Chain drives are an essential part of an automobile for power transmission. A chain drive is a core part for transmitting mechanical energy from one place to another.
This transmission of power helps to move the vehicle forward. Maintaining a chain in a proper tension level is a must to ensure the life of the chain drive and smooth driving operation of the Motorcycle.
Is It Safe To Ride A Motorcycle With A Loose Chain?
In case if the tension of the chain is reduced or goes improper, is it safe to continue riding without checking? No. It is not.
There are some essential factors to be considered to maintain the efficiency of the chain drive. It is necessary to check the tension of the chain and make the adjustment for every 500 miles.
Frequent checking of tension helps to increase chain life. In chain drive, chain slack is a significant problem that occurs frequently.
Let’s discuss the step by step procedure to adjust the tension of the Motorcycle in various position.
How To Adjust The Motorcycle Chain?
It can be done quickly by following the simple directions, as stated below:
Each vehicle will have its unique drive -chain slack. Only the specified level of value must be used to ensure the proper grip of the chain.
The appropriate amount of the drive-chain slack can be identified in two ways. One is by referring the user manual provided along with the vehicle.
Another way is by applying the labels pasted on the car, there will be a unique label on the chain guard indicating the value of drive-chain slack.
The optimum way is to go along with the user manual to get sufficient information. In case if you can’t get enough information, contact the dealer or service shop.
Don’t try to mess with the chain drive unless you have sufficient knowledge.
How To Adjust Motorcycle Chain Without A Stand Or How To Adjust The Motorcycle Chain On The Side Stand?
- Step 1
Ensure that your engine of the vehicle is not in operating condition. If it is in working condition, turn off the engine. Check the degree of hotness and allow some time to get neutral if overheated.
Your bike engine must be at an average temperature to carry out any operation. Trying to adjust the tension of the chain drive on heating may cause physical injury to the operator and also harms the chain drive in some cases.
- Step 2
Keep your vehicle in the position with a side stand or centre stand. If you tend to adjust the chain tension without stand, then you may need some assistance to hold the vehicle.
Make sure a person is guiding you in balancing your truck, or else you may attach your vehicle in a structured stand available in the vehicle body shop.
- Step 3
The next step is to find the exact centre point of the chain between the front and rear sprockets. Find out the distance between the full-slack position and no-slack position by pushing up on the bottom.
It may be 1.2- 1.6 inches for street bikes and 1.4-2.0 inches for slack. In other words, 30-40 mm for the street bikes and 35-50 mm for slack.
- Step 4
To change the tension of the drive chain, one should work with the bike’s chain adjuster. The axle nut can be loosened in a couple of turns.
Only the appropriate spanner must be used. If you try to operate with an improper range of wrench, it may result in unwanted wear and tear of the nuts and bolts. Once the axle nut is loose, then it will be easy to adjust the pins of the chain slack.
- Step 5
Generally, Bolts can be seen in most of the street bike and some dirt bikes to tighten or loosen the tension of the chain slack.
Adjust the bolts gently with a spanner to change the level of chain slack. Make sure that the same level of adjustment must be done on each side to ensure the proper alignment. Keep on adjusting till you reach the specified value, as stated.
Keep on improving and measuring till attaining the level, as stated in the user’s manual.
- Step 6
It is necessary to keep one thing in mind when adjusting the chain of the Motorcycle to get proper tension. i.e., the tightening of axle nut must be made in an appropriate torque by referring to the user manual.
Generally, the value may range from 60 -65 foot-pounds or 70-80 newton meters. Only the specified range must be set while tightening, to increase the life of chain slack.
- Step 7
Take a ride and feel the tension of the chain through the vibration and excessive noise to a few kilometres. Alter if you have experienced with more sound.
One more valuable suggestion I would like to put forward before the bike lovers is to clean the chain regularly even though there is no fault occurs. This helps in the removal of thick dust and exhaust particles to run out of the string in time and also to ensure smooth driving.
There are a lot of cleaning solutions that are available to clean the chain. Kindly make use of them. Get your vehicle serviced correctly in the authenticated service centre to ensure the life of the chain drives.
Some Simple Ways To Increase The Life Of Your Motorcycle Chain
- Check and lube the string in a regular period
- Make frequent lubrication
- Clean the chain with the help of a brush and chain cleaner
- Check and replace engine oil regularly
- The air filter must be cleaned periodically and to be changed on need.
You should follow the proper rules in driving, including throttling and braking of the vehicle to increase the life of the chain drives. Instant accelerations can have bad impact on the chain, accelerate in a linear manner to increase the life of your motorcycle chain.
So far, this article discusses the ways of adjusting and maintaining the motorcycle chain.
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