loose chain maybe??

[TeBo]

Heylowz, ok, here's my lil' prob...

I just noticed my chain today, and it seems pretty loose.  I'm not sure if it's always been like that, or if it got loose after 5500 miles (odometer reading).  Is there a way to tighten the chain?  if there is, I don't know about it :guns:   .  Nor do I know how or what to do.  Any  help anyone??  I don't know if this is regularly how it's supposed to be, or if I should tighten/replace the chain maybe??

thanks for your help

[Dom]

If you recently purchased the bike, it would behoove you to buy either a Haynes or Clymer manual...you can support this site by buying one from them.  They cover all those maintenance type of issues in very fine detail.  I have bought a manual for every bike I have owned and when I sell the bike I give them the manual with it.  It is very common in the motorcycle world to receive a manual when you buy your bike, at least it has been in my experience, with cars too.

[airbrush]

YUP!....You should definitely be tightening your chain. The manual calls for a 20-30mm freeplay in the slackest area of the chain. Press on the chain with thumb roughly in the middle between the front sprocket and rear gear and measure how much it moves up and down. You need to remove the cotter pin on the rear axle and loosen the axle nut. There are adjusting nuts on the ends of each swing arm, adjust them evenly, there are marks on each side of the swing arm. Once you have it tightened with the right amount of freeplay...tighten the axle nut...replace the cotterpin(Yes...with a new one).

[coll0412]

When AIRBRUSH says replace the cotter pin, he means(i hope )  it should actually replace it by a new one(they cost like $0.30),



...no offense to you AIRBRUSH i am not sure if you also meant that or not, just making sure he is aware.

[Kerry]

Here are some pictures to go with airbrush's instructions:





Turn the adjuster nuts clockwise to tighten the chain.  Turn the nuts on both sides by the same amount.  Go slow.  If the chain is as loose at it sounds, start with 1/2 turn, check the freeplay, then go 1/4 turn between checks until the freeplay looks good.

If you get the chain TOO tight, you'll have to loosen both nuts and then kick the tire from behind the bike, or hop up and down on the seat or something until the adjuster plates are snug against the swingarm ends.

[TeBo]

cool..  will do that tomorrow definitely..

First off, cotter pins I can get at like a home depot or something right??  Or do I need to go to like Suzuki for it??

Imma need like 2 rachets to turn both of them the same way right?

And Kerry, when you say turn the nuts clockwise, does that mean turn both of them clockwise?  or turn the leftside clockwise, and the right side couhter clockwise? :dunno:

Thanks for all you guys' help.  I really should get a manual huh??

[Kerry]

cotter pins I can get at like a home depot or something right??  Or do I need to go to like Suzuki for it??

Cotter pins from the home center are fine.  Here are some samples:



I bought the 3/32" pins before I knew any better.  They're really too thin - go with 1/8" pins.  Even then, all 1/8" pins are not created equal.  The ones on the far left are beefier than the ones in the middle.

If I ever run out of pins I'm going to go for pins that are 1" or 1 1/4" long next time.  Check out how long the 1 1/2" ones are!




I would be remiss if I didn't mention Srinath's favorite solution - a hitch pin.  No pliers required, it's reusable, etc.  I haven't installed it yet, but I tried to choose one where the diameter of the straight part was close to the thickness of BOTH halves of the 1/8" cotter pin:

Imma need like 2 rachets to turn both of them the same way right?

Ratchets?  Those bolts stick out so far that I just use a regular wrench - open- or closed-end, take your pick.  Turn one side, then the other, then check the freeplay.  Repeat.

And Kerry, when you say turn the nuts clockwise, does that mean turn both of them clockwise?  or turn the leftside clockwise, and the right side couhter clockwise?

Nope.  Both bolts are threaded the same way, and you turn them the same way.  It's fairly intuitive once you start doing it.  Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey, etc.

I really should get a manual huh??

Do I really need to answer this one?  :lol:

[TeBo]

gee Kerry is there any part of the bike you don't have a picture of?  Maybe the bolt that holds the bar ends on or something??  hahah jk.  thanks for all your help, I am now off w/ a box full of sockets, and some vice grips, w/ new cotter pins to go fix my bike.  Wish me lucky=)

[Kerry]

gee Kerry is there any part of the bike you don't have a picture of?  Maybe the bolt that holds the bar ends on or something??

Actually ... see my Throttle Retainer page.  

OK, I guess didn't actually take a full-length shot of the stock bolt....  :dunno:

Good Lucky!  

[TeBo]

question...  If I were to get my tires changed, they'd have to tighten my chain when they put it back on anyways right?  Cuz I'm planning on changing my tires this friday, and was wondering if it was worth the trouble now, or should I just let them do it  

[Kerry]

If you were planning to use the Vise-Grips in lieu of a 10mm wrench (because you don't have one, perhaps) then you may as well let THEM do it.  No need to mar those adjustment nuts the first time out.

But watch out - you're liable to get us started on why you should remove the wheel yourself, take it in, and save $20 or $30 at the dealership.    (You could use that money to buy the tools needed to do the job ... this time and umpteen times in the future.)

[TeBo]

no no, I had the vice grip to lock the bolt on the other side from sliding..  I used a 20mm to try to loosen the bolt, but my 120 pound build of bulging muscle (yea rite), just can't loosen that nut..  I tried stepping on the rachet, but it kept slipping off, and seems like it would strip the bolt.  I would have taken the wheel off myself.  but my special female friend who works as a cashier at the local shop, told me she'd get it done for free install if I just buy the tires from there full price.  So there that goes, and yea, imma prolly just wait it out till friday (got my '88 M3 running again, and the nail taken out of my IS300's tire, so I have a few commuting options for now.)

what could be the damage done for having a loose chain??

[Kerry]

no no, I had the vice grip to lock the bolt on the other side from sliding..

Are you talking about loosening the axle nut?  If so ... I've never had to use anything on the axle bolt head at all.  I have always been able to both loosen and tighten the axle nut without worrying about the other end.  Just lucky maybe?  :dunno:

I used a 20mm to try to loosen the bolt, but my 120 pound build of bulging muscle (yea rite), just can't loosen that nut..  I tried stepping on the rachet, but it kept slipping off, and seems like it would strip the bolt.

Cool - another good reason to use a torque wrench for this job!  (http://www.bbburma.net/HowTo/RearRotor_Replace/100_1827.jpg)

my special female friend who works as a cashier at the local shop, told me she'd get it done for free install if I just buy the tires from there full price.

Ah, there's the rub - "full price".  Well, never mind - there will be other tires.  Maybe it's best just to get this change out of the way.

what could be the damage done for having a loose chain??

Just a bit of wear and tear on the chain and sprockets, mostly.  But if you're prone to jackrabbit starts the "jolt" along the countershaft (as the chain catches up and snaps tight) can't be good for things.  The worst thing for me is the "lag" in feedback from the drivetrain, and feeling like something ... just ... isn't ... right.  It throws me off, and can be unsafe from a purely mental / reaction point of view.