I've been having to adjust my chain tension more often that I would like just lately but no big deal it's simple enough. (My knees dont like being on concrete!) After adjusting, cleaning and waxing this morning I noticed a couple of real tight spots in the chain. Any ideas as to cause and cure? i tried a search but could not find anything useful

I started having problem in April when I noticed a grinding sort of sound pulling away then checked the chain to find it slack, since then I have had to tighted a couple more times. I am pretty sure the alignment is OK. Bike is 2 yrs old with about 13,000 miles on it, chain and sprockets look OK.

I'll probably fit a Scottoiler like I had on the GS but I'm curious what the gurus think.

Its a chain - the most worthless piece of power transmission ever conceived.
However it was conveived in 1925 when most others were yet to be invented, as well as decent metals etc ...
It happens, clean and lube, but it still happens.
Cool.
Buddha.

I thought Leonardo da vinci invented roller chain while he was passing time waiting for the paint to dry on the Mona Lisa 

Mine is starting to to get tight spots ever so slightly, and I kept it loose for it's whole life. Guess it's just unavoidable to some extent. Though it can get pretty bad if you over tightened it since when it's too tight and you run over a bump it puts tremendous tension on the chain because of leverage. Happened on my last chain near the end of it's life, over tightened it then it developed a severe loose spot and made lots of noise. Replaced it with my current chain and 17,000 miles in I'm starting to develop a light tight spot and making noise.

My chains have lasted 14-22k miles on my 2 GSs, never really wear them out before they get kinky links.  The tight spots are due to kinky links, the seals have worn and the lube has leaked out and the salt water has leaked in and the links are sticking after bending around the small sprocket and not completely straightening out.  Sight down the chain and you'll see the kinky links or in my case you can stand across the street and see them each spring after splashing thru the salt water laden streets of NE Ohio every winter.

I don't do kinky links for long before replacing the chain.  This year was particularly bad since I couldn't get out for a full month in January and had parked it dripping salt water.  I soaked the chain with WD-40 until it was dripping and flinging from the running chain for a couple days using it in between soakings and then drowned it with chain lube so I could continue to use it until I ordered, received, and installed a new chain.

A bike with a new chain is a happy bike, you can just feel the smoooooooth happiness all thru the bike when taking off with the new chain installed.  Every bike deserves a smooth chain.      An unhappy bike can make you very unhappy if left unattended for long.   

I didn't think you liked it kinky, Jack!  But you didn't tell him the best part.  If you keep running the chain it can break and put a hole in your engine or wrap around the back wheel and make you crash!  Now that's fun if anything is!

Hmm, I live on the coast and the UK salts the roads in winter so that could be an issue, I'll clean and lube much more frequently and see what happensbut it looks like new chain - thanks Jack.

Also, make sure to adjust the chain with the bike upright and off the stand, preferably with someone sitting on it. If it has tight spots, adjust it at the tightest.  Too loose is not as bad as too tight.

If you put it on the center stand and spin the back wheel, does it hit tight spots at the same point of rotation in the back wheel? If it does that the rear cog might not be centered on the wheel. I don't know if that happens often on motorcycles, but I know bicycle chains are more picky, and that's usually the cause of it. You might have to loosen the bolts. jiggle it a little, and tighten them back up.

Quote from: bill14224 on June 29, 2009, 04:08:43 PM
I didn't think you liked it kinky, Jack!  But you didn't tell him the best part.  If you keep running the chain it can break and put a hole in your engine or wrap around the back wheel and make you crash!  Now that's fun if anything is!

Yes it can wrap the back wheel and kill you.
However the punching a hole in the engine case - very unlikely - heck it may just be unlikely, I'll drop the very.

The sproken is on with a clip - now talk about cheap crap that needs to be fixed. However the chain if it bunches in there, will first unceremoniusly throw the sproket out. I had a bike that it had done that to. Had to machine the thing for a better groove and still had trouble with it.

Cool.
Buddha.

GSJack said......
A bike with a new chain is a happy bike, you can just feel the smoooooooth happiness all thru the bike when taking off with the new chain installed.  Every bike deserves a smooth chain.      An unhappy bike can make you very unhappy if left unattended for long.   

It is very true, just done mine.