View Full Version : The chain - it touches the black arm?
Is this normal - I noticed the chain at the top of the bike and along the black arm makes contact with it all the way along? Only noticed as I spotted it...
DarrenSV650S
01-09-09, 05:34 PM
Yeh it's meant to. It stops the chain from wearing out the swingarm ;)
Also it touches it less when your weight takes up the slack ;)
Alpinestarhero
01-09-09, 07:32 PM
Keep an eye on it, incase it gets heavily worn (mine is at 40,000 miles, plenty of life in it). also keep it clean...I find lots of dirt and grit resides there, which cant be good for the chain (grinding paste forms?)
philbut
01-09-09, 07:35 PM
Keep an eye on it, incase it gets heavily worn (mine is at 40,000 miles, plenty of life in it). also keep it clean...I find lots of dirt and grit resides there, which cant be good for the chain (grinding paste forms?)
For a minute there i thought you meant your chain had 40k on it! Now THAT would be one hell of a chain. I want one.
Ceri JC
02-09-09, 11:28 AM
For a minute there i thought you meant your chain had 40k on it! Now THAT would be one hell of a chain. I want one.
My OE set managed almost 40K with a Scottoiler running on used engine oil most of the time. This is even more impressive when you consider that it wasn't oiled/waxed at all for the first 4K miles of its life other than the stuff put on it at PDI and first service and for at least 2K of the rest of the mileage the scottoiler was on the blink. I only replaced it because it started to need adjustment, which I took to be a sign that it was wearing out. Previously, other than one occassion, it had needed rear tyres more frequently than chain adjustments.
The sprockets were in great nick, if I'd not needed a new chain, they'd have probably be good for another 40K miles.
philbut
02-09-09, 12:40 PM
That is good going Ceri. I use a loob man (poor student) with old engine oil. My current chain is on 20K or so and doesn't need adjustment often. I do it every service just to be thorough. I'll try to beat your record then ;-)
My OE chain has 2,500 miles on it. Thinking of changing it already because it's not gold.
What exactly are sprockets and how often should I consider changing both them and the chain?
Dave20046
02-09-09, 07:08 PM
the sprockets are the 'cogs' the chain runs over. Consider changing them when they're ballsed I.e missing a tooth, shark toothed etc. Change the chain when when it sounds like a bag of coins and has shed loads of unusual movement, or when it snaps, or when you've adjusted (stretched) it more than it is advised to be over it's lifetime.
Got a manual? You can get em online I tink, useful - especially on potentially deadly vehicles
davepreston
02-09-09, 08:03 PM
change chain and sprockets at same time, order them just before full chain adjustment is reached . simples
Dave20046
02-09-09, 08:03 PM
change chain and sprockets at same time, order them just before full chain adjustment is reached . simples
Or what happens dave?
:smt040
davepreston
02-09-09, 08:08 PM
or a big rock gets jammed in it and you nearly kill yourself and your pillon in scotland by hitting a oncoming car or a caravan thats to your left while overtaking
thankfully some people on here are godlike riders and can save them selves from such dreaded ending
i thankyou
What exactly are sprockets and how often should I consider changing both them and the chain?
Now here's a thing to file away in the "never needed to know" file.
Strictly speaking a "sprocket" is a tooth or projecting peg, a "sprocket wheel" is a wheel comprising a number of said "sprockets" for engaging with a chain.
Sprocket is also a term used for a projecting piece of timber at the edge of certain types of roof structure to carry the roof out over the eaves.
I'll get me coat.
Red Herring
03-09-09, 07:17 AM
Sprocket is also a term used for a projecting piece of timber at the edge of certain types of roof structure to carry the roof out over the eaves.
I'll get me coat.
Spooky....I'm in the process of cutting loads of them for my garage construction, the book called them a "ladder", probably because it looks a bit like one!
Back to chains and sprockets, why does the degree of chain adjustment or wear influence the chance of a big rock getting jammed in it Dave? :?
Alpinestarhero
03-09-09, 02:33 PM
What exactly are sprockets and how often should I consider changing both them and the chain?
I, and my dad, generally find we get about 18,000-20,000 miles out of a set of chain and sprockets. Keep it well cleaned, well lubricated and well adjusted, and it can last quite long. Dont look after it at all, and you'll be replacing sets every 6000 miles. When you clean the chain and sprockets and re-lubricate them, take of the front sprocket cover if you can. Its a plastic cover held on by 3 x 8mm headed bolts, you'll ned a long socket to get to them. When the cover comes off you'll see the front sprocket, and the clutch mechanism (pull the clutch lever in at the handlebar to see how it operates!). Keep the little pushrod that goes into the engine clean (I just use a toothbrush and parrafin) but be carefull not to remove grease from the worm drive bit that changed the cable pull into pushrod...er...push.
Maybe too much info there?
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