I'd probably take off/unbolt the shock so you can freely move swingarm up and down to check the tight spot. Once you know where it needs to be you can mark the chain adjusters or pick a reference.
My rule of thumb is to leave it as loose as possible. Without feeling any jerk or slack take up, when you get on and off the gas. If there's any extra slack, I feel it right away. Since every bike is different. There's no hard fast specific measurements that can be relied on. For me it's more feel. If the chain jerks or binds, it can unsettle the bike, and cause wicked handling problems. Especially on a high powered machine.
Thanks for this. Personally I disagree with the negative comments here (everyone has an opinion!!) - In my experience, the manual is sometimes incorrect. For ex Yamaha's recommendations for certain bikes is WAY too tight, I'm not sure why they insist so. Engineers and mechanics often agree that occasionally the manufacturer's specs aren't always spot-on. It takes experience to detect that. Generally I draw it TAUGHT - not tight - then create enough slack so the bottom of the chain has no more than 2" of play - usually somewhere between 1 1/2" to 2". I appreciate your baseline suggestion here.
Horrible advise. There is no general rule. Every bike has a specific tension. Please stop giving bad advice. You need to visit a clinic as well knees forward with you do in most your videos is horrendous form. This video will have you hurting your bike, others your going to hurt the rider... please stop.
Sorry you're having a bad day, Gordon. It sounds like you've watched a few of my videos - thank you. Yes, every bike is different, which is why I was showing how to find that specific tension. I'm all for constructive criticism and I appreciate you not using foul language or name calling. Where are you referring to the knees forward? How will this video hurt my bike? And how am I going to hurt the rider? Please tell me because I'm all about helping people stay safe. -Kelley
@MotocrossHideout having a great day personally. Just don't appreciate miss information being told as fact. This is bad advice anything thing other than seeking your owner's manual for setting your chain is bad advice. Setting it wrong as you said causes undue stress and wear increasing the odds greatly for failure. As for your knees forward habit I see in essentially all your videos it's a great way to break your spinal cord in rough terrains. Highly recommend you seek a clinic before continuing to show people your bad habits...
Hey Gordon, thanks for getting back to me. Yes, the OEM service manual is an amazing resource and I try to recommend it to people when possible. The problem is that many people do not take the time to look at it or want to invest in one for their bike. Please tell me why this method will cause problems, because I had learned it from someone older and more experienced than myself and it made perfect sense to me. I haven't had a major problem so far in the 20+ years I've been riding and maintaining my bikes. If you're finding that point of where the chain is tightest and then going looser from there, how is that going to be an issue? Also, thanks for pointing out my form. I will have to look into that. I still don't understand how it's going to break my spinal cord. I would really appreciate some explanation on why and how to fix it rather than just saying everything is bad and wrong. Serious question: If my content/advise is so horrible, why keep watching it? Sincerely, -Kelley
How do YOU set the tension on your dirt bike chain?
I'd probably take off/unbolt the shock so you can freely move swingarm up and down to check the tight spot. Once you know where it needs to be you can mark the chain adjusters or pick a reference.
Yes, removing the shock would be the more thorough way of doing it. Thanks for sharing.
Looks like the bolt on the back wheel allows for chain tension.
Thank You Very Much For Sharing.
My rule of thumb is to leave it as loose as possible. Without feeling any jerk or slack take up, when you get on and off the gas.
If there's any extra slack, I feel it right away. Since every bike is different. There's no hard fast specific measurements that can be relied on. For me it's more feel. If the chain jerks or binds, it can unsettle the bike, and cause wicked handling problems. Especially on a high powered machine.
3 fingers off of the slider.
Chains don’t wear evenly, so you need to be able to rotate the rear wheel, find the point where the chain is the tightest and adjust it at this point.
Rule of thumb, errr… fingers😂
3 fingers,...that's what she said,...😮
😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks for this. Personally I disagree with the negative comments here (everyone has an opinion!!) - In my experience, the manual is sometimes incorrect. For ex Yamaha's recommendations for certain bikes is WAY too tight, I'm not sure why they insist so. Engineers and mechanics often agree that occasionally the manufacturer's specs aren't always spot-on. It takes experience to detect that. Generally I draw it TAUGHT - not tight - then create enough slack so the bottom of the chain has no more than 2" of play - usually somewhere between 1 1/2" to 2". I appreciate your baseline suggestion here.
Horrible advise. There is no general rule. Every bike has a specific tension. Please stop giving bad advice. You need to visit a clinic as well knees forward with you do in most your videos is horrendous form. This video will have you hurting your bike, others your going to hurt the rider... please stop.
Sorry you're having a bad day, Gordon. It sounds like you've watched a few of my videos - thank you.
Yes, every bike is different, which is why I was showing how to find that specific tension.
I'm all for constructive criticism and I appreciate you not using foul language or name calling.
Where are you referring to the knees forward?
How will this video hurt my bike?
And how am I going to hurt the rider?
Please tell me because I'm all about helping people stay safe.
-Kelley
@MotocrossHideout having a great day personally. Just don't appreciate miss information being told as fact. This is bad advice anything thing other than seeking your owner's manual for setting your chain is bad advice. Setting it wrong as you said causes undue stress and wear increasing the odds greatly for failure.
As for your knees forward habit I see in essentially all your videos it's a great way to break your spinal cord in rough terrains. Highly recommend you seek a clinic before continuing to show people your bad habits...
Hey Gordon, thanks for getting back to me. Yes, the OEM service manual is an amazing resource and I try to recommend it to people when possible. The problem is that many people do not take the time to look at it or want to invest in one for their bike.
Please tell me why this method will cause problems, because I had learned it from someone older and more experienced than myself and it made perfect sense to me. I haven't had a major problem so far in the 20+ years I've been riding and maintaining my bikes.
If you're finding that point of where the chain is tightest and then going looser from there, how is that going to be an issue?
Also, thanks for pointing out my form. I will have to look into that.
I still don't understand how it's going to break my spinal cord.
I would really appreciate some explanation on why and how to fix it rather than just saying everything is bad and wrong.
Serious question: If my content/advise is so horrible, why keep watching it?
Sincerely,
-Kelley
The wheel moves in an Arc. 23/24 KTMs require 68-72 mm because the change in engine angle. It looks loose but it’s about 4 fingers. Damn KTM!!