Hi guys, I just changed the rubber on my f4 and took my wheels off and put them back on to do it (1st time). I put the chain adjustment ***** on the swingarm to 4 on both sides....the chain seems a bit tight but I am not sure. It comes up about an inch when I push my finger up on it but hardly anything at all when I push down. Does this sound about right?

I took it for a quickie test drive and the bike pulls right when I take both my hands off the handle bars at slow speed...is this normal? (I guess I have never tested that way before).

 

Whats up Bob, you want to test the lower part of the chain in the middle of the length from sprocket to sprocket. Push it up toward the swingarm, it should move about 1"-1.25". As far as the bike pulling to the right, with everything else constant, it could be that most roads are crowned, roadway peaks in the middle and drops off toward the outside edges /-\

 

Indeed...it could have been the road, I thought that myself; although the sudden jump of the bike off to the side the couple of times I took my hands off the bars made me concerned. I am at 1 inch movement in between the sprockets so I guess I am ok. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

If its a sudden jump it sounds like the wheel is misaligned. A crowned road is more of a gradual veer.

You should have just a bit more slack than "about 1 inch' or it can cause excessive wear on your chain and sprockets. Try to get it to a measured 1 1/4, just eying it up 1st time could mean it is too tight.

 

Yes, I prefer a somewhat slacker chain than one inch too ... what you also have to be careful of is tight spots and all chains have them ... even new bikes when you do the chain adjustment you will find the chain slighter tighter in some areas than others ... theoretically a new chain should not have tight spots but every new one I have had has been tighter in some places than others ... now if you have inadvertently tightened the chain to say one inch on it's slackest bit it could be very tight elsewhere, so turn the wheels and find the tightest point, the bit where the chain moves up and down the least and do the adjutment at this point. ...that is the accepted method of chain adjustemt, remember a chain that is slightly too loose is better than one that is a little tight and it's not just wear and tear on the chain and sprockets but you are putting stress on the gearbox output shaft bearing too ...

Jules

 

One way I've been aligning my rear lately has been by observing the chain position on the rear sprocket. Get it so that the chain stays centered when the wheel is spun, and you should be good.

 

I did rotate the wheel when checking the chain and it was an inch or so all the way around.....but I will pull out a measuring tape and make sure I am closer to 1 1/4 now (sounds like too tight is worse than too loose which is new to me).

Whiteknight, when the rain stops here (tomorrow) I will try my bike on a flatter road. More than just a veer off to the side would mean the tires were not balanced properly? I am pretty sure my rims are good (they look to be in good shape and my bike only has 12k on it).

 

Well, too much slack can cause jerkiness when getting on the throttle, but that's only when there's more than I'd say 1 1/2 inches it gets noticeable. But yes, too little will cause more damage for the most part.

As far as the veering goes, no, not imbalanced but misaligned. Meaning your rear wheel is not pointing perfectly straight. Give it a good once-over before taking it back out on the road.

When you check the veering see if you can try on a 2-lane+ road. Ride in the left lane where it crowns the other direction and see if it veers equally in both lanes. Check your tire pressures too, the wrong pressure can cause exaggerated influence from road undulations.

Maybe you just found a ridge or lump in the road, but doing those checks will keep you safer and give you better peace of mind

 

No, its not normal, your bike should steer fairly straight. It will never stay 100% straight just because you being off center by a tiny bit will cause it to move 1 way or another. Make sure your wheel is aligned properly.

As for the chain.. A smiling chain is a happy chain Better to have too much sag then not enough. I do about 1.5 inches of movement. If you have too little sag in the chain, you could do a lot of damage.

 

Thanks for all of the info guys, this is great.

I am going to put my bike on the rear stand tonight and check the alignment of the rear wheel; something I did not think about when I put it on as I assumed the axle going through would automatically make it straight....no? Am I basically eyballing it to make sure it is straight or is there some method for ensuring straightness?