Please excuse me, Jay. Being a complete novice compared with the likes of you and Richard, I just wanted to get a clear picture of the choices that you experts would make. Not knowing anything about the tensioner apart from the fact that the Mk1 was poor enough to warrant a recall by Suzuki and the Mk2 has been known to fail too, I'm obviously interested in the alternatives. I understand that Richard has been looking at a number of options, including modifications to the existing tensioner unit, and has been looking at manual systems too.
Having read (I think) the majority of the posts that Richard has made on this topic, I’m aware that the failures that he mentioned where induced in these racing cars, not the bikes. My point is however, that regardless of the use that the engine is being put to, the fact that the manual system had been seen to contribute to chain failure must surely mean that this system is inherently less reliable and robust then the automatic system. This assumption is based upon (and please enlighten me) the thought that both types of system are being raced in this class of car. I assume that the manual system is an option that some people have taken; rather then being a necessity because the use of the automatic system will guarantee chain failure in these circumstances.
I know the next time I see him I’ll be asking these questions with a view to having a manual system fitted if, in Richards’s opinion, they are more reliable.
