Chain question

[*GhostRide37]

my bikes manual says there should be about 40-50 mm of slack on the chain... in inches that is like 1.5-2in. that seems like a lot of space....how much slack do most of you allow (on your street bikes)

[butcher bergs]

I allow for 1.5 to 2 inches of movement......no kidding.

[*GhostRide37]

I allow for 1.5 to 2 inches of movement......no kidding.

really. hm, it just seems like a lot to me. thanks though

[butcher bergs]

Gotta consider what happens when your weight is on the bike and you start hitting bumps.

The more compressed the rear suspension is, the less slack you have in your chain.

Ever notice how much chain slack a dirt bike has? About 2 to 3 times that of a street machine.


Loose is fast.

[wingerdor]

They even say to leave at the max slack limit for the track, because of greater rear suspension movement than during street riding.

[butcher bergs]

So excellent it had to be posted twice!

[Nix]

Like Goodfellas...we're gonna start callin' you Winger Two Times.

[wingerdor]

you guys must be drinkin and seeing double. There's no double post

[butcher bergs]

Yeah, whatever.

[butcher bergs]

Yeah, whatever.

[Pittenger5]

Im drinkign. Course its only bud and thats close to water, so that doesnt count

[RandyO]

look at he position of you front sprocket, swingarm pivot and rear sprocket

when the suspension is settled to the point that all three are in line, the chain cannot be so tight that it binds on the front sprocket and damages the output shaft or bearings

as long as you have very slight slack at that point your ok, if you still have a lot of slack at that point, tighten it up

[OreoGaborio]

a loose chain is a happy chain

the #1 infraction during tech inspection at track days has GOTTA be a tight chain.

Like RandyO and Wingerdor said, not only does it have the potential to damage the output shaft or bearings but it also keeps your rear suspension from doing its job.

[*GhostRide37]

alright well then it sounds my my chain is just about in the right position. thanks for the feedback

[Tricky Mike]

You should see the chain on the KTM... It needs TONS of slack.
Always believe your manual. The engineers at Yamaha aren't making that shit up just to fuck with the roundeyes in Randolph... seriousry.

[RandyO]

If the bike was designed so that the front sprocket was on the same axis as the swingarm pivot, then you could run the chain taught