What's the score with taking out the top slack of a chain before measuring/adjusting?

On another forum there's a how too and it says to take out the top slack of the chain before measuring the slack at the bottom but it doesn't mention that in the manual (Not SV by the way). Can't find SV manual at the moment but I don't remember anything in there about it either. What's the score?

[TEC]

Ideally the bike should be on a centre or paddock stand. Its rare that you would see it in a manual cause if on a stand, when you push the bottom of the chain up it will automatically take up the slack from the top

I suggest you stop reading other forums!!

I take most stuff on there with a bucket of salt. In the how to the fella had the bike on a paddock stand with a ratchet strap pulling the back wheel backwards to take out the top slack?! I questioned it on the forum but funnily enough no-one's responded since.

2. Once you?ve found the tightest spot in the chain, you will then need to get the slop out of the TOP of the chain, such that when you make your slack measurement at the bottom of the chain, you?ll get an accurate reading. To facilitate this, put the bike in gear (any) and then either use a strap (as depicted in the pictures) to put tension on the wheel in a ?backwards? direction (if on a stand) or position the bike uphill such that gravity will provide the needed tension.

Originally Posted by teriyakimonkey

I'd ask him how to measure chicken strips!!!!

He is even using the paddock stand the wrong way round isn't he?!!? Or is it one you can use sitting on the bike???!

That's it. I'm not coming to Silverstone. Blue, mine are probably four times bigger! The only man made things on Earth you can see from space are the Great Wall of China and my chicken strips.

That is being pedantic.

Originally Posted by teriyakimonkey

That's it. I'm not coming to Silverstone. Blue, mine are probably four times bigger! The only man made things on Earth you can see from space are the Great Wall of China and my chicken strips.

Mine are no smaller than his, but I don't care!!

[Stu]

Originally Posted by TEC

Ideally the bike should be on a centre or paddock stand. Its rare that you would see it in a manual cause if on a stand, when you push the bottom of the chain up it will automatically take up the slack from the top

Ideally the bike should not be on a paddock stand or centre stand.
Ideally the bike should have both wheels on the ground with the riders weight on the bike to compress the suspension to the height you ride the bike at. Then measure the slack.
As long as the bike is not in gear, I have never found the slack on the top of the chain to be a problem.



(Once tried to measure the slack when it was in gear & got frightened when the chain was stretched tight! )