Topic: CHAIN ADJUSTMENT SOHC 750

[neil10]

Hey  do i do it on centre stand or on side   thks

[UnCrash]

It's kinda hard to adjust on the side, but it can be done.

Make your life easier and do it on the center stand!   

[neil10]

thks   i'm thinkinking it would be different adjustment on side then  on centre

[gpdesign]

My Clymer says to do it with a person sitting on the bike to squish the suspension. So I guess my chain is adjusted just right for my wife to ride 

[neil10]

got a spare wife

[UnCrash]

Clymer shymer.

That seems just silly.

I adjust on the center stand so that I have a little more than 3/4 of an inch of play at the chain's tightest spot.  I rotate the rear tire to determine this. 

Then I put the bike down on the side stand and double check the tension.  It usually averages about 1 inch of play which is what I look for.

That's just my process though.

[hymodyne]

a harley shop mechanic noticed that my chain was slack one day (sounds like the beginning to a bad joke) and suggested two things:

adjust the chain with someone sitting on the seat
dial in rear shocks to finish the job.

after literally two years of riding with chains that were tight when cold, slack when hot, one of which ate through my clutch adjuster pin and other bits inside the left crankcase cover when it got too loose, these suggestions have pretty much solved my chain woes. after this guy reset my shock heights, I have had very little issue with tension on the drive chain.

hym

[bryanj]

Hondas specified slack is with the bike on its wheels with a rider!

[Gordon]

Hym,

You have height adjustable shocks?

[hymodyne]

just the stair step adjuster at the bottom of the shock for stiffness. when I increased the stiffness of the shocks, the slack issues with the chain went away. sorry I misspoke about shock height...

hym

[sbc1320]

You definitely want weight on the bike. I would always do the adjustment with the bike on the side stand. When you sit on it you can double check to make sure it doesn't go too tight. Just reach down and check for slack. I would rather have a little loose than too tight.

[Gordon]

just the stair step adjuster at the bottom of the shock for stiffness. when I increased the stiffness of the shocks, the slack issues with the chain went away. sorry I misspoke about shock height...

hym

Thanks for the clarification.  That seems like a backwards way to set chain tension, though.  The spring pre-load on the shocks should be set based on rider/passenger weight and style of riding, and then the chain slack should be set to work with that set-up.  If you do it the other way around, you're probably not riding with the optimal spring pre-load.