How tight must the chain be?
 

My chain is 'hanging', how do I thight it?

First.. put down your tools.. step away from your bike (you forgot to mention what kind it is as well ) now.. read owners manual!
Seriously! Just in case your bike is a later model XT the adjustment is easy peasy .. loosen rear axle nut..turn the snail shell looking adjustamabobs on each side , make sure the number of detents or notches is the same on each side.. tighten rear axle nut.. Job done!
PS make sure your chain is not too tight .. it should flex about 30-40 millimeters in the middle, if the chain is too tight, you are likely to ruin your countershaft bearings.. good luck

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Laromo '04 TT600RE

thanks, I will try it and post the result later on. btw it's a 1999 xt600e
Greetings from bhellgium!

Dont forget the chain will tighten up when you put weight on the bike so check the chain tension with some one sitting on the bike and also bouncing the suspension.The chain on my XT looks slack but when I sit on the bike alot of the slack is taken up.
I saw a fat bloke on a Africa twin and his chain was really tight but I bet when he got off the bike the chain looked ok.
Take good care of your chain I had one snap and it went through the engine casing

On the later [read from 1991 on] models the chain slack must be checked with no weight [or persons] on the bike but with the bike standing upright, so not on the jiffy.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

Dat dacht ik ook... ik check het toch even bij de dealer. Bedankt!
Thanks!

Who writes the workshop manuals???!!!?????
 

Hello there,
I always hear different opinions regarding the chain slack, it makes sense to me to adjust the slack once the bike is loaded because is when you are riding that the chain operates/wears but I have also heard the other way as well. Which way to go?

If I read the manual (the proper workshop manual, not the user's) they suggest to do it with the bike unloaded and not on the side stand but I see when two up and with some luggage the chain becomes worryingly tight if adjusted this way.

Diverting on a slightly different topic: the manual also suggests to check the oil level on the XTZ when the engine is cold (opposite as what advised here by Mark on one of my first threads last year), well... I tried both ways: with the engine cold it looked like there was no oil at all, I overfilled and the bike was spiting oil from the head all over the engine for days.
The other way seems to be the right one (thank you Mark by the way): after a short ride, stop and leave the engine idle for a minute, then turn it off and check the level right away, the only problem is that you cannot re-check the level straight away without having another ride. I know it's kind of repeating what it has been said already but it won't harm surely.

So... who writes these manuals????!!!? :censored:

Wow a thread from 2005 !

I did a thing on proper chain adjustment in my Motorsports forum, credit goes to Gary Bailey who taught me how to do it properly many many years ago.

Motorsports Forum. - Chain Adjustment.

I do :helpsmilie::rofl:

:oops2:The answer is from 2007 too :thumbdown:

Ok, I used to. Not bikes, trucks. When you write these, there are other factors that come into play. If you suggest anything remotely dangerous you can get hung out to dry. You therefore say the chain slack should be 30-40mm, not 5-105mm because 5-105mm while fine with a new chain doesn't make sure they detect a worn out one. You are also under pressure to make sure your employer maximises profits. You therefore say that the chain is changed by taking the engine out to get the complete chain over the swing arm rather than using a breaker, and you say that a chain that won't adjust to 30-40mm may be worn out. If you say to adjust the chain unloaded and it goes tight and wrecks the gearbox bearings, that's turnover for the aftermarket division. If you say adjust it loaded and it goes slack, jumps the sprocket and takes a guys leg off, only the lawyers win.

Treat the manual as advice to help you, not strict and unbendable law and you might do better if you know your stuff.

Don't get me started on torque settings!

Andy

Oh goodie gumdrops, a chain adjustment debate :D

Ive always adjusted mine so there's about 1 & 1/2 inches play with me sat on the bike, that`s the way my old man taught me as a young nipper & ive never wrecked a chain or gearbox in donkeys years of riding.

Mezo.

With my setup, the lower part of the chain must almost be able to touch the swingarm when I press it up. It lookes loose, especially with a bigger rear sprocket. But on full compression, theres only a few centimeters of play.

I was just wondering, if when one checks the chain tension, do you check more than one section of the chain, that is to say, do you move the wheel around and check the chain in more than one position?
I do.
Why?
All sorts of reasons, as an example; I once dropped a swing arm whilst a wheel was off the bike by accident, it had been propped up with a bit of wood whilst maintenance work ongoing, this mistake ensured the chain stretched in one part :blushing:, which gave a rocking to the bike (VFR) motion when riding, particularly noticeable at low speeds.

Still learning!

Socks

Great point Socks, checking along the chain at various points and making sure you always have the minimum slack is the only way of preventing damage from a tight chain.