Seems like an easy question for a first time rider. NO ONE can answer the question...... Kawasaki, My dealer (who says it's childs play) or the service department......... Here is my question.... The Kawasaki service manual states I should have my chain slack 1"-1.2" at the tightest part of the chain (I check right behind the foot peg). The problem is that the lower part of the chain sits 1/2" under the lower part of the swing arm. When I pull up on the chain it immediately hits the swingarm. This baffles everyone........ They have no idea and they just hang up on me as if I'm the biggest idiot they ever spoke with....... But the can't answer the question.... I don't want to wonder at 200 mph........ I can't get an accurate measurement in the up direction. Can anyone help me?????

Thanks

Chain Stretch Setting:

1. Set rear wheel up in the air for free moving purposes.
2. Set wheel towards the rear.
3. Set the chain so there is very little slack.
4. Set your hand around the spoke, pull once back, hold, snug the axle so it does not move.
a. Mark a sprocket tooth above its link with a magic marker dot to it.
b. Follow the dot to 9 o'clock - Did the chain tighten up from your 6 o'clock mark you started at?
c. Follow the dot to 12 o'clock - How are we looking for high or low spots of the chain?
d. Mark the chain at the link, along with the dot above that link, seen your movement we stop at the front sprocket.
e. Run the chain's dot back to the 6 o'clock again. You now check the other half of the chain's rung is move in the opposite direction from 6 o'clock, nothing says you can't keep going in the same direction = Have we established our high spot?

Chain 32 - 38 mm (1.3 - 1.5 inch):

1. Set the high spot or the tightest spot to wherever it lands on the hand spin. Feel the lower rung as you move the wheel or watch the low rung move tight.
2. Set the bike in gear. Move the wheel back some. Stab down on the shifter, roll the wheel forward. Move the wheel back enough so you do not move past the high spot, but more you locked the high spot in gear or its center spot, it can no longer be any tighter than there.
3. Set the bike's back wheel to be forced in a forward motion as if running on the road. Take a bungee cord thru a spoke, lock both over the seat, don't poke a hole or lay cardboard over the seat so the hooks have a place to dig.
4. Set you wheel back so the chain is tight once again, but not by hand. This time, use the adjuster screws.
a. You can do this a few ways, but I want you more to see how the lower rung is going to drop [from the middle] of the chain.
b. You already moved your adjusters as far into the swing arm as possible by hand did you spin the adjusters into the swing arm.
c. You no longer see threads because the nut is with the head of the bolt.
d. You take a magic marker, paint chip kind of brush a mark on the flat of the adjuster bolt. Count those out either 2 ways:

Either start from no threads showing out to the 35mm slack OR:

e. You count all those flat turns equally out until the chain is taught at the lower rung.
f. You still have the bungee moving the top rung tight.
g. You have to have the back wheel taught at the opposite side so the top rung is taught rope, the lower rung is slack.
h. You then move the adjusters back into the swing arm direction, have your 35mm stick pushed up on the lower arm of the swing arm.
i. You watch the lower chain link sit on the 35mm line.
j. You take your finger, touch the lower rung, this is the lower part of the chain is the line drawn.
k. You may find you will hit the lower swing arm pads and that is a good thing.
l. You got it figured out?