Hey guys, check out this video of the slack in my bike chain. Just want to make sure I am right that this doesnt look normal and that I need to tension my chain. Im a bit nervous about doing it as I dont want to mess up my alignment. Let me know what you think!

ZX-14 Slack Chain Video

* Last updated by: retsam on 5/5/2012 @ 3:42 PM *

Look on the Service manual posted here...I think there may be one?'Periodic Maintenance' chapter....'final drive'.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/5/2012 @ 7:58 PM *

Pretty hard for me to tell by looking at a chain in motion.

What I do to check chain slack is
1) put the bike on a swingarm stand, slowly rotate the rear wheel feeling the chain tension on the bottom run. There will be a tight spot. Position the wheel so that the chain is at the tight spot.

2) Use a 15" steel ruler set behind bottom and top run of chain. The belly pan makes a great place to set the ruler so it stays in place.

3) pull the top run up tightly, then release it. This will pull the excess slack out of the bottom run. I do this every time I measure just so the tension is consistent.

4) Pull the bottom run down. I do not pull hard. Maybe ~3 lbs pressure. Measure the distance the chain travels. If you want to remeasure this, do the top run tug first as in step 3 so the tension in the bottom run is consistent.

5) Push the top run up, measure. Again, just about 3 lbs pressure. if you want to recheck the top run slack measurement, give the bottom a quick tug first so that the tension in the top run will be consistent between measurements.

6) Add the travel measurement from the bottom run to the travel measurement of the top run. Should be between 1.5 and 1.3 inches. Loser is safer than tighter.

A little too loose is better than a little too tight. My busa chain had twice the recommended slack and it was nowhere near coming off the sprockets. It felt a bit jerky at times, maybe but it would have to be very loose to come off the sprockets I think. Too tight and the chain will stretch when the rear suspension compresses as you go over a big bump. It could also break if it stretches too much and then it obviously will also come off the sprocket(s) destroying your engine or locking your rear wheel.

I have 1.75 inches slack right now on the 14 and I intend to tighten it up a bit tomorrow. This will prolly require a very small adjustment. Perhaps just 1 flat to 2 flats turn on the hex heads of the chain adjuster screws. You do not turn them much at all. It is amazing how much the chain tightens with a very small adjustment.

The reason I take the measuremnets from both runs and add them is because if you pull and push on the bottom run to take the whole measurement as suggested in the SM, you will find it impossible. The chain hits the swingarm chain guide and you don't get he full range. Same thing happens if you try to use just the top run.

Final tip, expect your chain slack to tighten up about 1/4 inch more after you torque the axle nut. I think the swing arm squeezes together and pushes the wheel back a tiny bit more pulling the chain tighter.

Whenever you estimate in adjusting or measuring, go more toward LOOSE.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/5/2012 @ 11:10 PM *

Over the years I have never seen a type of chain that needed to be adjusted less than the X ring type. Got over 30K miles off the OEM chain on my 08 and put a new one on anyway even though the old one was still in spec. I had to make 3 or 4 very small adjustments over that time. I usually make alignment adjustments by eye using the markers on the swing arm and back it up with a set of vernier calipers. Just keep it clean and lube it after the trip while it is hot.

If you don't have enough slack in the chain it will affect yoiur rear suspension travel and not allow it to work well.

If you removed the rear shock, sent the swing arm up its arch, you would then set the [tight spot] 1.3 inches or whatever the book specs are.

Say you were on the daytona banking. The whole bike bottoms out. The shock compresses. You want that 1.3" is of slack under that load, or that bounce into that pot hole.

Looks kind of loose to me.

Way too much slack!! Tighten it up...use a micrometer to measure the inside distance where the adjustable bolt and lock nut are located..make it the same on each side....use 1/2 inch verticle of chain movement at mid-point on chain.

^^^The micrometer tip is golden but 1/2" chain slack? Books specs 1.3" 1.5" I would never go tighter than that.

I never knew how great it was not to have to bother with a chain. It is great.... I just wipe the rear wheel off with a damp cloth now, to get the road grime off.

I always adjust to about 1 1/4" up-and-down play in the center of the lower run with the weight of the bike on the wheels. Daytona banking and shaft drives notwithstanding, if you have someone ride along beside you, your chain will be tight on the top run and loose enough on the bottom to show a slight kink as the chain approaches the sprocket. This shows there's enough slack that nothing binds and not too much that it slaps and flops around.

This might help you become familiar with adjusting the chain. It stops stretching as rapidly after a few thousand miles. I think my OEM chain required less tightenning after ~7000 miles. The EK ZZZ chain I put on two winters ago has only required tightenning after ~7000 miles.

DRIVE CHAIN SLACK ADJUSTMENT

axle alignment is not any big deal. You just use your best judgement or the micrometer trick mentioned above sounds like about as precise as you can hope to get. The fact is, there is never any guarantee that any of the reference points used to measure /align the rear wheal are the same on both sides of the bike. My ajuster blocks are not identical if you need to use them to measure .5mm. Who'se to say the axle block slots are the same distance forward or back on both sides? There is no way to get perfect axle alignment that I am aware of. Don't worry as long as the axle block and swing arm marks look the same on both sides, that is good.

Here is a tool once recommended to align the axle. Looks to me like it is a system of 3 adjustable rods that measure from the center of swing arm pivots to the center of the axle centers. That looks like a great tool for the perfectionist in all of us. Cost about $80 i believe.

I've tried using a tape measure to do this- don't bother.

this looks like it would do as good as anything and costs you a couple dollars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqSOEg8LZxU

when the day is done, I doubt if any of these dojobmahickies get your wheel lined up any better than you can by looking at it.....never tried them though. I would be curious to see if the adustment is a lot different than it would be by just using the swingarm /axle block marks.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/20/2012 @ 10:09 AM *

I have been using two long straightedges to align the wheels. When you get the same distance at 4 points (front and rear, both sides) on the rear wheel (measure to the wheel, not the tire) and then get 4 equal measurements at the front wheel, which should be larger by 50% of the difference between wheel widths, your wheels are aligned. You can then adjust chain slack by moving the adjusters equal amounts (total turns or bolt head flats) to get proper slack. Do not trust the marks on the swingarm to be totally accurate-they can be off by quite a bit and that translates into a lot more by the time you go from wheel to wheel.

UH?

maybe I would need a picture. Same principle as squaring a rectangle? The front wheel turns so I don't see how measuring that way can work. There is no way to be sure the front wheel is dead ahead.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/20/2012 @ 9:21 PM *

The trick is using a [cheap] vernier caliper. Measure with the inner jaws, you match differences. Are the blocks square to the holes? Probably. Are the swing arm marks off? Not off to make a difference using the verniers as a backup, or count bolt head turns that are equally spun out at the swing arm.

The other trick is to find the tight part of the chain [if any] by pulling the wheel back so the chain is taught. Watch the axle move forward kind of found a bad tight spot. It is more an up and down feel every few inches of movement to get a better feel of who is tight and where? Once you find that tight spot, there is your 1.3 inches of travel to start from.

The last trick is to find the swing of the arch so the high spot does not move under 1.3" or start all over again.

I agree with Rook. Unless you make a cutout, angle the pencil to draw an arch of the front end's full swing to both sides; Find the middle. Then yeah, is that close enough? How about that front end of Kruz'is, he sold the bike to 1bad? Would you take a sweep of the marks and find center now? For argument sake, you see how the front wheel needs to be pulled from the rear? Take a strap, wrap it around both wheels. That means, the rear of the front and the front of the rear are pulling on each other in a straight line. Slap that front end, it will move back to center you have it on a bungee kind of recoil.

Then, I would setup Danno's idea, check my 4 points knowing that front wheel is straight with the bungee and a pencil sweep. They both [should] match marks... However, I would not go thru all that. If they first came up with the swing arm casting marks, it still took X to measure to Y and the Z's are square to the swing or call the casting dept. Do you really need all the contraptions for the rear wheel setup? It depends on who sets up their chain. Who feels comfortable. I can't feel a difference. My ass is not that sensitive. My balls compensate for the misalignment [if] any.

"I would be curious to see if the adustment is a lot different than it would be by just using the swingarm /axle block marks"...me too.LOL!!!!!.Guess lining up the hash marks equally is just too 'non-functional" and definitely unreliable.Oh well....what does Kawasaki know anyway? They can't even get their 'hash marks' stamped right...after how many years of building high performance quality motorcycles?Sheesh.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/21/2012 @ 12:03 AM *

LOL I just don't think it matters enough to bother that much. If the marks look the same on both sides and the chain loooks straight back to front and the wheel looks straight in the swingarm and the tire doesn't wear abnormally and handles good??? Why mess wit it?

The other trick is to find the tight part of the chain [if any] by pulling the wheel back so the chain is taught. Watch the axle move forward kind of found a bad tight spot. It is more an up and down feel every few inches of movement to get a better feel of who is tight and where?

Thanks for one more great tip, Hub. I will have to try eyeballing the axle pull next time. BTW, what causes that tight spot in the chain. It is awfully darned subtle by feel by hand but might take up a quarter inch of chain slack.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/21/2012 @ 9:24 AM *

I'm no expert on this chain wear, but the last two 14's I sagged, I first took the shock off so I could push the wheel past the arc. If that small amount is under half an inch or less, who knows?; I took a strap and kept the wheel there to clear my modified fender. Killing two birds I then set the chain at 1.5 or 1.7, rather than some ballpark 1.3 inch.

Having the chain that loose, I began to have shifting problems. And when I mean loose, it was the initial, squeeze out the grease squeeze with a few thousand miles on it. The rollers cannot wear, nor could the pins be that sheered off on one side, that fast, an in that short a time? I don't think so. I figured that right there was the first adjustment [before] changing the set of tires, meaning. My shifting returned with less misses. Strange, no?

And when I did change tires, I said to myself, let me tighten this up from this loose [not so loose] setting. Sure enough, the shifting went sour on the tight side. Sure enough, I haven't touched the chain since. It is still sitting where I had it when almost new. I had enough of a feel from foot to finger timing, it could not be my routine. I changed nothing. However, I did experiment both ways with that chain. Take it for what its worth, but if you find the missed shifts are happening too many times, or say a tire change, a new chain and sprocket, a new bike that was never adjusted properly at the dealer; things like that would contribute to questionable shift quality? I'll check my chain's slack if she acts up.

However, if say the dealer never prepped the chain out of the crate? They tighten those so the bike does not rock back and forth. Kind of keeps it in place for shipping purposes. You sort of slap them, it feels fine, but did they adjust it or say close enough and let it go?

That is one stretch that happens with a too tight chain. Another contribution to a high spot is if the original chain and sprockets were never derailed and/or removed from their respective wear pattern. Another one is to use a new chain with an old sprocket. This more accelerates the chain wear no matter how well you set the slack. Things like that.

"rather than some ballpark 1.3 inch"...in other words...Rook...your decision to go 1.3 is a stupid move.Got that?...ballpark...'unprofessional'...even after you gave him KUDOS for 'giving you some tips'.You bad owner you.Bad owner...BAD OWNER! Only HE can get it right...by the BOOK baby!

"1.5 or 1.7",well...which IS it?...and YOURS Rook...yours is 'ballpark'LOL!!!!!!!This is gettin good here!I like the part about removing the shock to adjust the chain length...you guys...ya'll gettin this????

"It is still sitting where I had it when almost new"...that's because you don't ride fella.And if ya do...you don't ride very hard.THAT's a fact right there...NO ZX14 chain is gonna stay the same length over any period of time if the pilot's ridin his bike like it should be ridden.FACT.

Hey Hubster!!!!LOL!!!!!Better walk the talk....LMAO!!!!!!

BTW..if ya think 'speeding up your videos' convinced everyone you were 'riding fast'....EPIC FAIL!!!!ROFL!!!!!

"My shifting returned with less misses. Strange, no?"...uh...no.You have to RIDE to learn the nuances of shifting .Kinda goes along with chain stretch

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/21/2012 @ 1:37 PM *

maybe I would need a picture. Same principle as squaring a rectangle? The front wheel turns so I don't see how measuring that way can work. There is no way to be sure the front wheel is dead ahead.

It takes a little wiggling the front and re-checking, but you're right, the hardest part is making sure the front wheel is centered. When you make the four measurements the same at the rear wheel, you know the straightedges are parallel to the wheel (not the tire) Then you have to check the same 4 measurements at the front to get them all the same ( the number is +50% of the difference between the wheel widths). If you have the back 4 right (easy to do by holding the straightedges tight to the tire and checking to the rim), and the fronts vary side-to-side, you have the wheels parallel but not in alignment. It will amaze you how little you have to move an adjuster to make a large difference at the front. Just take your time and have some patience. You really only have to do this once to know how far the marks on the swingarm are off. After that, it's just a matter of moving both adjusters the same amount when you do chain slack or even a new chain and sprockets. Ideally, if you could to it at axle height, it would be most accurate, but this is close enough.

* Last updated by: Danno on 5/21/2012 @ 6:24 PM *

I had at least 2-2.25 inches slack in mine and had to tighten it.

Got it to about 1.25-1.50 inches or so play, now. But its not an exact science, cause that play can be variable according to how hard you pull and push on the chain. As has been said, better a tad bit too loose than too tight. In fact, I was originally a tad bit too tight after my adjustment, and upon reading Rook's input, I went back and loosened it a bit. He's exactly right about the suspension compressing and further tightening it.

And again as Rook said, it don't take much at all of the adjustment bolts to alter the chain tension. Just barely turn the bolts an equal amount on each side, then check again. Small increments.

Rook is our resident Yoda. What a great source of info and much needed help he is.

Just my two cents. Good luck.

* Last updated by: ZX14MAN64 on 11/18/2012 @ 5:35 PM *

Thanks, ZX14MAN...I just know a few things but Yoda?? Many years I have to train in the Jedi Arts before master I am called.

* Last updated by: Rook on 11/19/2012 @ 7:26 PM *

I adjusted my chain this weekend as I did my winter cleaning and adjusting. Kawasaki gives a serviceable dimension for chain slack (per swingarm label) of 1" - 1.2". What is troubling is that if I allow the catenary dimension (curve) to be much greater than this I begin to notice knocking as the chain slaps the bottom guide at the front of the swingarm.

Do others notice that the chain slaps the bottom of the guide? My drivetrain slop was of concern but the chain was only slightly out of adjustment. Hopefully I'll get some dry weather this week to make a test ride and readjust everything. I am one who also fears having their chain too tight.

I am one who also fears having their chain too tight.

While sitting on the bike, make sure you have around 3/4" free play in the bottom run of the chain. This will prevent having it too tight. I always double check my chain sitting on the bike since this loads the suspension. I will also roll it to check for tight spots.

Mad

At the risk of stating the obvious isn't this what the procedure in the owner's manual is for? The 'official' chain slack spec and the method and point at which it is measured mean the slack will be correct for the full range of suspension travel. No need to measure with the suspension loaded etc.
As for chain alignment I'm with a few on here in saying that I've never found the swingarm/adjustment marks to be far enough out to cause an issue. Whats all this faffing about with lasers, alignment jigs and vernier calipers? Think I'll stick with the adjusting marks. As regards to chain alignment/wear it's the rear wheel spindles alignment (and hence the rear sprocket) with the output/countershaft which is more important, not the alignment of the wheels in the chassis. This is what the alignment marks at the rear wheel are aimed at achieving. JMO

Regarding the video in the OP, it shows/proves very little. There's no way you can guesstimate chain slack with it flapping around like that as there's no load on the drivetrain with the wheel off the ground.

* Last updated by: pegscraper on 12/26/2012 @ 1:18 PM *