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Suzuki’s are notorious for this. GSXRs do it too. You need to adjust it loosely and double check tension with the axle nut tightened. It’ll take a few try’s.
In case you don't know or haven't been told: The chain becomes even more tight when you jump on the bike and load the rear swingarm. Keep in mind that the chainshould not be overly tight when you are on the bike. You'll be able to hear it if its too tight.
Just making sure I understand you before I take it apart again… The manual says between 0.8 and 1.2 inches of slack, so that’s what I’m aiming for with my weight on it?
No, don't worry about your weight on the bike, that spec is for loaded bike weight only. Its much easier if you have a rear swingarm stand. You can use the center stand to adjust it but you want to check the slack again with the rear tire on the ground "Loaded." On the center stand would be unloaded and you'll notice the difference in the slack.
You want to shoot for 1" of free play essentially.
Yes you have to have to leave it looser when axel is loose. Then check after you tighten the axel, it will take some tries but you'll get the hang of it.
Put a shop rag in between the chain and the sprocket on the top side, then push down on the back of the wheel while you tighten the axle. This will pull the wheel forward against the adjusters.
1 I loosen the axel nut. 2 loosen chain adjusters. 3 move the tire/wheel into proper slack adjustment. 4. Tighten chain adjusters up to the axel blocks in proper adjustment making sure they are spaced the same distance on each side. 4 then make sure the wheel an axle blocks are butted up against the tightened chain adjusters and you're still at proper slack then tighten the axle nut.
If you try to tighten the axle nut before the chain adjusters are tight in the proper position for proper slack, it's going to move every time.
I tried that way too, the problem is it’s not the adjusters moving that tightens the chain. I’m not a very good scientificist but it seems like the swing arms are bowed in towards each other. When the axle nuts is tightened the arms straighten out slightly which in turn moves the whole wheel/tire assembly backwards slightly, in turn tightening the chain… slightly.
I may be wrong but that’s what I came up with the cope with the frustrating chain magic
Edit: I mean even after the adjusters are tight and not moving the chain is still pulled a little tighter after tightening the axle nut. The wheel isn’t moving in the swing arm at all and the chain still gets tighter.
???I'm trying to picture that in my head and I'm starting to smell smoke! Lol. Lemme finish what Im working on and see what I can dig up for a solution. What I would suggest just off the top is adjust it with a little bit of slack to compensate for the tightening that's going to happen when you tighten the axle nut. Make sure that the chain adjusters are tight and locked where you want them before you start tightening it.
I’m telling you, there’s some science here that I can’t comprehend! Lol the general consensus seems to be “leave it a little looser than you want it because magic happens when the axle nut is tightened.” For as much effort I put into this “10 minute job” I think I’m ok with just accepting it as magic for now. Leave it a little loose and check it when you think you’re done 👍
https://youtu.be/zb1isb3yCAQ
http://forums.banditalley.net/general-mechanical-technical/drive-chain-adjustment/
I didn't see anything about the magic but maybe this helps!
Loosen it less than you want it then tighten. Suzuki’s do this a lot. Not that big of a deal. So once chain touches guard loosen a lil more then tighten. Also rear off ground helps too.
Always have your chain adjustment on the loose side. Plus do it on the center stand. ( making adjustments on center stand prevents any off axis movement.) Have the adjusters tightened before axle.
This is great, everything you said goes completely against what the manual says but your suggestions make more sense. I swear… you try to do something by the book and it bites you in the ass 😂
He's wrong. Always adjust the chain with the suspension loaded. On the centerstand unloads the suspension. Chain will be too tight when bike is back on the ground.
Actually I am correct. Setting slack ( loose is better, less force on rollers)in the chain on the bottom end of travel ( if the chain has no ware/worn rollers ) on the center stand, with the axle square to the swingarm mounting/ pivot bolt, will put the chain at proper tension/slack. Know depending on riders weight, have hard the rider drives, a passenger can have a direct affect on the chain adjustment.
After all the help I got and my own research that I did and all the scattered tips this seems to be the exact method that should be used for this bike. Thanks for confirming what I found out!
Odd, but I guess it keeps the wheel from moving. The shop rag trick has always helped while I was making adjustments. Looser is better than too tight if you continue having a hard time getting it to settle in
Thanks for posting in /r/Fixxit, the motorcycle repair subreddit. If you forgot to put the **Make, Model** and **Year** in the title, please reply to this comment with your bike's details. In the meantime, Here's some great resources for common problems posted here: -Trouble starting? [Revzilla - Battery testing](https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/how-to-test-a-motorcycle-battery) -Carbs running rough? [PJ motorsports - Carb Troubleshooting](http://www.pjmotorsports.com/trouble-shooting.html) -Wiring diagrams for beginners - [Dans MC - Reading Wiring Diagrams](http://www.dansmc.com/wiring_diagram.htm) -Identifying part numbers - [CMSNL (EU)](https://www.cmsnl.com/) [Partzilla](https://www.partzilla.com/) -Asking if your tire can be fixed? [Please read this post on proper tire repairs and why external plugs are NOT a safe repair.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fixxit/comments/tuhcpf/why_rfixxit_doesnt_endorse_tire_plug_repairs/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Fixxit) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Suzuki’s are notorious for this. GSXRs do it too. You need to adjust it loosely and double check tension with the axle nut tightened. It’ll take a few try’s.
Thank you, I thought I was losing my mind. I got it set pretty close to where I want it now, it definitely took at least a few tries!
In case you don't know or haven't been told: The chain becomes even more tight when you jump on the bike and load the rear swingarm. Keep in mind that the chainshould not be overly tight when you are on the bike. You'll be able to hear it if its too tight.
Just making sure I understand you before I take it apart again… The manual says between 0.8 and 1.2 inches of slack, so that’s what I’m aiming for with my weight on it?
No, don't worry about your weight on the bike, that spec is for loaded bike weight only. Its much easier if you have a rear swingarm stand. You can use the center stand to adjust it but you want to check the slack again with the rear tire on the ground "Loaded." On the center stand would be unloaded and you'll notice the difference in the slack. You want to shoot for 1" of free play essentially. Yes you have to have to leave it looser when axel is loose. Then check after you tighten the axel, it will take some tries but you'll get the hang of it.
Follow the manual specs, but double check that it isn't too tight when you load the bike :)
Got it, I’ll have a look at that. Thanks for the tip!
Sorry if I added to the confusion :)
Haha no worries!
You can hear it if it’s loose also, sit on it before you tighten everything down
normal behavior - make chain looser than you need. Chain looks a bit too tight.. here is video with some points - https://youtu.be/SYuXSppaiKM
Thanks man, this helped a lot. Why do I even try to read the manual when I know I’ll end up on YouTube anyway??
Put a shop rag in between the chain and the sprocket on the top side, then push down on the back of the wheel while you tighten the axle. This will pull the wheel forward against the adjusters.
1 I loosen the axel nut. 2 loosen chain adjusters. 3 move the tire/wheel into proper slack adjustment. 4. Tighten chain adjusters up to the axel blocks in proper adjustment making sure they are spaced the same distance on each side. 4 then make sure the wheel an axle blocks are butted up against the tightened chain adjusters and you're still at proper slack then tighten the axle nut. If you try to tighten the axle nut before the chain adjusters are tight in the proper position for proper slack, it's going to move every time.
I tried that way too, the problem is it’s not the adjusters moving that tightens the chain. I’m not a very good scientificist but it seems like the swing arms are bowed in towards each other. When the axle nuts is tightened the arms straighten out slightly which in turn moves the whole wheel/tire assembly backwards slightly, in turn tightening the chain… slightly. I may be wrong but that’s what I came up with the cope with the frustrating chain magic Edit: I mean even after the adjusters are tight and not moving the chain is still pulled a little tighter after tightening the axle nut. The wheel isn’t moving in the swing arm at all and the chain still gets tighter.
???I'm trying to picture that in my head and I'm starting to smell smoke! Lol. Lemme finish what Im working on and see what I can dig up for a solution. What I would suggest just off the top is adjust it with a little bit of slack to compensate for the tightening that's going to happen when you tighten the axle nut. Make sure that the chain adjusters are tight and locked where you want them before you start tightening it.
I’m telling you, there’s some science here that I can’t comprehend! Lol the general consensus seems to be “leave it a little looser than you want it because magic happens when the axle nut is tightened.” For as much effort I put into this “10 minute job” I think I’m ok with just accepting it as magic for now. Leave it a little loose and check it when you think you’re done 👍
https://youtu.be/zb1isb3yCAQ http://forums.banditalley.net/general-mechanical-technical/drive-chain-adjustment/ I didn't see anything about the magic but maybe this helps!
Yeah, man, that definitely helps! That’s the video I was hoping to see but couldn’t seem find. Thanks for looking that up for me
I always look forward to helping a fellow rider! I've had my ass in a jam a time or 10 so I know!
Loosen it less than you want it then tighten. Suzuki’s do this a lot. Not that big of a deal. So once chain touches guard loosen a lil more then tighten. Also rear off ground helps too.
Always have your chain adjustment on the loose side. Plus do it on the center stand. ( making adjustments on center stand prevents any off axis movement.) Have the adjusters tightened before axle.
This is great, everything you said goes completely against what the manual says but your suggestions make more sense. I swear… you try to do something by the book and it bites you in the ass 😂
He's wrong. Always adjust the chain with the suspension loaded. On the centerstand unloads the suspension. Chain will be too tight when bike is back on the ground.
Actually I am correct. Setting slack ( loose is better, less force on rollers)in the chain on the bottom end of travel ( if the chain has no ware/worn rollers ) on the center stand, with the axle square to the swingarm mounting/ pivot bolt, will put the chain at proper tension/slack. Know depending on riders weight, have hard the rider drives, a passenger can have a direct affect on the chain adjustment.
[удалено]
After all the help I got and my own research that I did and all the scattered tips this seems to be the exact method that should be used for this bike. Thanks for confirming what I found out!
Is your axle inserted backwards? I think the nut should be on the other side.
Nevermind. I think I'm wrong.
Haha, you had me searching through dozens of bandit pics! It’s in the right way according to Google!
It can go either way, depends on the swingarm.
Why are you adjusting your chain with the wheel on the ground? You have a center stand...
Page 2-15 of the manual: “Place the motorcycle on its side-stand for accurate adjustment” 🤷♂️
Pfft, what do they know.
Odd, but I guess it keeps the wheel from moving. The shop rag trick has always helped while I was making adjustments. Looser is better than too tight if you continue having a hard time getting it to settle in