Chain Tension Revisited (06 Tiger)

[geoff]

A couple of weeks ago I took my 06 Tiger in for a routine service (1year old) at my local Triumph dealer. Since that service I had noticed a dull clicking sound from the area of the chain when pushing the bike forwards and more noticeable when going backwards. The sound was not regular and it would happen more on some occasions than others. Yesterday I checked the chain tension according to the handbook and it had 35mm slack and it felt tight. The bike was on the side stand, unloaded, pre-load adjuster on position 2. The handbook recommends 35 to 40mm slack. I have checked other threads and I can confirm that the Triumph handbook chain adjustment specs are no good and think that a more realistic tolerance might be 40 to 45mm. I increased the slack to about 42mm and the strange clicking sound has now disappeared :D

If you had the rear suspension preload on 4 or 5 this raises the back of the bike to full extension when unloaded on the side stand and a good adjustment might be more like 45 to 50mm slack.  

I think part of the problem may be that it is extremely hard to accurately measure 35mm slack. If you tighten the chain to the point were there is no real chain slack it is still possible to move the chain about 35mm with application of some force. I guess if one has the correct delicate touch it might be possible to adjust to a figure as low as 35mm, but the risk of over tightening is very great as seems to happen quite often with Tigers.

[jaak]

my freakishly long legs allow me to check the chain slack while shock is half-way compressed: I sit my butt on the very back of the passenger seat (no sidestand, no centerstand), support myself with toes as lightly as I can and reach down to check the slack. It has to be about 10-15 mm at that point. I do some jumping/rocking motion to get the shock compress even more. You feel immediately when the chain is too tight - you hit an abrupt stop in your downward motion, instead of a cushion of being stopped by the spring.
Unless you have 36'' legs, this wont work for you. But you can get a buddy sit on the back of the bike compressing the shock as you are checking the chain.

[Stretch]

Unless you have 36'' legs, this wont work for you.

Crap.  You think my 37's will work then?  :mrgreen:

[Tama's Tigre]

I had the same maladies you did.   My idiot dealer overtightened my chain during it's first 600 mile service.  Better a bit too lose, than a bit too tight. You need to learn to intuitively eye-ball the slack.  For us Americans, it's about a couple inches.  It's worked for me for 6,000 wonderful problem free miles  :D

[jaak]

Crap.  You think my 37's will work then?  :mrgreen:

 :lol:
My commiserations! I have hard enough time finding pants that are long enough. You must be into custom tailoring..
What kind of riding pants do you use? My cold weathers are Fieldsheer Adventure, they make them in "long", which are about 2'' shorter than I'd prefer. Hot weather Olympia AirGlides are way short..