Adjusting the chain...

[OB_CuriousMike]

I've read from you guys to never trust the marks on the rear frame for alignment of the rear wheel, but what's a sappy programmer such as myself supposed to do? Pull out a ball of twine and "eyeball" it?

Give me a break.

My old VFR was simplicity itself; loosen pinchbolt, turn the wrench until chain has right amount of slop, tighten pinch bolt.
Perfectly aligned. (Single sided swingarm.)

This is my first time in 6 years adjusting a chain with a "regular" swingarm... what a bithc. I'm a simple guy; I just want to bust the pinch bolt loose, turn those nuts a few turns, slap the chain, say, "Hell, that line's about 1/2 covered, and so's that one...", tighten her up, and be done.

So I did.

Of course, I took it for a spin in the court, and now the bike feels like it's not straight. My imagination and me just worrying about all you guys talking about twine... right???

Could Suzuki (and every other manufactuer) really expect a simple guy such as myself to not simply follow the instructions in the owners manual? Can't there be SOME slop built into the design of how the chain + rear wheel alignment work?

A little?

Worrying Mike 161(TM)

 

[OB_WARBIRD]

Worrying Mike. Unless you have an alignment tool, you dont have much choice but to line up the marks as close as you can get them. Once you have the adjusting bolts where you want them tighten the axle nut[use torque wrench,to spec,dont over tighten and pinch the swingarm together]THEN tighten the lock nuts. Lockhart has a lazer alignment tool thats great![puts your mind at ease]

www.lockhartphillips.com

 

[OB_BarryW.]

Try using a tape measure to measure the distance between the swingarm pivot shaft center to the axle center. This will reference the axle to a point that's a lot more precisely located than the indicator marks on back of the swingarm.

 

[OB_Warp13Busa]

Bulldog, we adjust the chain the same way...it works and no problems with alignment. Also have compared that method to measuring distance from the blocks to the ends of the swingarm....it's within 1mm according to my measurements. Key is to make sure you don't overtighten the chain and keep it clean/lubed.

Jim

 

[OB_Earl]

yep----I measure from back of swingarm with a caliper and it always seems to work well. That comment about not to tight is a good one---seems a lot of people do that. I always leave about an inch of easy play in the chain center.

 

[OB_ZXALAN]

Remember, when you sit on the bike, the chain gets tighter and on the Hayabusa its better to be a little looser then too tight. Leave about a inch of play between the two sprockets. You should see a little sag in the chain(slightly). Keep It clean and use Belray Synthetic chain lube. It turns white and WILL NOT fling off. It seals your chain and keeps dirt out. I sprayed mine 700 miles ago and its still clean, still white, and still in adjustment. If you drag race, check your chain more often and maybe even leave it a little looser. Sound right guys??

 

[OB_CuriousMike]

Thanks kindly for the techniques.
For the hell of it, I'll try measuring from the swingarm pivot point to the center of the rear-axle and see how close I am.

As far as tightening what bolt in what order, I followed the owners manual. However, I can easily see how tightening the axle-bolt last could minorly tighten the chain up.

 

[OB_WARBIRD]

Using a tape measure is way better than just eyeballing it. At least start at the 1 inch mark to get more accuacy. [wiggle the little hook at the end of you measuring tape, is it tight or loose as hell like mine?]Adjusting your drive chain perfectly is very important. If it is off even a little bit chain,sprocket and tire wear will be greatly increased.If I am going to ride at speeds aproaching 200 miles per hour, dedicating a little time to do it right is well worth the effort. $169.00 is not much to pay for the lazer alignment tool, if it helps your chain,sprockets and tire last just a little bit longer, it will pay for itself in a couple of chains and tires. It does'nt take a lot of time to set up and is easy to use. Here are some quotes from the Suzuki service manual,NOT the owners manual. "After adjusting the drive chain,tighten the axle nut and the torque link nut[rear] to specified torque." "Then tighten both chain adjuster nuts securely" On cleaning and lubricating: "Use ONLY kerosene to clean the drive chain." "Other solvents can damage the o-rings." "Do not use any oil sold commercially as "drive chain oil." "Such oils can damage the o-rings." What it does'nt say is that even if the chain lube says it is o-ring safe, the propellants in the can will damage the o-rings. Put a bike on a swing arm stand that has had the chain hurridly adjusted and has 200 weight chain lube sprayed on it. Now spin the back tire with your hand and note how long it takes to stop. Not very long usually. If it is missaligned and has chain lube on it there is a LOT of friction. This increases a whole bunch as the speed of the wheel goes up. All Drag racers in the know use chains with out o-rings for this very reason. "frictional horsepower loss" its called. When I change my oil I drain all the quart bottles into one after I fill the engine and I end up with a good little bit. Then I pour it into my hand oiler and put 1 or 2 drops of the oil on each o-ring. It does fling off easier but it is a 1000 times more slippery [I use Mobil 1 MX4T] and is much easier to clean off than chain lube. When I spin my back wheel it spins for a long,long time. And my chain and sprockets last a long,long time too. Do it RIGHT,and your bike will drive smoother and make less chain noise and flop around a lot less than other peoples. [ever see a dry tight chain flopping all over the place as the bike goes down the road?] Not to mention getting more horsepower to the rear wheel. [At 200 mph EVERY little bit helps]

 

[OB_busTa Kaw]

I use the marks and never have a problem.
You can usually tell if its off when you ride a wheelie and everytime it pulls to one side. If it is between marks sometimes I measure from the back of the swingarm to the edge of the block that lines up with the lines. Surely this is accurate. What do you guys think?

 

[OB_BullDog]

NN is right!

Use method #3!

I used to use a chain alignment tool..bah! Waste of time..

If you tighten the adjustment bolts equaly then spin the rear tire a few times...the rear sprocket teeth should be in the center of the rollers on the chain...

You can easily figure out which side to tighten/loosen when you look at it...

Never had a problem since I changed to this method..and she wheelies straight..unless my azz slips off to the side..

 

[OB_NumbNuts]

1: Always do chain when on side stand
2: Don't tighten too much with looses axle bolt as when you "torque her up" chain gets tighter (only slightly though)
3: Marks are hard to judge, a way is to put on centre stand / paddock stand and spin untill rear sprocket and chain are cetralised
4: another more accurate place to measure from is swingarm pivot
I think this is right, and I hope it helps


Nuts

 

[OB_WARBIRD]

Hey Mike, did you get a service manual yet? Ive found a lot of differences between the owners manual and the service manual. Makes for interesting reading.

[This message has been edited by WARBIRD (edited 21 July 2000).]

 

[OB_CuriousMike]

I haven't got the service manual yet.
I still have to set money aside for:
1) service stand, rear. (My VFR stand ain't gonna cut it.)
2) my next set of tires
3) an extended warranty

After those are taken care of, I'll get the service manual. I'm going on faith that Suzuki's owners manual will tell me the correct way to adjust the chain. I will use everyone's suggestion to try to maximize my chain life/straightness with my available means.

The VFR was SOOOOOO easy.

 

[OB_WARBIRD]

Hey Mike,the owners manual neglects to tell you to loosen the torque link bolt[rear] also. Those are quotes in the above post from the service manual. Word for word. Tightening the axle nut last is the proper sequence. Not what the owners manual says. I did a lot of research on the rear stands and ended up buying the Pit Bull stand and aluminium spools.[I bought the front Pit Bull stand also] I really didnt like the way they looked in the pictures but after asking on the boards I was convinced that they were the most sturdy. When they arrived and I used them for the first time I was astounded how well they worked[ease of lifting] and how very sturdy and WAY overbuilt they are. I hate the name but love the stands. I've had lots of stands[and bikes] but these outclass anything Ive used at home,the shop,or at the track. I used to do some drag racing at the track in Fremont,its not still there is it? I heard a long time ago they built a car plant on it. [this was in early 1980's] Also,Intuitive Race Products makes a rear axle spacer specifically to help with chain alignment. Its on page 144 of the Lockhart Phillips catalog. Real affordable.

[This message has been edited by WARBIRD (edited 21 July 2000).]