Hi all,
I have a 2016 ZX-14r that I bought new 13 months ago. The bike currently has about 8,200 miles on it. I recently changed out my front sprocket from the factory 17T to a Vortex 18T. The bike had about 7,800 or 7,900 miles on it at the time of the change. I was worried about changing only the one sprocket without changing the whole set (both sprockets and chain), but I also figured the front wears far slower and the chain has been meticulously maintained since I bought the bike. Within a few days of riding it with the new sprocket I started hearing a loud popping noise when taking off from a stop as the clutch starts to grab in the friction zone. I noticed the chain had loosened up from setting the tension after putting on the new sprocket, so I tightened it back to factory spec. It is still making the noise. The chain has been cleaned and lubed on a regular basis since I bought the bike and it appears to be in good condition.
I currently have the bike on my lift table on a rear stand and have been trying to duplicate it with the front sprocket cover off but I can't. The sprocket nut is still tight, the chain tension is in spec. Am I stuck having to buy a new chain or does anyone have another ideas?
With the 18T front sprocket, the chain is VERY close to the chain guard that wraps around the front of the front sprocket, but I took it off and cleaned it to see if the chain has been hitting it and I don't see any obvious signs that the chain has been hitting or rubbing that guard.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!