Adjusting your chain

[WhiteKnight]

Adjusting the chain on your VFR is pretty straight forward and simple. First, take out your toolkit. It has the necessary tool to adjust your chain. It is a a half moon shaped piece with a handle on it and a couple of teeth to fit it to the adjuster ring.

For ease of illustration, I removed my rear wheel for some of these pictures. The the transmission should be in neutral and the rear wheel should be on the ground for this procedure according to the service manual.

First, loosen the bolt to on the right side of the following picture. I believe it takes a 17mm socket and is torqued (at least on 3rd gen models, check local listings for your torque specs) to 40 ft-lbs.



After loosening the pinch bolt Place the spanner wrench on the onto the bearing holder.

bearing holder


Spanner wrench on bearing holder


Rotate the wrench clockwise to tighten the chain. Check tension. Slack should be .6 to 1 inch.



If you accidentally got it too tight, turn the wrench upside down and rotate the bearing counter-clockwise

After you have finished adjusting your chain, tighten the pinch bolt on torque to spec.

Your done! You have now adjusted your chain, you cna put your tools away and go wash up then hit the road.

[hotwheels]

Damn that thing is filthy. I didnt know they could get that caked up. Thanks for the pics and such.

[jethro911]

It is a bit dirty but that must be because you have been lubricating it well and riding it alot!

Here is what one looks like when it isn't getting ridden and is cleaned too much. I call it a garage queen.



I would add simply that the tension should be set with an average load on the rear suspension so if that is 200lbs or one average rider, sit on it or have someone sit on it while you check the slack.

When I went through tech inspection to take the Star School, they were insistent that we all had adequate slack in the chain. I guess for most of us it is a habit to run the chain too tight.

I had a dyno run from my first VFR that showed the peak HP in each gear and it dropped off significantly as the rear wheel speed increased. The dyno operator was confident that it was simply a tight chain.

[googus]

You said it!! When it is dirty it shows that you lube it and ride your bike and not just wash it and look at it
Greg

[vfrgrl]

My '86VFR750 needs a new chain....I want to do it myself but have no clue how or what chain to get. Or should I just let my mechanic do it? Suggestions?? Comments??

BTW...on a scale of 1-10, I'd be a "4" mechanically.

[Bubba Zanetti]

Originally Posted by vfrgrl

My '86VFR750 needs a new chain....I want to do it myself but have no clue how or what chain to get. Or should I just let my mechanic do it? Suggestions?? Comments??

BTW...on a scale of 1-10, I'd be a "4" mechanically.

If you are a 4 on the mechanic scale...just pay your mechanic!

You'll be happier, riding sooner, and have someone to blame if they screw it up!

BZ

[reg71]

I was gonna say the same thing about the chain being dirty. Thats what happens when you lube and ride... I get shit on here all the time about having a dirty bike, but my bike is rapidly nearing 50000 miles. In my defense, I like my bikes like I like my women: fast, sexy, and a little dirty when I ride 'em hard. ;)

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by reg71

I was gonna say the same thing about the chain being dirty. Thats what happens when you lube and ride... I get shit on here all the time about having a dirty bike, but my bike is rapidly nearing 50000 miles. In my defense, I like my bikes like I like my women: fast, sexy, and a little dirty when I ride 'em hard. ;)

lol
Well said reg.

[RVFR]

LOL you guys crack me up.. was going to say, whew thats a dirty one too, but you guys have all ready said it for me. Man, don't make me get a photo of how mine looks. :)

[kitty]

Thats great, we've been at a loss as to how to adjust the chain. Great that you have put in pics too. Nothing like a visual!

Kitty

[speed]

WOW! is that what that tool dose ? (ha ha)

[dickman696]

Hey, Can someone help me figure out which spanner I need t buy to
adjust the chain on my 98 VFR?

#4 or #5?????

http://houseofmotorcycles.bikebandit...OR/1998/389839

[Shinigami]

Number four, plus the "cheater bar" number 13, (though I didn't need it)- and don't forget the 17 mm wrench for the pinch bolt, OR preferably a torque wrench and socket, 54 foot-pounds for the retightening on a gen 6, check your manual for your specific gen.

[lear 31a]

Any advice on chain lube/cleaner.

[nozzle]

Originally Posted by lear 31a

Any advice on chain lube/cleaner.

Chain Lube ? & Beauty Contest

[hotwheels]

28,000 miles in a year and half and my bike is clean.


You can lube your chain, ride the bike hard and still have a clean machine.

[lear 31a]

Thanks, enjoyed the link.

[nozzle]

What do our Northern North American riders do in the cold, cold winter months you ask? NozzleNews brings you this evidence from a recent fact finding mission on the internet.....
chain.JPG
That is alot of Molson Canadian, patience, and airbrush time.

[squirrelman]

TENSION (slack) on a used chain should be checked at SEVERAL points as wheel is rotated and slack should be SET properly at the point where the chain is naturally tightest....
Used chains will be somewhat inconsistant as wheel is rotated.
Adjust the chain when it's cold (unridden) and lube the chain when it's hot.

[NorcalBoy]

The manual for my 6th Gen VFR indicates the chain should be adjusted when the bike is on the center stand....... Typically if a chain is getting loose, then tight, then loose when spinning the rear wheel - this indicates another