Have any of you came up with a fix for the flimsy chain adjuster plates??

My '04 GS500f is bending them.

The bike only had 580 miles on it when I bought it. I notice the chain was a little loose and I adjusted it. After I rode it a few times I notice it was very loose again. Upon inspecting it I noticed the chain side adjuster plate was bent. So I straitened it and swapped it with the other side. I tightened the axle nut a little tighter this time (60ftlbs), and yesterday I noticed this one is also bent!!!!

I check my chain daily, and after thinking back on it, both times the plate has bent is after I've been gunning the bike.

What should I do?

I know I'll need new plates. I can straiten them, but I'm afraid to put a straitened one on the chain side where all the torque is.

But what about the axle torque?

Should I go with more torque on the nut?

hnh

I wonder if maybe you're missing the part that slides into the swingarm that prevents the axle from crushing the swingarm tubing. The Axle, properly torqued should carry the entire load. Check to make sure they're there and torque the axle down tighter. Maybee you have a bad torque wrench. I never used a torque wrench on my axle, I just got it nice and snug and I never had any problems.

The adjuster plates are flimsy because all they're there for is to adjust the tension on the chain with the axle loose, which takes very little force. Once you get the wheel positoned right the axle takes all the load.

I've never had that happen and I have over a 100K on 10 GS'es.
I have prolly put another 10K on heavier and more powerful bikes with chain drive ...
Some crap is fooked up on yours.
Cool.
Srinath.

mine are bent as well, till i figured what i did wrong. you need to lossen the axle bolt more it is too tite when ajusting

I leave the axle nut very loose when using the adjuster. So I don't think I'm bending the plate.

I'll borrow a torque wrench to compare torque with mine.

I'll also check and see if the part that goes inside the swingarm is there.

I've ridden and wrenched on my own bikes since 73. Although most have been offroad bikes. But this is the first one I've had this problem with.

hnh

that happens sometimes.  Bend the plate back straight and whack the swingarm on the end to dent it in a little.  That will keep it from bending again, also make sure that you are tightening the axle blot correctly, aka tight enough.

I had the same problem today. yesterday I put on my 15t front and adjusted the chain to where it had about an Inch of slack/up and down play, tightened the castle nut nice and tight and put the cotter pin in. I checked it today and it had about 2-2.5 inch of slack and I checked the plates and they didnt move so I just adjusted the chain again and will see what happens after work. any ideas why it stretched or came loose

you're just stressing the chain a little differently....same thing happened when I went to a 14t.......reminds me I need to re-adjust my new chain

will it stop lossening up?

I65

My very first bike Rieju 50cc had an extremely expensive problem going on with it. The chain would just stretch and stretch to a point where you wouldnt believe. I went through two and it needed a third just before i sold it. I have never seen anything like it and not since, my new bike the zxr hardly ever needs adjusting. The chain on the rieju was a long one anyway but litrally after just weeks of riding it the chain would be hanging. Must just be a rubbish design on the bike really. chain was too long and too thin for the distance it moved.

Mach1: yeah it should eventually.......I put a roller chain on.  they are dirt cheap ($17) so even if it does stretch it's easily replaceable