Chain tension adjustment

'87 Honda Hurricane (CBR600), 20k mi.

I gotta be doing something wrong, but I don't know what ...

Chain was too loose, so I loosen the big axle nut and the lock nuts
that hold the axle positioner. Adjust until there's about 1" of play
in the chain (per manual). Tighten all nuts, re-check chain play (still
OK), add a little chain lube, ride bike.

After a bit, I get this RRRRRrrrrrrRRRRRrrrrr sound thats proportional
to wheel speed. Check the chain: it's tight as the proverbial cats ass.
But so are the axle nut and the lock nuts.

So I re-adjust per above. Test ride, get same result.

It's got to be something silly ...

Any ideas?

Thx,
Puddin'

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

 

The chain is too tight and it hits the teeth of the countershaft
sprocket too high on the tooth. Loosen the chain tension a bit until
it quits growling.

 

Just a couple of further thoughts 1) the way I was taught is before
adjusting make sure the imaginary line from the drive sprocket centre
through the swingarm pivot bisects the imaginary triangle that the
chain forms, I think that is the 'tightest spot' 2) loosen loosen rear
axle nut, 3) loosen adjusters and shift axle until there's 3/4 to 1
inch play (both up and down, eg., closer to 2 inches total play) on
the bottom of the chain about half-way along its length 4) make sure
each adjuster is positioned on the same hash mark, 5) torque axle nut
- some people make a mark before loosening when they don't have a
torque wrench.


I found it's pretty easy to botch it by putting the wheel out of line
which can really twist the chain at speed or as Mark O says to adjust
it when it's not at its tightest position, which will put a lot of
stress on it at any speed.

 

Here's an illustrated how-to:

http://community.livejournal.com/motorcycles/2302750.html

 

Recalling the OP's initial comment(s):
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.motorcycles.tech/browse_thread/thread/fc4210bc77682b72?hl=en#

Could it be that the adjustment is done using some
kind of lift to elevate the rear wheel? Then, the adj-
ustment is done correctly.

But, simply returning the bike to it's rolling profile
causes the chain to tighten. The OP rides the bike,
and then returns with an overtight chain.

The whole process repeats etc., etc., etc.

 

No center-stand. I've always just adjusted with the tires on the
garage floor. Used to work OK.

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

 

Bike was pretty well maintained. Should sprockets wear out in 20k mi.?

I'd have to build a stand to fully test. Probably oughta anyway.

Anybody built a stand from wood for an old CBR600?

Or maybe just remove chain, soak in coal oil, re-condition/lube?

P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

 

Even though owners manuals may say to adjust the chain when your
motorcycle is leaning on the side stand there will be less weight on
the rear wheel than there would be if the motorcycle was standing
straight up.

You'll notice that the chain tension changes when you straighten the
motorcycle up to vertical and go to push it back into the garage or
whatever.

Then you will hear the chain making that growling noise as the rollers
hit the teeth of the countershaft sprocket too high up.

 

Yes.....sometimes. If not actually "worn out" it certainly has substantial
wear.

No. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Replace the chain and
sprockets.

 

Wrong.

Look at the FRONT sprocket. It wears out three times as fast as the
rear sprocket, if both sprockets are made of steel.

Partly right, partly wrong.

If the front sprocket teeth are unsymmetrical, it's time for new
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT sprockets and an ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT CHAIN, because
the OEM parts are made of better materials than you would get in a
cheap aftermarket kit.

 

While that is absolutely correct, the chain that comes in a kit is
usually NOT the OEM chain that new motorcycles are equipped with.

The typical chain and sprocket kit is aimed at the sporty rider who
thinks that a low friction o-ring is going to give him enough
performance edge to put him on the podium.

If I was writing for a magazine, I would get as many American made
sprockets as possible and I would get as many original equipment
sprockets as possible and I would take them to a metallurgical testing
lab and find out what the difference in surface hardening was and how
deep the hardening was...

Some American sprocket companies probably don't even bother to harden
their
countershaft sprockets, which would be more important than hardening
rear sprockets...

 

Thanks for such info.

Who makes chains, sprockets for Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki, etc?

Are their eqpt identifiable in aftermarket products by markings,
characteristics, certain brand names, etc?

P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

 

Yes, except that after you've set it that way once, you don't need to
have someone sitting on the bike ever again, when it comes to setting
the tension. It's a once-in-the-bike's-lifetime thing if you think
carefully about it.

 

Once you know what the correct tension should be, you can set it with
the bike on a sidestand, centre stand, or hanging from the fucking
rafters. It makes *no* difference, if you think about the procedure.

 

This is a rule that holds good for many parts, as it happens. But as
Mark says, manufacturers use proprietary chains, so as long as you can
find out which one Honda uses...

That said, all the major brands are pretty good.

 

This is absolute nonsense. The 'typical' chain and sprocket kit is aimed
at any rider who doesn't want to spend a fortune.

Unless you think only sports bike riders buy chain/sprox kits?

 

Um, yes, it does, by and large. Depends on the gearing, of course, but
if you've got a 14T front and a 42T rear, then you have the same amount
of power loading going through one-third the number of sprocket teeth,
and the result is obvious and inevitable.

 

Go ahead and hang any handy single shock-equipped motorcycle from the
rafters and see what happens when all the weight is off the rear tire
and then observe what happens to chain tension in the lower run of
chain as you lower the motorcycle back down until the normal static
weight is on the tire.

Write it down. Post the information to rmt.

 

The street rider looking for an economical solution to chain/sprocket
replacement is going to get half the mileage out of his aftermarket
parts, compared to the OEM parts and will wind up spending the same
amount of money, especially if he has to pay a mechanic to install the
parts twice as often.

No.

Claims that certain o-ring shapes cause less friction and save
horsepower drive the choice of many sport riders.

 

OK, here's how it's done. Set the chain tension as recommended, with
someone's weight on the seat, if that's what the manual says.

Remove person. Now measure what the tension of the chain is with them
*off* the bike, and set it to that tension for ever after. And if you
want to measure the tension with the wheels off the deck, do so - it'll
give the same result.

As for bikes where the tension is set with the bike on the centre stand
- that will be *exactly* the same as if the bike's hung from the
rafters, because when the bike is on the centre stand the rear wheel is
off the deck.

See? It's simple.

And what does single shocks have to do with it anyway? My BMW is a
single shock bike. So is my Ducati.... So is...

Single shocks have *nothing* to do with setting chain tension.

Once again, you are shown to be an ignoramus.