We've had several chain adjusting threads. The question is always: on the centerstand or no? Many manuals say yes, and that certainly is the convenient way. But without proper adjustments it is not right.
The wheel moves thru an arc as it rises and falls. At the top and bottom of the arc, it is closer to the drive sprocket than at the middle of the arc. To get a proper adjustment it must be at the middle of the arc. But that means not on the centerstand. I discovered this on my own many years ago, as I had always been taught and read to do it on the centerstand.
If you adjust it on the centerstand, then when you drop it down and put some weight on it, it will be WAY TOO tight. All that tension will be in the cush drive and the wheel bearings.
While perusing my Clymers manual i stopped at the chain adjustment section and low and behold "turn the chainadjuster nuts (sic, sb bolts) equally until the chain has .75in slack on the bottom run with the rider on the machine!"
So there it is. The way i determined to do this, as I work alone usually, was to remove the lower shocks mounts and prop the swingarm up with a bottle jack so the wheel could still spin. Raise the swingarm till it was at its furthest distance from the drive sprocket and set the chain. Reattach the lower mts, and see how much slack the chain had at the lower spot. More like 1.5 to 2". So on the centerstand, that's where i set the chain slack, knowing that with weight on the bike the chain would be at its proper slack.
And then importantly tighten the axle to 70ft lbs. Most people have never even tightened a nut that tight. If you are using the tool kit tool, you would need to stand on it (assuming you weigh 150lbs or so) to get it that tight. A 1 ft long breaker bar would need nearly half your body weight on it. Don't scrimp. IF the cotter pin hole doesn't line up, go tighter not looser.
IMO
