I will be replacing the cam chain tensioner soon, just waiting for it to arrive in the mail. The procedure seems very straight forward except for a lack of space. My question is, do I need to remove tension from the original CCT (screw adjustment) before removal or simply go ahead and unbolt it?

 

You can just unbolt it.

Having done this twice in the last two years, I highly recommend pulling the throttle bodies! The first time I changed it, I did not. It was... frustrating, to say the least. Getting the tb off was tedious, i.e. lot's of wiggling back and forth (pro tip: heat the rubber up with a hair dryer or heat gun!) but made for a much easier CCTL process. Plus, you can see if your tb needs a cleaning or not!

 

You could remove it without removing tension, but according to the service manual you should remove the tension first to avoid damaging the cam chain. I do see it also putting some stress on the threads if you don't remove tension first. I've always done it by the book but I suppose it's up to you how fastidious of a job you want it to be.
Highly agree with Doc Samson about removing the throttle body. It only takes one attempt to realize with all that time you spent trying to contort your hand / tools into 3 different angles, dropping your tool into the bay, and getting your hands all scratched up, you could have removed the throttle body twice over!

 

Good points!

 

Thanks everyone for the input. I was able to find the procedure in my version of the service manual and it suggested turning the adjustment screw clockwise all the way and removing tension. However, all the video tutorials I found never mentioned it and those folks just went in there unbolting stuff. I've seen a lot of people showing different methods and combinations of extensions and wobbly bits to try and reach the CCT without removing the throttle bodies. I'll take my time and remove the throttle body to access it, I'm not in a rush and still under COVID lockdown.

 

You are not putting any stress on the chain regardless of how you remove it. Either way, whatever you do, removes the amount of tension being applied to the chain. The cctl doesn't actually touch the chain FYI, it pushes on a plastic block that touches the chain.

 

If u didnt have this issue before, most likely something you touched. If it runs fine in neutral, its most likely something with the safety system. Did you touch or could have touched the clutch sensor/ kickstand sensor? I would start from double checking those first, bypass if necessary and test

 

Did I go crazy or you deleted your update? Hope u sorted it out

 

Yea, I'm not sure what happened there as I was editing my update post. I'm going to check tomorrow, the kickstand sensor or something related makes sense so I'll start there. Thanks.

 

I think you were correct regarding the kickstand sensor. Unsure why it happened but I went back to the bike and everything seems fine. A day before doing the CCT installation I did give the bike a thorough cleaning, lots of engine degreaser and steam cleaning. I may have been a little too liberal with the steam around the area as it was caked in grease and dirt.