Chain tension ???

[Centaur]

Unlike pussies Clive...

better a little slack than a little tight.8rfl@

 

[Wolfie]

BTW - I just checked the small bike handbook on the subject of chain tension setting, and it actually states to put the bike on the CENTRE STAND ?

which is wrong. Hence why i work from the workshop manual.

 

[The_Ormston]

I went out at the weekend and checked my chain. Well I went and got the little book first, as I couldn't remember if it was to be checked on main stand, side stand, no stand, unloaded, loaded.

Read book. Bike on centre stand. Adjusted chain. Done.

Now I read all this and think. Bugger, better re-check that.

So, as I have no spacers or anything adjusting the suspension, what am I best to do? Side Stand, No stand unloaded, no stand and loaded.
Then I can put it back on the centre and see how far out I was.

Cheers

Chris

 

[ScubaDiver]

:yo:as the man said do it on the Side stand....

 

[Centaur]

But.....

:yo:as the man said do it on the Side stand....

get some fat bastid with the same weight as yourself Ormston and recheck while they are sitting on the bike!8rfl@

 

[ScottyUK]

Please point out any faults in this plan for adjusting a bike fitted with a spacer :

Get it adjusted by someone else with yourselft sitting on it.
Get off, put on side stand and measure slack.

Future checks can be done by yourself against the above meansurement.

Works ?

 

[The_Ormston]

get some fat bastid with the same weight as yourself Ormston and recheck while they are sitting on the bike!8rfl@

That was my initial thoughts, but finding someone of that physique could be tricky. Perhaps if I got the missus, the 10 year old, the 17 year old and the dog all together? (Don't think the dog will sit still enough though)

 

[ceoils]

I have one of those front wheel trap stands, so just roll bike into it then adjust chain.
to check I lean over the seat applying my weight and feel slack on the chain.

 

[Wolfie]

Please point out any faults in this plan for adjusting a bike fitted with a spacer :

Get it adjusted by someone else with yourselft sitting on it.
Get off, put on side stand and measure slack.

Future checks can be done by yourself against the above meansurement.

Works ?

adjust it to what measurement whilst you are sitting on it? 15mm? 30mm?



to be honest it aint rocket science is it?? side stand ans 30mm.


Now the rocket science comes in when you think of what part of the chain do you measure from?

in the middle part yes, but do you measure bottom of chain down to bottom of chain up or top of chain up and bottom down or do you try and guess by using pin in chain for both up and down.

do you pull down on the chain?? or just measure at rest?and then push up?

Has any got or does anybody use one of them chain slack measuring tools when you put it under cahin and push up and take the measurement?

 

[Centaur]

Cahin measurer?

adjust it to what measurement whilst you are sitting on it? 15mm? 30mm?



to be honest it aint rocket science is it?? side stand ans 30mm.


Now the rocket science comes in when you think of what part of the chain do you measure from?

in the middle part yes, but do you measure bottom of chain down to bottom of chain up or top of chain up and bottom down or do you try and guess by using pin in chain for both up and down.

do you pull down on the chain?? or just measure at rest?and then push up?

Has any got or does anybody use one of them chain slack measuring tools when you put it under cahin and push up and take the measurement?

Can't find any on ebay Andy.:-0)

 

[Wolfie]

Can't find any on ebay Andy.:-0)

and there woz me tinking you culd speak the irrish:-0)

 

[Centaur]

Ah.....

I didn't try the Oirish Ebay!:-0)

 

[silverfox.xx]

Doesn't matter what your weight is, the tightest point Will always be when the sprockets and swing arm are all in line. That's the longest, up and down swing arm movement from that and the sprockets move closer together. So your actual weight makes no differance. Load the bike up with the wheels on the ground, sprockets and swing arm in line and add 5mm of slack. Then pop bike on centre stand and see the slack you require. Regardless of any shock spacers.

 

[lrm74]

Well I got out there and adjusted the chain (last weekend so only just saw the recent comments on here) - set it at 40mm on centre stand - and it seemed fine. I then put the bike on the side stand as you have been saying I should - and blow me, no obvious difference in the slack ??!!

I am just going to get someone to sit on the bike now and see how tight it gets - and then adjust from there ..... As somebody mentioned - I can set the chain to say 20mm slack with someone sat on the bike - then put it on the centre stand and re-measure for future reference .....

BTW - how do you check if the cush-drives are sh**ged ? I felt a bit of movement in the rear cog - although it's hard not to move the chain about - so not sure.. ? Bike has done 22k

 

[the_sad_punk]

when bike is on sidestand the wheels are not pushed into the ground anymore than normal, the spacer raises the seat height.

Now when you sit on the bike there is more weight which compresses the spring by 25mm roughly for the sag you have set, the linkages move and the wheels are again brought into line with what thy normally are without spacer.

hence the distance between sprockets stay the same.

now if you are one of those who set the chain when bike is on the main stand then yes maybe the pivoting action does indeed bring the sprockets closer. but then you are setting the chain up wrong and deserve all you get.:-0)
quote]


That is wrong.

If you have fitted a spacer you need more slack than standard.
In simple terms the swingarm swings on a set sweep/arc. The factory slack is correct for the original sweep/arc.
Include a spacer in the assembly and you have changed the angle the arm rests at and you also decreased the wheelbase.
This is relevant as when the shock compresses and the swingarm arcs the wheelbase lengthens and you must allow for this as the arc did not start where it did before you added the spacer.

My advice, for whats its worth...
After a long ride load the rear suspension until the wheelbase is at maximum, this may not necessarilly mean fully compressed btw.
This is easily done with a ratchet strap. Now adjust your tight spot to 19mm (DID's recommendation).

 

[Wolfie]

when bike is on sidestand the wheels are not pushed into the ground anymore than normal, the spacer raises the seat height.

Now when you sit on the bike there is more weight which compresses the spring by 25mm roughly for the sag you have set, the linkages move and the wheels are again brought into line with what thy normally are without spacer.

hence the distance between sprockets stay the same.

now if you are one of those who set the chain when bike is on the main stand then yes maybe the pivoting action does indeed bring the sprockets closer. but then you are setting the chain up wrong and deserve all you get.:-0)
quote]


That is wrong.

If you have fitted a spacer you need more slack than standard.

if you set chain on centre stand yes
In simple terms the swingarm swings on a set sweep/arc. The factory slack is correct for the original sweep/arc.
Include a spacer in the assembly and you have changed the angle the arm rests at and you also decreased the wheelbase.

if chain is set on centre stand yes
This is relevant as when the shock compresses and the swingarm arcs the wheelbase lengthens and you must allow for this as the arc did not start where it did before you added the spacer.

if chain set on centre stand yes

My advice, for whats its worth...
After a long ride load the rear suspension until the wheelbase is at maximum, this may not necessarilly mean fully compressed btw.
This is easily done with a ratchet strap. Now adjust your tight spot to 19mm (DID's recommendation).

i set the chain on the side stand to 30mm, on the main stand the slack is now 40mm.

adding a spacer raises the seat height

the pivot point is the same height of the ground

the wheelbase is the same measurement

 

[gypsy]

i set the chain on the side stand to 30mm, on the main stand the slack is now 40mm.

adding a spacer raises the seat height

the pivot point is the same height of the ground

the wheelbase is the same measurement

KAFA .................

 

[Wolfie]

KAFA .................

fook off i am enjoying this thread

 

[the_sad_punk]

I dont care how you adjust your chain.
You dont want to listen. You dont want to learn, thats ok but your still wrong. No offence.
When you add a spacer guess what? You need to adjust your chain as its sudeenly all slack as you have SHORTENED THE WHEELBASE. Its basic and what they call a fact.
If ten people tell you your sick see a doctor...

 

[Wolfie]

I dont care how you adjust your chain.
You dont want to listen. You dont want to learn, thats ok but your still wrong. No offence.
When you add a spacer guess what? You need to adjust your chain as its sudeenly all slack as you have SHORTENED THE WHEELBASE. Its basic and what they call a fact.
If ten people tell you your sick see a doctor...

so all those who have to slacken their chain after fitting a spacer are wrong as well then??

so what you are saying above is that they should tighten the chain to take up the slack??

yet they all have to slacken it.

as stated before 30mm of slack on the side stand is what i do and as stated above this gives me 40mm on the centre stand.

adjusting the chain changes the wheelbase. adding a spacer increases the seat height

You should care how the chain is adjusted as that is what the OP was about.