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looking like a dummy (again)

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Fittysom'n

Fittysom'n

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I have usually had my rear tires replaced for me by bringing the bike in. As a result, I have only had to adjust the bike's chain myself maybe a couple times in 22,300 miles.

Sooo..... my chain looks rather remarkable for it's mileage, no kinks, no obvious signs of wear on either the sprocket or chain, and I can't pinch and lift any links away from the rear sprocket. But for the last 3,000 miles I've dismissed my loose chain as "not yet loose enough" for me to take the time to tighten it. I decided that yesterday was the day to tighten it.....

Let me first suggest that I might be a bit anal, compulsive, but not quite a "perfectionist". Upon starting in on my project, I found the big nut on my axel to be MUCH looser than I thought it should be!?!??? Then I found the set screw on one side not to be cinched down?!?? What the?

So I adjusted my chain to where I thought it should be, but when I torqued the axel nut down (by hand), the chain cinched up to more than my initial adjustment!??? I must have repeated this three, maybe four times. I watched from behind as I torqued the axel nut down, and I swear to God I could see the extensions of both sides of the swingarm get closer together?!? As if there should be a spacer in that void between swingarm and wheel bearing(s). I don't remember ANY kind of spacer (on the left side, looking from behind) on my rear wheel, but I guess last night I decided to be bothered by watching the swingarm extensions tighten together and my chain increase in tension.

So this morning the bike sits out there in the garage with it's chain adjusted too tightly (with the bike on it's center-stand, I can barely push the hanging part of the chain up enough to juuuust touch the swingarm). I weigh 230 pounds, and I sport the side Givis full time.

In the meantime, I'll look for that link posted from which to buy a chain & sprocket set. I can be in denial about having to replace my chain for only so long......

But more importantly, I'm looking for some feedback from you guys about my (anal/paranoid?) observations last night with regard to my tightening & chain tension/adjustment.
Am I trying to make too much ado 'bout nothing?
 
Fitty,

The act of tightening the rear axle nut will definitely tend to tighten the chain adjustment. Why, I'm not absolutely certain. Seems like tightening the axle nut does in fact squeeze the swing arm extensions together. This squeezing of the swingarm extensions acts like squeezing a watermelon seed between your fingers. The squeezing causes the wheel to move to the rear and thus tightens the chain as you are tightening the axle nut. This is admittedly annoying as **** and can cause no end of frustration in trying to get the chain adjusted just right AND get the axle nut torqued to the correct specification.

The best solution I have found is to initially create just a tiny bit more slack in the chain than you really want. With the bike on the center stand, tighten the axle nut in multiple steps starting with 50 ft/lbs, then 60, then 72. After each tightening, beat the rear tire forward a few times with something heavy. I use a 3 ft length of 4x4 lumber. At 50 ft/lbs, the beating of the tire will cause the rear wheel to butt up against the adjusters and thereby restore your selected amount of slack. The wheel will not move much when you go from 50 to 60 ft/lbs of torque, but a little more tire beating will assure that the wheel is once again correctly positioned to give the selected chain slack. Finally, torque the rear axle nut to 72 ft/lbs and check your chain slack. With luck, it will be real close to what you want.
 
Ooooo, I LIKE your technique!

After my morning coffee, Internet, 30 minutes on the recumbent bike, stretching, showering, etc., I'm now dressed and ready to ride. I'll ride the bike gently to a local Radio Shack for some RCA plugs, returning to check my chain.... then likely use your technique to readjust it.

I've never noticed this "watermelon squeezing" on any of my other bikes in the past, but the mechanics make sense.

Thanks very much Silver', I feel a bunch better 'bout it all now.
 
I kinda sorta got use to allowing for the extra slack needed to get it close enuff. But will try the influencing it with a piece of 2x4 my next time. Thanks for the tip.
I had one other bike do this but at a total lost to remember which one of the 25 or so bikes I've had did this.
 
Reading this thread reminds me of why I will never ever again own a street bike with a chain for final drive. Thanks! :rider:
 
Also, I believe the manual states to adjust the chain with the bike on the sidestand, not the centerstand. There's more slack when the bike is on the centerstand, with the weight off of the rear suspension.

If you adjust it perfectly on the centerstand, it will be too tight when you let the bike back down.
 
sbrogden said:
Reading this thread reminds me of why I will never ever again own a street bike with a chain for final drive. Thanks! :rider:
Click to expand...

It's all wine and roses until you burn up a shaft drive, highly likely with a Beemer. At that point, a 75-dollar chain starts sounding pretty good. :lol2:
 
Tim Kreitz said:
It's all wine and roses until you burn up a shaft drive, highly likely with a Beemer. At that point, a 75-dollar chain starts sounding pretty good. :lol2:
Click to expand...

Where are you getting chain and sprocket sets for $75? And do they last further than your driveway?:rofl: Round these parts, a chain and sprocket set is close to $200.
 
One other thing that will help is when tightening the axle nut, put the wrench on it so that you are pushing on the axle rather than pulling (wrench on top, pushing forward rather than on the bottom, pulling back). Old timers technique!
 
Willie's "Old timers technique" sounds good too. I can see the added weight of the bike leaning on it's side-stand, but I've always done it on the center-stand and take into account enough slack for my wieght and the weight of the bike.

In the light of a new day, after a night's sleep, I came to my senses and didn't ride to Radio Shack on a tight chain..... I adjusted it before setting out, banging on the tire with a 2x4 and accounting for the chain tightening with the axel nut.

Bike sure runs nice with a correctly adjusted chain.....(!)
 
Yes on the 75 buck chain. My last set , sprockets and chain was about 230 from Sprocket Center. One of the lesser priced places I found.
 
I had quite a bit of slack in the rollers on my chain. Plus so limp from side to side it was touching frame parts at slow speed in corners. I forget what the old measurement was on how much droop a chain has being held sideways per foot. But, my new chain on drooped about 1/4 as much as my old worn out one did at 25,000 actual miles on it.
 
Oh Tim.... your chain and sprocket vendor knowledge is needed over here. I'm sure he'd love to find a set for $75. Actually so would the rest of us.:giveup:
 
I've had a shaft drive..an '80 Suzuki GS850g sport tourer..very similiar in makeup to our beloved Bandit. I absolutely loved that bike, put 40K+ miles on it with absolutely no problems. To be truthful if one was still available, I'd buy it again. The Bandit is the closest thing to it, and I also love it. Among the differences other than the chain, the Bandit has a stronger frame. I could actually push the 850 hard enough I felt flex (Probably from swingarm pivots).
Fitty..I also have to be careful with adjustment..it will seem to tighten up, but is normal..just give a bit more free play initially
Shotrod
 
These are great tips...I've run into the same issue spending much more time then I should trying to get the chain to stay at the same amount of play after tightening the axle nut.
 
Bill: I didn't see where Tim said sprockets were included in his chain pricing.
Fitty: Some Suzuki owners pull the axle out and insert from opposite side, which prevents the chain from tightening when axel is tightened. Also, specs say do adjusting on SIDE STAND.
Hope this helps
 
Still have not found any O-ring 530 chains for less than 86 bucks with free shipping. Who's the vender? Oh, yes, I bought a 2nd hand chain with 500 miles on it on e-bay. But, when I got it the rollers were pretty rusty so made dummy ornament with it and a couple of used sprockets on the wall of my shop. ;-)
 
wanabeguru said:
Bill: I didn't see where Tim said sprockets were included in his chain pricing.
Click to expand...

Tim Kreitz said:
Thank you. :thumb:
Click to expand...

So you guys both recommend changing just the chain and leaving the sprockets on for life? I can't say that I agree with that.

Now if we want to talk about failures, I would also like to point out that the actual bearing that fails on most BMW final drives is less than $100. So it's really about even. But if you want to talk about catastrophic failures, I can show you all sorts of pictures of chains letting loose and destroying entire engine blocks. Again, a shaft drive doesn't sound too shabby. So just which way is it going to be? We can't have our cake and eat it too. LOL
 
Whats this chain and sprockets you speak of?
100_0607.jpg


;-)
 
Tim Kreitz said:
It's all wine and roses until you burn up a shaft drive, highly likely with a Beemer. At that point, a 75-dollar chain starts sounding pretty good. :lol2:
Click to expand...

Highly Likely for a Beemer? Think not. :shame:
 
So..... why are you guys pimping off my thread?

I did chains yeeeears ago; back when a trip across the United States on my little Honda 550 SS wore the chain out before I got to California (from Boston). Not so these days..... my Bandit now has 24,000 miles and the chain & sprockets look great (???). Could it be the frequent WD-40 cleansing, the Kerosene cleaning every 10,000 miles, or the Dupont w/Teflon chain lube?

I did BMW and it's shaft for 60,000 miles..... and sold it before I had final drive failure. I liked having the blue & white marquee, but failed to buy an extended warranty.... a (not entirely unknown) final drive failure woulda broke MY bank!

My Harley (XL1200'S') had belt drive; didn't hafta do ANYTHING to it during the 40,000 miles I had the Sporty. Belt drive is wonderful!

Anyways...... I fully expect to hafta give over $225 for a sexy DID Gold chain, factory front sprocket w/buffer, and a rear sprocket. Whats to discuss? If you gotta RIDE, you gotta pay. Doing what ya love don't come cheap(ly).
:rider:
 
Sorry, Fitty. My original comment was intended in jest as a little good-natured ribbing. How it got twisted into an anal-retentive legalismfest, I'm still not quite sure.

Anyhow, I'm sorry for inadvertently shooting the wheels off your thread. I should know by now not to try to be amusing.

:thumb:
 
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