It's time to tighten my chain and i was wondering what worked better. side stand or rear stand. And if side stand whats the reason that it is better then on a rear stand

 

When you put the bike on the rear stand, there is no weight on the tire/suspension.

You need to adjust the chain on the side stand because as the suspension travels up, the chain will get tighter.
A tight chain is worse then a loose chain anyday. If you are adjusting the chain on the rear stand, by the time you (and maybe a friend) hop on the bike, your chain will be humming tight.

 

unless I am completely wrong, all the weight that will be on the rear suspension will be on it, even on the stand. the stand picks the bike up on the swing arm.

 

I got told the best way to adjust a chain was to have two people... the normal rider with whatever weight they normally carry sits on the bike like it is being ridden and the other one checks the desired amount of play is in the chain... adjust until satisfied...

 

You're not completely wrong ... but it does affect chain travel if you use a rear stand. I like to adjust the chain on the rear stand simply because it's easier. I usually give it about 1/2" extra slack over what's recommended and when it's back on the side stand it's within spec.

 

how do you guys measure the slack in the chain. do you move the tire so the top of the chain is tight, and measure the slack on the bottom. thats how i do it (while it's up on regular jack stands (bike stands coming in this week)), and i usually leave 1.5-2 inches of total slack (meaured from where the chain would be had it been taught.) any less it's real tight, but any more the chain seems rediculously loose (maybe it isn't?)

 

If I recall, the service manual calls for adjustments minus rider and gives the measurement range. It is not specific about side/ rear stand. At the shops they routinely adjust while veritical in a front brace.

 

so when do you guys decide it's time to tighten the chain. My book says that a proper chain adjustment is 1-1 3/8. So do you adjust it if it's only 1 4/8 (1 1/4) or do you wait. The book also states that if the chain is loser than 1 15/16 than it could cause damage to the frame. So when do you guys brake out the tools. Do you wait till it gets up to an 1 3/4 or do it if it's an 1 5/8. I always hear that its better too loose than to tight so whats considered way to loose

 

when you push the bottom of the chain up and down, the front sprocket will rotate to take any slack out of the top of the chain so manually rotating the tyre isnt necesssary...

 

If the chain is tight it will not allow the rear suspension to travel. Tighten the chain on the rear stand with someone close to your weight sit on the bike. You dont have to get too technical but a good rule or thumb is to allow 1.5 - 2 inches of slack while someone is one the bike. This will allow the suspension to travel as it is supposed to. Also to make sure the wheel is on straight and not cocked, measure from the back adjustment blocks to the end of the swingarm with a 6 inch ruler (precision ruler) you can get this at a home depo or sears. That way you can be sure that the measurment will be the same on both sides. I use the millimeter side of the ruler and you will be surprised on how far off some peoples wheel is out of line.