chain tension

[bth2]

whilst i had my shock off i took the oportunaty to check chain tension at full extension. ie. front sprocket shaft and rear wheel spindle parallel. i set the tension with just a little slack in the chain .when the shock is fitted and set on the side stand , from the rear of the lower slider to the centre of a chain link (as per manual) i get a measurement of 40mm.manual states 43 -45. ill do a check when on main stand which will make checking and adjustment easier.

[Whitey66]

2 hours ago, bth2 said:

whilst i had my shock off i took the oportunaty to check chain tension at full extension. ie. front sprocket shaft and rear wheel spindle parallel. i set the tension with just a little slack in the chain .when the shock is fitted and set on the side stand , from the rear of the lower slider to the centre of a chain link (as per manual) i get a measurement of 40mm.manual states 43 -45. ill do a check when on main stand which will make checking and adjustment easier.

Manufacturers usually go a bit slacker than the perfect tension as a slightly loose chain is much better than a slightly tight one.

A chain that runs out of slack with suspension movement can overload the output shaft bearings, damage the chain and sprockets and the rear wheel hub .

[shaneygrog]

And, as I have noticed, a chain a little loose adds greatly to the on/off jerkiness of this bike which isn't great on tight dirt tracks.

[bth2]

i was checking how close the manual is to reality. not far off on the good side.

[Whitey66]

12 hours ago, shaneygrog said:

And, as I have noticed, a chain a little loose adds greatly to the on/off jerkiness of this bike which isn't great on tight dirt tracks.

Have you taken the sideways play out of the throttle tube? This makes a huge difference.

[shaneygrog]

58 minutes ago, Whitey66 said:

Have you taken the sideways play out of the throttle tube? This makes a huge difference.

No This is the first I have heard of this. I have heard of taking some of the slack out of the throttle cable but have not done this yet, not sure if I will? But sideways play, do you have a link to how that is done?

 

Thanks,

 

Shane 

[Whitey66]

18 minutes ago, shaneygrog said:

No This is the first I have heard of this. I have heard of taking some of the slack out of the throttle cable but have not done this yet, not sure if I will? But sideways play, do you have a link to how that is done?

 

Thanks,

 

Shane 

If I get a chance over the weekend i'll do a write up with photos.

[shaneygrog]

18 minutes ago, Whitey66 said:

If I get a chance over the weekend i'll do a write up with photos.

Do you mean the throttle on the handlebar or the throttle body where air goes into the engine? There is no sideways movement on the latter, and on the former it the sideways movement seems not to affect cable movement at all, or that is what I have just gone out to my bike and observed.

[Whitey66]

The throttle tube is on the handlebars, it has excessive movement up and down and in and out on the handlebars.

I found when hitting bumps the throttle would be impossible to hold steady and caused a lot of jerkiness. Try holding the throttle steady with the engine running a bit over idle then move the throttle tube in and out without rotating it, as it moves sideways it pulls  and releases the cable slightly. It was only an issue for me at low throttle openings eg. riding around a roundabout or going slow in offroad situations and it's much worse when it's bumpy. I can't recall owning a bike with so much slop in the throttle tube, lucky it's an easy and cheap fix (free).

[shaneygrog]

OK, thanks, I will look at that tomorrow 4sure. I have exactly the same problems you describe, in the same situations and it's a pain on rough terrain (where this bike should shine) and on the road where it should be as safe as possible.