chain slack on lowered 2002

[mark ward]

To sports fans, (not realy me.) A "SINE" could be related to a ......."WAVE".

--- On Mon, 11/19/12, revmaaatin wrote: From: revmaaatin Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Chain Slack on Lowered 2002 To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, November 19, 2012, 2:22 AM --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Michael" wrote: > > I recently purchased a 2002 that the original owner had fitted with a Kouba 2" drop link. The previous owner to me had replaced the chain and sprockets and had set the chain about where the original owner had, with about 1" of slack at rest, on the kickstand. Reading the specs, over 2" is required so I asked Norm Kouba who said I could run less as some of the slack had already been taken out by the lowering. Recommended about 1" with the Swingarm LEVEL with the output shaft. > My question: how can I check that, as I do not weigh enough to lower the swingarm to level? > And yes, it is green. > Michael > Michael- While the bike is resting on the side stand, get down next to the side stand and locate the 'black' swing arm protector on the left side of the swing arm. You can see it easily on the top of the swing arm, follow it around until you see it on the bottom of the swingarm. Push up on the chain so that the chain just touches the trailing edge of the black swing arm protector. 'In most cases' that 'rule of thumb' adjustment check will be just about right. The previous post of comprssing the shock by ratcheting down the bike with a strap will validate this rule of thumb. smile. You might have to make a small adjustmet to account for the lowered bike.... Yes, that is looser than OEM suggests, but list wisdom collected here for years suggest that OEM/owners manual chain tightness is to tight for optimum chain life and service. When adjusted to 'correct' OEM specs, if while riding you fully compress the rear shock, (and you will) the chain will be to TIGHT! and when the chain is to tight, it puts undue pressure on the counter shaft/bearing and the attendent seal. A leaking seal is usually the first indication of to tight of a chain. Another rule of thumb, when the chain is adjusted correctly, the lower side of the chain loop will have a gentle sine wave when you are traveling down the road. (You will have to swap bikes with someone to see your own bikes chain. smile) If the lower loop is vibrating rather than a gentle sine wave, DO NOT PASS GO, immediatly loosen up that chain as soon as possible! (opinion alert) oh, and keep your o-ring chain throughly cleaned with WD-40 or the Wally world Blue-Can Lubricant equivalent. Following these two suggestons should get you ~17-20K smiles out of your chain, cough, unless you follow SOME of the DSN holligans down a muddy road, then, YMMV.... revmaaatin. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]