What is this thing called?

[Ninja Bob]

Long story short: I had a mechanic tighten the chain because I didn't have the right tools. Apparently he didn't tighten this part enough, cause it apparently came loose, turned, and got murdered by the sprocket. We were able to straighten the bolt, but I need to replace this cap. And like, by the end of the week. Cause I'm supposed to be going on a road trip. x_x

[Ninja Bob]

@Ducati999

I noticed this when I went to make that repair we talked about. I don't know if the issues are related. He said he checked multiple times to make sure this part was tightened correctly.

[InvisiBill]

http://www.kawasaki.com/SITE/VIVEHIC...rchModel=EX250 (in the Swingarm section)

"Chain Adjuster Cap"


That's what the nut threads against to tighten the chain. Once it's pulled tight, you tighten the axle nuts to hold it in place (so the adjusters aren't holding it in normal operation, just getting it into position initially). After tightening the axle, the adjusters might not be perfectly tight due to a tiny bit of movement, but they shouldn't be that loose either - that indicates that the axle was pulled back further while it was being tightened if the adjusters got that loose. I'm no expert, but I wouldn't trust a mechanic who screwed up that bad on something that simple.

And just to explicitly state it, there should be a washer and two nuts on the adjuster as well, just in case those are missing. It looks like the cap is in line with the nuts/studs that bolt the sprocket on. If that's what messed up the cap, you should check those for damage too. Better to find it now than way down the road when you go to change the sprocket...

Technically, once the wheel is adjusted to the right distance and the axle is tightened down, you don't actually need the adjusters.

[Ninja Bob]

Thank you.