January 18th, 2014, 04:02 AM | #1 |
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Recommended Chain Slack
I've measured the chain slack on my GPX 250 today and the total is 55mm. Considering I only just bought the bike and the chain and sprokets were caked in grease and dirt I'd hazard a guess and say they have probably another 5,000km left on all of them before it's change out time. My question to the community is should I bother adjusting the slack or just leave it be until the change out? I read on one of the Australian forums not to worry about overslack chains as they won't cause a lot of damage towards the end of the service life. Any truth to that?
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January 18th, 2014, 04:21 AM | #2 |
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Looser is better than too tight. I would recommend you clean the chain and inspect it for overall stretch and kinking. Also, you might want to check if the o-rings are still there too. If you notice that the chain tightens and loosens when you spin the rear wheel, you have a stretched chain. 1-1.5" of slack is good.
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January 18th, 2014, 04:26 AM | #3 | |
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Quote:
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January 18th, 2014, 06:25 AM | #4 |
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22~25 mm. Loose is best. To tight will destroy your chain and sprocket set . And can damage your engine.
Clean is a very good way for a chain to be. Also use a straight edge or a metal coat hanger to make sure the chain is straight as you adjust it.
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January 18th, 2014, 06:43 AM | #5 |
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sounds a little loose. as others have said tighten it up to 22-25 mm
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January 18th, 2014, 10:19 PM | #6 | |
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If the chain breaks, a lot of damage will happen. The recommended slack for your bike, while on the central stand and rear tire in the air, is 35~40 mm. Actual condition is measurable and links ready to fail (if any) can be seen only after cleaning the chain. Please read these: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=133019 http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...89&postcount=5
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January 18th, 2014, 10:31 PM | #7 |
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January 18th, 2014, 10:44 PM | #8 |
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Exposed drive chains have never made any sense to me. Does anybody think we will ever see a return to the old days of enclosed chains that require jack all maintenace? I suppose shaft drive is the only other alternative for road bikes.
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January 19th, 2014, 08:55 PM | #9 |
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January 19th, 2014, 09:32 PM | #10 |
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January 20th, 2014, 12:04 AM | #11 |
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what? i wasnt responding to you? btw you forgot belt drives.
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January 20th, 2014, 05:39 AM | #12 | |
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The problem with them is they trap dirt and water. The chain is an amazing thing .Transferring power and waisting very little. But it does require maintenance.
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January 20th, 2014, 06:32 AM | #13 |
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Sorry, we have a lot of fun here but nothing really can be added about the chain slack that Motofool and Racer X already posted.
Gratz on your purchase! I hope she serves you well.
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January 20th, 2014, 11:41 AM | #14 | |
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We have lots of good sport fun here ............... and also perform some interesting experiments, reviews, etc. This one, for example: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...17&postcount=1 Yes, one bike was rolling with this sprocket:
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January 20th, 2014, 01:41 PM | #15 | |
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And that's the reason why having the chain a little loose I think is better than it being tightened to within an inch of it's life. I'm not confident tightening the chain to within workshop manual spec and then performing a wheel alignment without a laser wheel aligner which needs to be done if you don't want to screw up the geometry of your bike.
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January 20th, 2014, 01:45 PM | #16 |
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I agree with the guys by the way Was just trying to make a point about doing your own adjustments when you don't know what your doing. Some mechanics are just scary.
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January 20th, 2014, 01:46 PM | #17 | |
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We eye-ball it at the track. Trust your gut, if it looks too sloppy... it probably is.
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January 20th, 2014, 01:51 PM | #18 |
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ha ha depends how far into the 100 acres you were and if there were any bears around.
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January 20th, 2014, 02:22 PM | #19 | |
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The recommended slack is not a precise thing. Like most things with motorcycles, it is just a compromise between two evils. The condition of the chain has little to do with that compromise or recommended range of slack. I would say that a weakened worn chain would be less tolerant to being working out of that range. A healthy chain is over-qualified to transmit the force involved in the torque output of your engine. Making it work out of that range introduces two huge forces that may take the chain and sprockets and bearings to and beyond their limits. One is the force exerted by the swingarm when it aligns both sprockets and its pivot (not much slack here). The second force is generated by the excessive bouncing up and down of both branches and the centrifugal tendency while going around the sprockets. Even more, a new chain deviates little from a horizontal line when supported sideways by the extremes. A worn chain, however, takes a curvilinear shape. That indicates that it is easier for a worn chain to get derailed, especially if the sprockets are out of alignment.
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Motofool .................................Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly "Mankind is composed of two sorts of men — those who love and create, and those who hate and destroy. Love is the bond between men, the way to teach and the center of the world." - José Martí |
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