I've looked through my very very old service manual (falling apart) and it doesn't tell me what the notches on the swing arm means. I've tightened my chain as it was ridiculously loose and right now, I'm not sure if I keep this chain or get a new sprocket/chain set. The tension is fine now, but I know for a fact that one of those notches is the replace chain warning. I just don't have that sticker on it...anybody know which line/notch is the replace chain indicator? Thanks!

 

If your bike was previously installed a 520 conversion kit...those notches don't mean nothing on the swingarm...

Is your sprocket teeth sharp? If it's pointy enough, that it feel sha

 

that it feels sharp...replace them. Take some photo and post them here, members will chime in...

 

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520 wouldn't have any more or less bearing on the location of the notches in the indicator. A stretched chain is the same on a 520 as it is a 530 - they're still the same distance from pin to pin. (5/8ths inch - that's what the "5" in a chain size refers to. The 20 25 or 30 is read as 2.0 or 2.5 or 3.0, and refer to the width of the chain in eighths of an inch.)

The adjuster isn't but about halfway back in the slot, but I don't know where it was when you installed the chain.

Can you post a pic of the teeth on the sprocket straight on from the side? Pretty worn sprockets will have a "lean" to the teeth instead of a uniform "U" shape.

This was my badly worn front sprocket when I bought the bike from the DPO.

 

^^^^ Agreed, although on my 520 i don't even reach my knotches my chain is that damn short

 

Shorter wheelbase...lightning-quick turning!!

 

+ 1 on adrenalnjunky's comments - the "5" denotes the "pitch" of the chain, and the width has nothing to do with stretching, though a narrower chain will wear/stretch faster, simply because there is less surface being used to transfer power to the rear wheel.

Also, like he said, the key is knowing how far the chain has stretched, since originally mounted - the marks on the chain adjuster can help you determine if that distance is too far or not, but only if you knew they're original location relative to the swingarm. The sticker only helps in determining when an OEM chain should be replaced, which I think is what estate4life was getting at.

 

Thanks for all this info! I didn't know squat about chains until this post

I moved the tensioner/adjuster back so I have no clue where the original setting were :0 I'll take pictures directly from the side once I get off work. Thanks!

 

just make sure you have about .75" to 1" of give in the chain, measured at the middle of the bottom span.