example, a large crown), this last measure is skewed.
Watch out for tough places!
A poorly groomed chain with damaged connections or a riveted link that is too tight is a tough point. The links do not roll well on the gear, and the chain stretches and relaxes in places. This is a bad sign. Try some good cleaning and lubrication (we'll come back to this) to fix this. In any case, it is in the most tense moment that you should base yourself on and regularly monitor the tension. Replacing the kit doesn't have to be long anyway.
Procedure
When?
It's all stupid: when it relaxes! How many? It depends on the condition of the chain, but if it comes back more and more often it means the chain is worn out. Once you are at the end of the adjustment, there is no need to insist ...
To check the chain for wear, pull the link on the bit. If you see more than half of the tooth, the chain is complete. You can change it
How?
It's very simple: a motorcycle on a B-pillar or stand.
It is simpler and more accurate because there is no weight on the wheel and it cannot be wrong. If you don't have one, an old bottle cabinet can do the trick if the bottom of the bike is flat. Otherwise, you can slide the motorcycle onto the side stand and slide the locker under the other side. The bike is tilted, but the rear wheel is no longer touching the ground.
- Measure the chain height at rest
- Press the chain with one finger (bo, it's dirty!) And climb the coast
- If the value is not correct, loosen the wheel axle Ar so that the wheel can slide.
- Then work gradually 1⁄4 turn on each side, checking chain travel each time.
- Check the correct alignment of the wheel with the marks painted on the swing arm.
- Once the correct voltage is obtained, reverse disassembly. Tighten the wheel, if possible, with a torque wrench according to the recommended tightening torque (it varies depending on the axle diameter, 10 µg is a common value).
- Make sure the voltage has not shifted and lock the nuts on the voltage system.
It's over, the pro-chain time, when we talk about the maintenance of the gearbox (cleaning, lubrication) so that it lasts a long time, and that it does not spoil you. It won't be a luxury!
