Chain Tension Setting

[RedMenace]

Any idea on the torque settings for the locking bolts? Does the wheel spindle need to be loosened?



Not wishing to put any more fuel on the fire of this debate on suspension but as someone said earlier the chain slack should be the same for any load. The preload adjustment is there so that the static sag of the suspension can be set. The ride height should be kept the same irrespective of load.



Bob

Indeed! And too much preload will simply bind the spring. Which is why to set my bike up properly for the wide variety of loads and road surfaces I inflict on it with my sidecar, I really need a different shock and spring.But I am am too cheap to do that just now.

     what our friend from St Leonards on the Sea and I were discussing(and, remarkably, for all the hullabaloo, we seem to agree upon), is that the tension does change throughout the arc the swingarm describes.



My manual states the torque spec for the eccentric pinch bolts as 35Nm. It is probably a good idea to pay some attention to that as there have been reports of cracked swingarms which Triumph has laid to overtightened pinch bolts.

You shouldn't need to loosen the axle spindle to adjust this.

I put a stripe of nail polish across the eccentric and swing arm after it is snugged down so I can tell at a glance if it has slipped during use.



By the way another way to compress the suspension(one I haven't tried) is to use a ratcheting tie down strap over the seat and around the wheel (or to floor hooks) to snug it down

[Badger]

Cheers for the info Red Menace.



Bob

[Guest]

[

What I was getting at, and if you look at a Steamer, you will see that I am not far off the mark, the swing arm and sprockets line up about the way you recommend at near full compression .

I wasn't recommending anything. I was stating a fact :-



The chain will be at its tightest when all three are in line.



I went on to say that; that is why manufacturers give a different method of checking the tension because it is unlikely that you'll achieve that position on the side stand.



Any slack in the chain does, however, have to accomodate the maximum length at this "in line" position even if it is at full compression.



See we are actually agreed on this point.

[Chris Canning]

Hi Gents



BT's ranting and raveing has distracted things a little!!!,when you read the Tiger hand book it's full of disclaimers,but never says a thing about setting chain tension for one up or two,as i do most of my rideing two up,what little i do one up,just put up with chain a little loose,but you certainley will not get away with it the otherway round.



Bob What i forgot to say,was after setting your chain tension,get on the bike and lean down and check with your hand,if you think that sounds a pain,try it two up with a fully loaded bike,if you want to alter the preload etc,just means checking the chain again,when you've done it a few times it can be done in seconds,in fact i bought a spare 12mm allen key for when i do it at home saves the hassle of takeing the seat off,and getting the tools out.



Chris

[Badger]

Just in case anyone is interested I set the slack to 50mm midway between the sprockets with the bike on the centrestand. Now when I sit on the bike a lean down it feels just about right.



Bob

[Chris Canning]

Hi Bob



Just in case you haven't already done it,now you have set the chain tension(don't get carried away with how many mm,just that it feels right) get someone to sit on the back,and check the tension again,you'll get some idea how much difference it makes.



Chris

[Badger]

Hi Bob



Just in case you haven't already done it,now you have set the chain tension(don't get carried away with how many mm,just that it feels right) get someone to sit on the back,and check the tension again,you'll get some idea how much difference it makes.



Chris

Thanks for the advice Chris. I'll try that when the missus gets home. I wasn't so much worried about how many mm except that once I got the feel right I wanted to know how much slack there was when on the centre stand so that I could reproduce it in the future.



Bob

[RedMenace]

[

What I was getting at, and if you look at a Steamer, you will see that I am not far off the mark, the swing arm and sprockets line up about the way you recommend at near full compression .

I wasn't recommending anything. I was stating a fact :-



The chain will be at its tightest when all three are in line.



I went on to say that; that is why manufacturers give a different method of checking the tension because it is unlikely that you'll achieve that position on the side stand.



Any slack in the chain does, however, have to accomodate the maximum length at this "in line" position even if it is at full compression.



See we are actually agreed on this point.

I knew you weren't "recommending" anything-I thought about editing that line but it proved cumberson and I didn't choose to spend the time-I figured anyone but a nitpicking twat would understand my meaning :?

It seems our real difference here is I was trying to describe how one might actually check the chain tension, rather than rely upon what some engineer had come up with

 

You went on to say"... that is why manufacturers give a different method of checking the tension because it is unlikely that you'll achieve that position on the side stand."  

I agree with you here as well( Damn! I HATE saying that )  And all I was saying was:

a) the method and spec given in my manual results in an excessively taut chain  

 b) If you load the bike or otherwise compress the suspension you can approximate the alignment of the swing arm and sprockets at maximum distance and so check your chain at or very near the tightest point in the swingarm arc.



Were I a more generous person I would ignore the insulting tone you took and admit that, perhaps, my suspension is imperfectly set up. But I am not, so SOD OFF! :P

 

I think Badger has the right idea-once you have determined how much slack you want in the chain, remeasure it on the centerstand or sidestand or however is convienient for you so you can easily check and set  the tension in the future.

   

Honestly, I usually just lift the bottom run of the chain with the toe of my boot to spot check the chain tension. I do check it more carefully whenever I actually adjust it and before and after a long or dirty ride, but generally I am pretty casual about it. Of course, here in the degenerate colonies we still measure in inches, superstitously mistrusting the metric system as a vile invention of the French...

[NortonCharlie]

When I got my chain adjusted right, I cut a board thst just fits between the chain and the swingarm at about the midpoint with it on the centerstand.  To ajust the chain now I just slip the board (good hardwood) in swing the eccentric up tight and torque up the eccentric bolts.  I also check to make sure I have the chain at it's tightest point.  I adjusted my chain according to the manual for about a year before I figured out that it was way to tight.  That 1st chain really stretched funny.  It got to the point were I had over an inch difference in slack between the tight point and the loose point.

[Howlin]

Good idea Norton! :)

[RedMenace]

Hi Gents



....when you read the Tiger hand book it's full of disclaimers,but never says a thing about setting chain tension for one up or two,as i do most of my rideing two up,what little i do one up,just put up with chain a little loose,but you certainley will not get away with it the otherway round...





Chris

Hi Chris!

I beleive Badger and others are correct in observing:"...the chain slack should be the same for any load"

If you ride two up, particularly if your suspension is not set up for the additional weight(eh BT?), you will spend more time at the tighter end of the swing arm travel and so will notice the chain being tighter more easily. If it is too tight it will get hot and your shifting will be notchy and you might even wreck your transmission. You don't want that. But even riding solo, you will be inflicting stress on your chain and transmission when ever you compress the suspension on bumps and accelerating and such. So you want to determine the proper slack and set the chain up the same regardless of the load you are carrying.

What you want to change for two up riding is your suspension set up. I believe Black Tiger is itching to start a thread regarding suspension tune. I, for one, am looking forward to his insights. No, really, I am. Suspension tuning can be confusing for two wheels and it is even moreso with three. Somebody who has an inkling, start a thread!

[Chris Canning]

Hi RM



I have to say old chap you certainley have a British sense of humour!!!,for a Colonial!!!! to use the word Twat Hmmm very understanding!!.



On less important things!,i can remember setting of on holiday on my first 900i,20 miles down the road thinking,shit there's something wrong here!!,pulls up tell wife'y to stay on the bike lean down check the chain,it's like a banjo string,and i'd only checked it before setting off,re-ajusted it and did 3000 miles in the next two weeks without touching it again,it's the first time i'd ever had that problem,haveing said that i'd been rideing Jap bikes for the previous 31 years,and hence why i delved into it more.



As for suspension??? i just use one of those cheapo Ohlins!!!



Chris

[Guest]

As for suspension??? i just use one of those cheapo Ohlins!!! Chris

And if you used the pre-load adjustment on it when you carry the wife to restore the correct ride height, you shouldn't have to adjust the chain.

[Guest]

It seems our real difference here is I was trying to describe how one might actually check the chain tension, rather than rely upon what some engineer had come up with

Well here's my method :-....oh, I always do it on the centre stand.



Push the chain upwards in the centre of the lower run, and if the chain JUST touches the plastic chain guide underneath the front of the swingarm then I find it just right.





Oh! And by the way. Without engineers and designers, you wouldn't have a bike to ride. So pay attention. You might learn something useful.

That's all I'm TRYING to do ; dispell misconceptions and put people right. Of course, if you want to go through life doing things wrong and wondering why things break, carry on as you are.

[Brock]

I say chaps...calm down. No need to take these discussions so seriously. I know from experience how personally some folks can take other folks opinions. Lets have a big hug eh?