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Those statements don't contradict each other. Are you confused about that? If so, we need to clear that up first thing. When your suspension is maxed out is when there will be the least amount of slack in your chain. If your shock is toast, you'll be hitting that more often. Either way, don't overtighten your chain. That's what kills it.
For someone who puts hours and hours of thought into how much it costs you in toothpaste each time to brush your teeth, you sure don't get simple concepts. Have 3 fat chicks sit on your bike. Feel the chain tension after you have just "adjusted" it. Is it tight? BOOM. That was your problem.
You were washing out all your lube with WD40. Don't do that all the time. Every once in a while to get the buildup off your chain, fine. 2x a season max. But realize that when it dissolves the old crud on there, it is also dissolving the lube in your chain. It can and will get past o-rings. Not a lot, but enough to make a difference eventually, especially if you do it all the time. I use it to clean the chain once a season. Is it lube? Yes, but it's too thin to do anything. Same as diesel fuel being slippery. Technically it can lubricate something, but you don't use heavy axle grease in your engine. Different weights for different uses. While it is a lube, it is also a solvent. Keep that in mind.
Why a grunge brush? You ride a FZR600. Your fiancee obviously isn't concerned about you being on a good looking bike. Let it get gummy and full of old lube. She won't mind. She may even be into it. Heck, she may have a hippo hands old chain lube fetish. Either way, it'll be ugly, but mechanically sound. If you rode off-road, then it would be a different story. Grunge brush it once a year MAX. If you want to have a pretty chain/rear wheel, then fine, but make sure you compensate for reduced chain life in your ever cent accounted for excel spreadsheets ruling your world.
My guess is that your suspension is toast and under-dampened. You are reaching max articulation in both directions pretty often which is putting tension on your chain that is set without accounting for weight of rider on bike. I had this same situation with my first street bike. I weighed 115lbs. A spent shock doesn't care how light you are. Time for a shock, broheem.
Or, take that money and just get a god damn SV or anything else somewhat modern. You want to upgrade anyways. Yes, it is an upgrade and in the same price range as the junkers you are looking at. Don't go down the RM125 road for a street bike.....
Last edited by TheIglu; 12-18-13 at 12:46 PM.
2021 KTM Duke 890 R
2020 BMW R1250GS Adventure Exclusive
1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport
I'm not sure if this idea is right but it sounds good in my head. if the rear shock is totally junk then when you hit the gas the chain gets pulled on really hard very suddenly in one spot rather than spreading the load through the whole chain. so both of their ideas can still work together.
is it just your adjusters moving?
LRRS Am #331
Graphic Tailor / Woodcraft / Armour Bodies / Suomy / Cycle Performance Autobody / Shorai / ChickenHawk Racing
ok, so I buy this - pretty low compression damping (and I believe PK told me this when he looked at my bike back in '09-'10 for a TTD), shock hits maximum compression more often and more easily, and yanks on the chain
so how about I just leave it on the loose side??
then grunge brush once/year..."clean" 1-2x/year...then just lube every couple weeks
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1994 Yamaha YZ250 CA Street Legal 2-smoke :smoke:
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If your chain is adjusted to the correct slack, the state of your shock will have no impact on it's wear as your chain will never overtighten even at full travel.
that's the weird part...it's "supposed" to have 1/2" up and 1/2" down (which should account for full travel)
so when I set it for 1/2" up/down, when I go to measure it after riding it, it's 1"+
Last edited by breakdirt916; 01-01-14 at 09:57 AM.
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are your adjusters moving?
LRRS Am #331
Graphic Tailor / Woodcraft / Armour Bodies / Suomy / Cycle Performance Autobody / Shorai / ChickenHawk Racing
no
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this is what I was thinking...even if it is underdampened and hitting full travel in both directions, doesn't chain slack account for that?
and even if...
...I'm hitting max articulation more often, won't a looser chain account for that?
also - let's say I just run a little more chain slack, does a looser chain (more than the 1/2" up/down...closer to 1" up/down) run the risk of hopping off/locking the rear/breaking off the tips of sprocket teeth?
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1994 Yamaha YZ250 CA Street Legal 2-smoke :smoke:
Max chain tension does not typically happen when the suspension is maxed out.
Max chain tension typically occurs when the front sprocket, swingarm pivot and rear sprocket are in a straight line with each other. I do not have a link to the instructions however I have read instructions on setting up a dirtbike's chain slack where it was indicated to remove the rear shock and line the front sprocket, swingarm pivot and rear sprocket up so they are in a straight line, supporting the wheel through any means necessary, then adjust the chain slack to the reccomended factory amount of slack and then reinstall the shock. If done properly the only thing that should "stretch" your chain would be wear on the rollers caused by either lack of lubrication or excessive power/shock loads.
Joel
hmm...it does get "tighter" when I sit on it...that might be when everything's lined up
so won't I be good if I adjust the chain slack to when I'm on the bike and it's tightest?
oh yeah...and I also maxed out my pre-load sometime in the last 3 years...does that have an impact?
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1994 Yamaha YZ250 CA Street Legal 2-smoke :smoke:
It should take more than you sitting on it to get it to it's tightest point. That'll be when the front sprocket shaft, swingarm pivot bolt and axle bolt all form a straight line.
The MFG's suggested slack should be correct.
Fat bitches. Really.
2021 KTM Duke 890 R
2020 BMW R1250GS Adventure Exclusive
1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport
your mom said she couldn't make it...
Kurlon - it's literally 3 days from when I have it adjusted to the OEM specs for tension that it loosens up a lot...that's why I'm suspecting the under dampened suspension is just jerking it out
I'll post some youtube videos...it's a bit unusual
Last edited by breakdirt916; 01-14-14 at 04:01 PM.
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garrett! all excellent deals, much thank you...but I don't see myself heading back to the east coast anytime soon...but again, you are a gentleman and a scholar, thank you for your efforts.
mine still seems to be running...she spits black smoke during warm up (placing a white piece of paper shows a collection of black soot)...
but I put the lower fairings back on and cleaned her up...pics before the birds poop on it!
she's so puurrrrty...I wish she would just live forever!
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OE yellow FZRs are sharp
Burning oil or leaky carbs? Could also be a dirty air filter. Any vehicle can last forever if it's maintained, just a matter of how much money you want to put into fixing it. When people have those million mile cars I doubt they've gone so without some major repairs and a lot of miles/year(keeps everything from rusting/drying out).