rsser
9th March 2008, 03:43 PM
This one's had me scratching the noggin.
Only 12,000 km on the chain/sprocket kit and she's developed a tight spot. Now at $350 for a replacement set I figure it would be good to know why. Last kit clocked double that. It's now at the point where I can just get the slack right but after a day's fanging around the hills the thing is flapping around like a cat of nine tails. And by the way the stretch is barely past half way on the swing arm marks.
So a yarn with the sages behind the parts counter at the local dealer has me checking out the rear sprocket. Seems (rarely) that they can be mounted out of true.
If that's true methinks, the 'tight spot' will vary. Mark it and b*gger me, it does. Then check the rear sprocket with a compass point blu-tacked to the swing arm and, (no, no more invitations), no detectable run-out.
Next hunch: the bike sat for 10 months last year (don't ask) so maybe some links have hardened grease, either around the pin/bush or between the side plates. So get out the cat litter tray (empty of course!) and some kero and spend an hour on hands and knees with a tooth brush.
Yep, lots of hard crud but more interestingly, half a dozen kinked links. Hmm. Ring a mate whose an experienced DIYer on bikes and actually rides the same model as mine. Work the links he says to try and loosen them up. And reverse the drive sprocket for good measure. More genuflecting before the mighty Honda Fireblade and got a bit of improvment with some links; the others I hit with a bit of WD40 to try to get past the X rings. Not much more improvement.
Still several 'tight spots' making adjustment hard but at least the chain runs more freely.
Will take a day around the twisties before final judgement but I'm not holding my breath.
Ancient technology this chain stuff. The drive belt is about the only thing I admire on a Harley (though a mate had a stone chew up his Buell front sprocket and the replacement cost over $300. Eek.)
Only 12,000 km on the chain/sprocket kit and she's developed a tight spot. Now at $350 for a replacement set I figure it would be good to know why. Last kit clocked double that. It's now at the point where I can just get the slack right but after a day's fanging around the hills the thing is flapping around like a cat of nine tails. And by the way the stretch is barely past half way on the swing arm marks.
So a yarn with the sages behind the parts counter at the local dealer has me checking out the rear sprocket. Seems (rarely) that they can be mounted out of true.
If that's true methinks, the 'tight spot' will vary. Mark it and b*gger me, it does. Then check the rear sprocket with a compass point blu-tacked to the swing arm and, (no, no more invitations), no detectable run-out.
Next hunch: the bike sat for 10 months last year (don't ask) so maybe some links have hardened grease, either around the pin/bush or between the side plates. So get out the cat litter tray (empty of course!) and some kero and spend an hour on hands and knees with a tooth brush.
Yep, lots of hard crud but more interestingly, half a dozen kinked links. Hmm. Ring a mate whose an experienced DIYer on bikes and actually rides the same model as mine. Work the links he says to try and loosen them up. And reverse the drive sprocket for good measure. More genuflecting before the mighty Honda Fireblade and got a bit of improvment with some links; the others I hit with a bit of WD40 to try to get past the X rings. Not much more improvement.
Still several 'tight spots' making adjustment hard but at least the chain runs more freely.
Will take a day around the twisties before final judgement but I'm not holding my breath.
Ancient technology this chain stuff. The drive belt is about the only thing I admire on a Harley (though a mate had a stone chew up his Buell front sprocket and the replacement cost over $300. Eek.)