CHAIN TENSIONING
Correct tensioning of the chain is extremely important for the safety,
efficiency, and durability of the drive. |
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Excessive chain tension
Excessive chain tensioning creates dangerous loading, which increases
the working loads between the pins and the bushings, overheating the chain
thus consuming the lubricant. This cause the chain to wear faster.
Moreover, if the motorcycle is ridden on rough roads or trails, the
chain is subjected to extremely hard shocks by the up and down lever action
of the swinging arm. This can lead to premature failure of the chain and damage
to other parts of the motorcycle
Excessive chain slack
A chain that is excessively loose is subjected to hard whiplash like
shocks during acceleration.
This adds to the force applied to the chain, causing
the chain to jump over the sprocket teeth possibly causing damage to the vehicle
or riders. |
1 First
of all, the chain must be placed at its maximum tension condition. This
condition will occur whenever the engine and wheel sprockets are at the
maximum distance from each other.
To obtain this, it is generally necessary to load the back wheel (for
example placing a person on the motorcycle) until the centers of the engine
sprocket, the swingarm pivot and the rear wheel axle have been positioned on
the same axis. The swinging arm will be parallel to the ground. |
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WARNING
The checking and adjustment of the chain tension must be done
according to the following schedule:
• For road use: initial 100 Km (60 miles).
• For off-road use: every time the motorcycle has been ridden. |
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2 After
consulting your vehicle owner's manual for details, adjust the chain
as follows: turn the tensioning bolts or cams until the lower strand
of the chain can move freely up and down 10-15 mm (.39"-.59").
Verify that the upper strand is tight, and check the slack in the
centre of the lower strand, using light hand force. For off-road
bikes it is suggested
to increase this value to 15-20 mm (.59"-.79").
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3 Finally,
tighten the rear axle, securing the rear wheel.
4 Check once more the slack
of the chain as indicated at point 2. Continue tightening the bolts and nuts
of the tensioning system.
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WARNING
There are different instructions for the tensioning procedure
from manufacturers. They are specific for the vehicle in the original condition.
Any changes to the number of sprocket teeth, or to any other components
of the rear axle (wheel, damper, tire) could cause inaccuracies in the
tensioning system. Therefore it is recommended to carefully follow the
procedure indicated above. |
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