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Old October 24th, 2013, 09:49 PM   #1
jeffb502
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Chain Slack

I read some of the threads on how to check the chain, then went out and tried it. When up on the rear stand the chain moves around so much it touches the swing arm before stopping. The instructions on the printed label on the motorcycle say to check it while on the side stand. I tried that and it still moves around a lot. The movement I'm seeing is much more than the specified 0.8-1.2 inches.

I've attached a video showing what I'm seeing. The video was taken with the bike on its side stand. Am I doing something wrong, or is my chain really that loose? I've put about 600 miles on the bike since I bought it, and the dealer said it had a brand new chain and sprockets when I bought it. The mileage on the bike was a little under 15,000 when I bought it, and a little over 15,000 now.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Also, I've attached pictures below of what the adjusters look like from the back of the bike. The left adjuster appears to be damaged and the 2 nuts are the same size. I'm guessing the left adjuster is supposed to look like the right one (with the raised black piece and one nut larger than the other). Is this a safety hazard?

Left Adjuster.jpg

Right Adjuster.jpg

I counted the threads at the end of the adjustment bolts and they're the same, but I can't help but think the adjustment would be off with that plate being bent on the left adjuster.

On a side note, I also noticed the rear brake has a huge lip at the edge of the rotor where it is obvious the pad is not making contact. Is this normal?

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Old October 24th, 2013, 10:01 PM   #2
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fix that.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/K79-Kawasaki...54ad05&vxp=mtr
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Old October 24th, 2013, 10:03 PM   #3
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That looks way loose. It needs to be measure at manual spec with a firm push/pull on the chain. You are barely touching it in that video. Also, looks like it needs some lube.
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Old October 24th, 2013, 10:07 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffb502 View Post
...........I counted the threads at the end of the adjustment bolts and they're the same, but I can't help but think the adjustment would be off with that plate being bent on the left adjuster.

On a side note, I also noticed the rear brake has a huge lip at the edge of the rotor where it is obvious the pad is not making contact. Is this normal?
You are correct, Jeff.

That thing on the left side doesn't seem to be the original part.

Your chain is way too loose and that is very dangerous.

Find and replace that part and adjust the slack this way:

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13833

There is a minimum thickness for the brake discs.

I wouldn't return to that dealer that installed the chain.
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Old October 24th, 2013, 10:29 PM   #5
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Thanks for the unexpectedly quick and extremely helpful replies. I had a feeling something wasn't right...

The part is ordered and I won't be riding until I get this sorted out. Luckily I got the urge to do some maintenance instead of taking a ride with my little bit of free time today.
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Old October 25th, 2013, 04:05 AM   #6
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Your chain is loose probably because the left chain adjuster is just a flimsy piece of steel. Deemed a severe safety hazard!!! I wouldn't be surprised if your wheel alignment is off in the rear pointing to the right!!!

Stop riding it and a get it fixed!
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Old December 2nd, 2013, 09:11 PM   #7
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So I've been thinking about this a lot because I ran in to a related issue...

If the axle nut has been tightened/torqued, doesn't it compress the swingarm assembly at the rear axle thus fixing the position of the chain adjusters? So there won't be any forward/backward movement along the swingarm and the chain should be at the same slack when tightening the axle in place (sans stretching). Am I wrong in thinking this way?
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Old December 3rd, 2013, 05:51 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by broilmebk View Post
So I've been thinking about this a lot because I ran in to a related issue...

If the axle nut has been tightened/torqued, doesn't it compress the swingarm assembly at the rear axle thus fixing the position of the chain adjusters? So there won't be any forward/backward movement along the swingarm and the chain should be at the same slack when tightening the axle in place (sans stretching). Am I wrong in thinking this way?
You are right in thinking this way.
The chain adjusters are there to fix the ideal position of the axle, reason for which, we should put forward pressure on the rear wheel as we torque the axle's nut as specified.

If the torque is insufficient, then there is not enough friction against the swingarm and the axle slides under the command of the pulling force of the chain: the right end of the axle tends to move aft, making the sprocket crooked respect to the chain and the tire to rub against parts on the right side.
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Old December 3rd, 2013, 07:33 AM   #9
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Here's a good video with instructions on chain adjustment - http://www.canyonchasers.com/video/chain.php
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Old December 3rd, 2013, 08:09 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by broilmebk View Post
So I've been thinking about this a lot because I ran in to a related issue...

If the axle nut has been tightened/torqued, doesn't it compress the swingarm assembly at the rear axle thus fixing the position of the chain adjusters? So there won't be any forward/backward movement along the swingarm and the chain should be at the same slack when tightening the axle in place (sans stretching). Am I wrong in thinking this way?
Not sure if I'm interpreting your question correctly, but are you talking about how the chain slack seems to change when torquing down the rear axle?

When we adjust the chain slack, the rear axle is loose, allowing the swingarm to bow out to its natural position like a "Y" (this is an exaggeration). When we set the slack in this position, the rear axle and its slots are physically closer to the front sprocket by millimeters. Most people set the desired slack at this point, but when they go to torque the rear axle, it bends the prongs of the "Y" into the shape of a tuning fork, and now the rear axle is pushed away from the front sprocket by those few millimeters, thus giving them tighter slack than they just set.
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Old December 3rd, 2013, 08:25 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Motofool View Post
You are right in thinking this way.
The chain adjusters are there to fix the ideal position of the axle, reason for which, we should put forward pressure on the rear wheel as we torque the axle's nut as specified.

If the torque is insufficient, then there is not enough friction against the swingarm and the axle slides under the command of the pulling force of the chain: the right end of the axle tends to move aft, making the sprocket crooked respect to the chain and the tire to rub against parts on the right side.
Thanks for reassuring my thoughts. My problem is slightly different from OPs. I can see why in his problem, with a bending/broken cap, the slack won't be sufficient thus a replacement cap would be needed.
In my problem, I've already set the slack and tightened the axle; however, I realized the other day my right cap is missing. Upon research I learned I've been missing a nut on both caps; they've only always had one. I ordered replacement parts but wanted to make sure it was safe to continue riding until they came in.
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Old December 3rd, 2013, 10:02 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by broilmebk View Post
.....I ordered replacement parts but wanted to make sure it was safe to continue riding until they came in.
Yes, if you torqued the nut up to the specified torque value and you used a cotter pin to fix the nut, you should have no problems.

You could use some thick piece of steel in place of the missing part if that would give you some peace of mind.
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