Im not 100% sure how to adjust the chain. It seems a little loose with about1 1/4in. of play. Just wondering if this is in spec or if i shoudl go ahead and adjust it.

 

Me neither, actually. If someone posts on this one I'd like to know too. I read the manual on doing it but a little show and tell picture or photo guide to accompany would be helfpful for me. Sorry to seem so stupid about this but I've just had it adjusted by the guys therewhen I've taken it in to the shop for otherwork and just gotten by with cleaning and lubing the chain every 600 miles or so. No visibleexcess slack or play in it so that seemed o.k. so far.

 

yeah.. i'd adjust and lube just to be safe.. if it gets too lose, it'll chew up your swingarm when it slaps against it..

to adjust it, just loosen your axle ut.. no need to remove it.

take a marker and make a mark on the flat of the adjustment bolt thats facing outward as a reference to how many times that bolt will be turned.

gotta turn each side equally to keep the wheel and sprocket alighnment true. don't trust the stamped lines in the swinger casting and axle carrier.. its usually a few ten-thousandths off from each side.. i can prove it with my alignment tool and a caliper.. thats enought tho to really throw the wheel off.

anyways..

if you turn the adjustment bolt 2 and a half turns on the clutch side, you GOTTA turn the throttle side adjuster that many.. thus the importance of marking the bolt somehow to count revolutions.

after you've cranked a few turns on each side, just tighten the axle nut back on, and if you've got a castle nut, put the pin back in it, and go do some wheelies!

j/k.. but its cake.. 15 min, maybe..

 

Thanks. I'll see what I can do with figuring this outwhen I get a little time.

 

A little too loose is better than a little too tight.
Our bike doesn't have as much play in the rear suspension, so it can go a little tighter than some of the larger Ninjas.
My personal way of checking the tension is to leave the bike on the sidestand and press the bottom of the chain up pretty forcefully. It should just be able to touch the swingarm with some resistance. If you cannot touch the swingarm, it's too tight; if the chain flops up into the swingarm with no resistance--too loose.
If you make it a little too tight, it will turn red after a few miles--this is the internal grease leaking out through the O-rings which got too hot. Red is an appropriate color for this grease, because it means your chain is bleeding and is not long for this world.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

Thanks Chris.