What's the correct chain slack when measured on the centre stand?
I'm having a hard time finding any qualified numbers online.
I've currently got 1.5 inches at the loosest point, with variation of maybe .2 inches or so. With me sat on it that drops to about an inch, maybe a touch over.
when on the side stand I always touch it with my shoe, if its bettween 1"-2" slack range I'm okay with that...
in my opinion too tight is worse than too lose, both are bad, but too tight is gonna fail before too loose.. and too loose is just annoying to ride with noise wise.
you need like 5" of slack or so before your chain is in the danger zone. I've run the GS with 3" of slack on a good chain, off road, over hills. and it never popped off. :cookoo:
I thought chain slack was supposed to be adjusted with the bike on the side stand?
If you have a longer shock ( the katana shock for instance) the chain MUST be slaker than stock . With no weight on the wheel the axle will be furthur down and the CS/ axle distance will be shorter stock.
Quote from: qcbaker on April 17, 2018, 12:49:39 PM
I thought chain slack was supposed to be adjusted with the bike on the side stand?
I don't believe it makes a huge difference as long as you account for the decreased weight. I just wonder how much I need to leave to account for that. To be honest though, after I checked the slack sitting on it I kind of feel like it's fine as is. Any tighter might risk it getting too tight.
Tight is much worse than loose. A tight chain causes all sorts of suspension and traction problems.
FWIW I set mine the other day on the side stand. I just checked it on the center stand and the slack is about the same.
read the owner's manual or the maintenance manual. Both give exact acceptable range of chain slack (20mm to 30mm) and method of checking (on the side stand, NOT the center stand). I personally go toward the "looser" end of the range...just seems to run smoother and quieter.
Cookie
Quote from: Kookas on April 17, 2018, 10:42:44 AM
What's the correct chain slack when measured on the centre stand?
I'm having a hard time finding any qualified numbers online.
I've currently got 1.5 inches at the loosest point, with variation of maybe .2 inches or so. With me sat on it that drops to about an inch, maybe a touch over.
Quote from: qcbaker on April 17, 2018, 12:49:39 PM
I thought chain slack was supposed to be adjusted with the bike on the side stand?
Think about it...
do you ride your bike on the centre stand?
Quote from: qcbaker on April 17, 2018, 12:49:39 PM
I thought chain slack was supposed to be adjusted with the bike on the side stand?
Think about it...
Do you ride your bike on the centre stand? If you do, adjust it there (and good luck to you!).
But if you ride like the rest of us, with the stand up and your weight ON the bike, adjust the chain so there is adequate free play with your weight on the bike, because that's where it will be when you're riding.
Make sense?
Quote from: Joolstacho on April 18, 2018, 03:11:50 AM
Quote from: qcbaker on April 17, 2018, 12:49:39 PM
I thought chain slack was supposed to be adjusted with the bike on the side stand?
Think about it...
Do you ride your bike on the centre stand? If you do, adjust it there (and good luck to you!).
But if you ride like the rest of us, with the stand up and your weight ON the bike, adjust the chain so there is adequate free play with your weight on the bike, because that's where it will be when you're riding.
Make sense?
It's a little hard to adjust the chain slack whilst sitting on the bike, though.
why not simply read and follow the manual? It's easy, it works, no problems!
Or do you think the Suzuki engineers are stupid?
Cookie
Quote from: twocool on April 18, 2018, 06:41:10 AM
Or do you thing the Suzuki engineers are stupid?
Judging by the comments on this forum, it seems many here do think Suzuki engineers are stupid.
Quote from: mr72 on April 18, 2018, 07:27:13 AM
Quote from: twocool on April 18, 2018, 06:41:10 AM
Or do you thing the Suzuki engineers are stupid?
Judging by the comments on this forum, it seems many here do think Suzuki engineers are stupid.
Know how many times I've taken apart a GS and been left with a floor of loose bolts and parts, I think they are stupid, putting a bunch of useless things on the GS..
It's easy to blame "engineers" for stuff that makes your repair job harder than it needs to be, but the reality is that the engineers were working under constraints placed on them by the accountants, government regulations, etc. For example, the PAIR system on the CA-spec bikes is completely unnecessary and overcomplicates the bike. Left to their own devices, the engineers probably would never have designed something like that. However, their hand was forced in that situation. There's almost always an explanation for a "stupid" design choice other than "the engineers are stupid".
The GS shares many parts with previous and concurrent year bikes. This is almost assuredly a way to keep the price of production down. If the engineers were allowed to research, design, and test until they have the ideal part with a perfect balance of form, function, and serviceability, the bike then needs to be sold for an incredible amount of money. Who's going to buy a 500cc commuter bike that costs as much as a superbike? Literally nobody.
Quote from: twocool on April 18, 2018, 06:41:10 AM
why not simply read and follow the manual? It's easy, it works, no problems!
Or do you thing the Suzuki engineers are stupid?
Cookie
No, but manuals are often driven by corporate politics and ass-covering. The manual isn't direct from engineers, it's passed through a bunch of legal teams and other such nonsense along the way.
For example: "Chain replacement requires swing arm removal...Never install a master link type chain." yeah... no. I'd rather get my information directly than read the manual on the off chance there is something in there that is genuine and not driven by a vested-interest driven desire to make a simple job look like something only an authorised Suzuki dealer is capable of by suggesting you disassemble the whole bike for it.
In any case, I decided the current slack will do me for now. A good sign as I haven't adjusted it in 4000 miles - hopefully that means the chain has many more miles yet.
Some bikes do have the chain adjusted on the center stand. My FZ1, for example. Having the bike on the center stand makes aligning the rear wheel a lot easier.
A riveted chain is a lot stronger than one with a master link. On lower horsepower bikes a master link is fine, but high horsepower bikes need the extra strength. Of course it means buying more tools.... :D
A PROPERLY riveted chain is as strong as a properly installed master link. The load is on the pins and plates and the clips take no load. With modern tight fit master links, a rivetted link has no advantage. A poorly rivetted link is weaker than a master link as the peen can break off or if installed skew will walk and tear the peen. The master link means you are more likely to service your chain properly because it is easier to get it off. Also allows you to check your sprockets better.
I always put a master link on when I break the chain to service it . I am very careful about the choice of master link though. In 46 years of riding and racing, on the street and dirt and I have never had a chain fail at a masterlink. That actual riding I started at 19 and I am 65.
BTW an unmentioned bad effect of too tight a chain is sprocket carrier bearing wear/ breakage and same for countershaft sprocket bearing. I have seen a completely collapsed CS bearing AND cracked cases from a too tight chain on a VTR250. Engine was a writeoff.
Meh.
Do as you please. They put riveted chains on for a reason. The clip on master links has been known to fail under load. Chains stretch. Properly riveted links are much stronger. A chain breaking/riveting tool is a minor investment.
They put riveted chains on at the factory because it takes less than 10 secs with the air tool to put a riveted link on by machine ( hand tool) and over a minute for a master link. It's a money saving process.
Master link ( properly fitted) is the SAME strength as a riveted link under load.
Chains do not stretch, the enlongation is caused by the increase in tolerence between the pins, rollers , plates and sprockets by virtue of wear. That's why lubing a chain is important and why sealed chains last longer.
And yes a chainbreaking/riveting tool is a good investment.
On dear dear dear!
I see this....'Its never happened to me so it won't happen to you'.....attitude still prevails. It's very patronising if you don't mind me saying.
Fact is split links DO fail, bike forums are full of the stories and experiences and many years ago when this forum had a gallery there were several pics of failed links posted by actual GS5 owners along with the back stories.
I appreciate failures are rare and not everyone will see one. Me? I have only had one fail, it was over 200 miles from home on a rainy sunday evening. Very expensive, very inconvenient and after that experience I never went near one again.
My logic is this, if you use one it could fail, if you don't use one there is nothing there to fail
Does that make sense?........probably not to some in here :dunno_black:
Your bike, your choice. Play it how you want :D
Technically the chain is endless as it rolls off the factory floor. Its fit onto the swingarm before the SA is bolted into the frame.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: The Buddha on April 19, 2018, 06:15:36 AM
Technically the chain is endless as it rolls off the factory floor. Its fit onto the swingarm before the SA is bolted into the frame.
Cool.
Buddha.
Yeah, that's why I suspected they had put that the swingarm has to be removed for chain replacement in the manual.
If you are looking for a cheap way to get a high quality chain, eBay is full of low mileage stock GS500 chains from bike breakers. I know Patrick (Adidasguy) used to do that for his bike builds. I don't think its that big of a deal to remove the swing arm and the stock chains seem to be high quality and last a long time.
I have a Katana shock which makes the bike sit a little higher. I set to the wide end of the Suzuki spec on the side stand and then sit on the bike and check to make sure its not too tight. I supposed if you want to do it on the center stand in the future, you could measure the chain slack on the center stand right after setting it to Suzuki spec on the side stand. Use that figure in the future.
The one thing is when it's time to replace your chain it's probably (past) time to lube your swingarm and shock bushings. Love your bike and it will love you. :)
I tackled this problem by correctly adjusting the chain to factory specs on the side stand, then putting it on the centre stand and use that as my new standard. I find that I should be able to lift the chain so that it's almost touching the plastic bit that protects the bottom of the swing arm. Makes it quick and easy and accurate to check.
Same with the oil, no need to warm the bike and let it settle every time you want to check the oil. Just do it once and recalibrate for cold on centre stand. You'll find it should be about at the end of the letter F. So now it's a 20 second job any time you remember. Otherwise it's a 10 minute job to warm up and wait three minutes. Or you can wait three minutes after a long ride, but I got sick of burning my hand.
Not mentioned yet is that too tight a chain can cause expensive bearing damage.
I thought I'd mentioned this earlier... the risk of gearbox mainshaft bearing damage and worse, gearbox (crankcase) housing damage if the chain is adjusted too tight.