slack in the chain

Adjusted my chain today so it has 3/8 inch slack in the chain. This is well within spec, but it's much less slack than I usually do (the manual says 5 - 15 mm or .2 - .6 of an inch, and I've always stayed toward the high end of that range). I noticed that it "seemed" to shift smoother, which is what I was after. Anybody have an opinion on this? I know too tight a chain can be worse in some ways than too loose.

Keith

[Water Warrior 2]

You are probably better off shooting for the 15 mm setting. Too tight and accelerated wear will be a result.

[Easy Rider]

You are probably better off shooting for the 15 mm setting. Too tight and accelerated wear will be a result.

But if 15mm is the upper limit and you try to set it there...........excessive visits to keep it there might be the result. :??:

It is absolutely true that TOO tight is not good for a couple of reasons but I don't consider adjusting toward the low end of the recommendation to be "too tight". :cool:

[dannylightning]

i tensioned mine. i think it did seem to ride a bit smoother after i got it right.. i think i had about 1.5 inch of slack when i got the bike..i tensioned it on the low end recommendation and it seemed to be too tight. i took a ride and it just didn't feel right when i hit a big bump in the road. so i came back and gave it about three quarters of a inch slack and it rides great.

[Water Warrior 2]

i tensioned mine. i think it did seem to ride a bit smoother after i got it right.. i think i had about 1.5 inch of slack when i got the bike..i tensioned it on the low end recommendation and it seemed to be too tight. i took a ride and it just didn't feel right when i hit a big bump in the road. so i came back and gave it about three quarters of a inch slack and it rides great.
Exactly why I would shoot for the larger number. This is personal preference of course. Comes from a fear of repeating what I did to my first bike and a really tight chain.

[David Bo]

I just adjusted mine to 15mm. I think I was riding around with it too tight before (probably about 1/2 that).

[tommygun]

Hey Guys I need some help. I think I just need a new chain but wanted to check with the pros first.

Noticed some slack in my chain and went to tighten it up. problem is i am at the complete back of my axle/ rear forks (not sure of exact term). I am at the very last set of notches and the chain is still quite slack. My bike is a 2008. i bought it last June and have 14000 miles on it. The chain is just over a year only but had had it's share of miles. Do I need a new chain or am i missing something? :??:

[Sarris]

It's either worn out or the wrong chain length.

Get an o-ring chain. They retain lubrication better and are smoother and quieter than stock.

:2tup:

[tommygun]

Well, it must be worn cuz the chain came with the 2008 bike which is quite new! The o ring chain sound like a winner i guess I will have to do that. Is this standard wear (14000 miles) for a year old chain?

[Sarris]

Mine was replaced at 12k. OEM chains don't last, but with proper maintenance you could get 20k on an o-ring chain if you don't snatch on it too much.

:biggrin:

[Easy Rider]

Is this standard wear (14000 miles) for a year old chain?
They wear out because of mileage not age.
14,000 sounds about right. Do the sprockets too.....or your new chain will wear MUCH quicker.

[Sarris]

I usually change sprockets every other chain.

:)

[Water Warrior 2]

The stock chain should be an O-ring chain but not of the greatest quality. I would think the chain is due for replacement.

[dhgeyer]

The chain on my '02 is definitely an O-ring chain, and the service manual (downloaded from this site) lists missing O-rings as one of the checks when inspecting the chain.

I expect to get more mileage from my chain, as I have in the past on other bikes. Frequent cleaning and lubrication (I believe in chain wax) is essential. I think also that the Suzuki spec for slack is a lot tighter than for other bikes. I've always left an inch or so, and have been able to go for long intervals without moving the wheel. How you ride also matters, although it's hard to believe anyone wore out a chain from massive acceleration on this model!

[Water Warrior 2]

The amount of chain slack is mostly determined by the amount of rear wheel suspension travel. More travel = more slack. As the suspension compress's(sp) the slack is taken up or reduced. Learned this the hard way on my first bike. I always lean towards the maximum end of the specs now and got approx 16,000 mils out of the OEM chain on my Vstrom. Should do even better on the aftermarket replacement and new sprockets.

[Easy Rider]

The amount of chain slack is mostly determined by the amount of rear wheel suspension travel. More travel = more slack.

[Please see retraction a few posts down! Sometimes what you want to say just doesn't come out right!!] :roll:

Mmmm....well....not really, at least not on MOST properly engineered bikes.
If the geometry of the rear suspension is correct, it will effectively swivel with the front sprocket pretty close to the center point of the arc....and the slack won't change that much.
That is, the actual pivot point of the rear swing arm should be pretty close to the front sprocket.

Hell, if that were universally true, some dirt bikes would need INCHES of slack in the chain.....instead of centimeters.

[tommygun]

thanks guys I ordered a new oring chain and sould have it on by the weekend. however I was wondering if I should have gone with an x ring chain. are they worth the extra cash?

[Water Warrior 2]

thanks guys I ordered a new oring chain and sould have it on by the weekend. however I was wondering if I should have gone with an x ring chain. are they worth the extra cash?

The X-ring is supposed to be the best of the bunch. That said, I don't think a GZ really requires such an exotic chain. I doubt the GZ will be ridden at extreme speeds and produce the power that will make an X-ring chain a great buy. An O-ring chain will do the job nicely for you.
I got a great package deal on an X-ring chain and new sprockets for the Vstrom so I jumped at it. Some of my rides are a fair distance and I can cruise at speeds the GZ can't reach on a good day. I will see how well it wears over the long haul. I won't rule out going back to an O-ring chain in the future unless the X gives really long service.

[tommygun]

thanks ww please do a post after you have the data. I ride about 14,000 a year and any parts that can handle that are worth my $. My only hope is that my bike can handle that much riding.

[Easy Rider]

[quote="Water Warrior":1d5hqj5k]The amount of chain slack is mostly determined by the amount of rear wheel suspension travel. More travel = more slack.

Mmmm....well....not really, at least not on MOST properly engineered bikes.

Hell, if that were universally true, some dirt bikes would need INCHES of slack in the chain.....instead of centimeters.[/quote:1d5hqj5k]

My reply here is mostly out of line.

SMALL differences in suspension travel don't require changes in chain slack BUT large ones DO. Dirt bikes are designed with that in mind but they DO need more slack than a street bike.

Also the general recommendation is that you check the slack with the rider ON the bike......because on many it will be just a tiny bit different when the rear suspension sags.
And as long as we are on the subject, you probably should also slowly turn the wheel and look for the tightest point in the chain's travel; sometimes the sprockets are not perfectly round.
MY solution to all that, however, is to adjust it to near the middle of the recommendation and not worry about a precise adjustment.

WW - I appreciate it that you didn't react to my brain-dead ramblings before I had a chance to reconsider !!

[Water Warrior 2]

[quote="Water Warrior":1i05q1k4]The amount of chain slack is mostly determined by the amount of rear wheel suspension travel. More travel = more slack.

[Please see retraction a few posts down! Sometimes what you want to say just doesn't come out right!!] :roll:

Mmmm....well....not really, at least not on MOST properly engineered bikes.
If the geometry of the rear suspension is correct, it will effectively swivel with the front sprocket pretty close to the center point of the arc....and the slack won't change that much.
That is, the actual pivot point of the rear swing arm should be pretty close to the front sprocket.

Hell, if that were universally true, some dirt bikes would need INCHES of slack in the chain.....instead of centimeters.[/quote:1i05q1k4]

Easy, a properly engineered bike can still have lots of chain slack. Depends on the designer's overall goals. My 88 KDX 200 was considered the best small bore enduro in it's time and had about 2.5 to 3 inches of slack. There was a swing arm mounted slack controller. What it consisted of was a spring loaded arm with a plastic rubbing block to control the slack. Very effective and never a problem in it's operation. The rear wheel had 11.5 inches of travel which was a smooth ride and I used every bit of it on ocassion.
And yes there were bikes with mongo wheel travel and little chain slack. They were usually high end bikes from Europe and a lot more difficult to maintain in the long run because of their design.

[Water Warrior 2]

Easy, no problem with your last post about chain slack and stuff. Your idea of a properly engineered bike is good. The one goal for price point bikes is to produce a functional machine with clever and simple mechanisms that are trouble free. And of course we are both posting at the same time again and confusing others.

[mrlmd1]

That's good, no fighting, just kissing and hugging each other to death.
Funny thing is, almost everybody on here is right in their own way, just different perspectives sometimes, each adding a little more ingredient into the overall knowledge pie.

[Easy Rider]

That's good, no fighting, just kissing and hugging each other .....

I know where Florida IS. I might just bring you a big 'ole "kiss" !!!! :neener: :crackup

[Water Warrior 2]

thanks ww please do a post after you have the data. I ride about 14,000 a year and any parts that can handle that are worth my $. My only hope is that my bike can handle that much riding.

14,000 is more than I ride per year. Maybe you should get the X and post data for me. LOL. My first season was only a short 2000 miles which is far shorter than yours. Each year gets progressively longer and more fun filled.

[Water Warrior 2]

That's good, no fighting, just kissing and hugging each other to death.
Funny thing is, almost everybody on here is right in their own way, just different perspectives sometimes, each adding a little more ingredient into the overall knowledge pie.
"Knowledge Pie". I like that. The accummulated knowledge and bits of info from days gone by are a bonus. We all have something to share and the forum makes it all possible.