When to measure chain free play?
 

Mr Haynes gives me the measurements of free play for the chain, and I've always had the bike on a swing arm style paddock stand when I've adjusted it. But I rode into Loomies the other day and some old biker came over to me and goes "Your chain's too tight." I'd literally put a new one on a few days before, so wanting it to last, I listened to him rather than brushing him off. He got me to sit on it and told me it was too tight, as it has no noticeable play when I was sitting on it.

Thing is, Mr Haynes gives you the adjustments, but doesn't tell you when you're supposed to make them. It mentions it during the chain adjustment section when the bike is supposed to be mounted on an auxiliary stand, but ... on a frame type stand, the suspension would be dropped down all the way, on a wheel/swing arm paddock stand, the suspension would be taking the weight of the bike, and if you're sitting on it, it has more weight on. All affect chain tension and the final result.

So does anyone know exactly what state the suspension should be in when you adjust free play?

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

On the SV measurement should be taken with the bike on the side-stand according to the owners manual. For yours I'm not sure. Try popping it upside down resting on handlebars and seat. That should do the job.

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

Those were the days. Perhaps I should also touch the back wheel with the front wheel of the upside down SV and to create a crazy wheel turning contraption.

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

RTFM :-P

Other thing you can do which is a good idea when you played with ride height etc is take spring off, refit shock baht spring, and run it through it's full travel to see what the relationship is like. You still want a little bit of slack when the axle, pivot and sprocket are inline (minimum slack position, if it goes that far). Too tight and you can feel it when moving the suspension by hand which is rather worrying.

Try it yourself without shock fitted, no substitute for playing with stuff to understand what's going on.

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

measure it on the side stand, then sit on the bike and measure again, the most important one is with you sitting on it, centre of bottom run needs to be an inch free play, that holds true for just about any bike, it isn't what the manual says, but with care will see 35- 40,000 miles or so which is my average for a chain.

Cheers Mark.

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

I read the fudging manual. The ******* didn't help me this time! :D I've been browsing gixxer forums too, and everyone seems to guestimate. I continue to post here about the gixxer because I love the abuse so much. ;)

That makes sense btw. I suppose I could also get a fat man to sit on the bike to get the suspension in line then check the free play. Just need a volunteer with suitable girth. :D Think I'm going to loosen it a touch as reading around people seem to say err on the side of loose rather than too tight, then when I eventually do set up the rear shock I might have a bash at your suggestion. :)

You would expect the settings in the Haynes would take into account chain tension when the rear wheel is furthest away, but it doesn't say. Stoooopid book!

Edit: Cheers Mark. Yes, I'd like this chain to last. Currently it has about 3/4" on the side stand, but practically none with my **** on it. Gonna loosen it up a tad. :)

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

there are many discrepancies between "manuals" and real world experience, you can learn them one of two ways....

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

[QUOTE=yorkie_chris;2763730]RTFM :-P


On the other thread about caliper seals it says that "manuals are full of sh*t"


:confused:

Re: When to measure chain free play
 

Yeah, some people will also read posts and assume they're referring to the topic and not every possible permutation of fact, bike model and manual version.

Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're wrong. In the case of K1-3 GSXR's* the factory handbook is about right when it comes to chain slack, on other cases... like in the case of TL1000S factory handbook chain slack where it's dead wrong, or haynes manuals going on about brake seals in fact.

*I've only had a detailed look at the 600K2 not the 750 but don't think it's unfair to assume the findings hold true...

Yeah but can you align the wheel and tighten the rear axle on the sidestand? .... But you cant do that because it makes it impossible to adjust the chain slack so you need to align it on a stand which takes the weight off the bike so measuring the chain slack without any weight on it wont work.....

Thats the dillema!

What I did was do it all on the rear stand put the bike on the sidestand and back off the chain adjuster nut a quarter turn. Seems fine. I suppose getting someone to measure the chain slack while im sitting on it would do it. Seems like a lot of mucking about.

Got me thinking there should be a different slack measurement calculation depending on the weight of the rider.