Tight Chain / Loose Chain | GTAMotorcycle.com

Tight Chain / Loose Chain

-Maverick-

-Maverick-

Well-known member
Forum Sponsor
Wife's bike...brand new old stock bike (2016 Dorsoduro), chain keeps going loose. There's a noticeable tight spot in the chain, drenched it in WD40, tightened again and it's loose 500 km's later. Are these chains that have sat too long at the dealership salvageable or is it a losing battle?

The guy formerly known as Mladin.
 
Chains don't wear out sitting in the showroom.
Something else is going on - wheel alignment , overtightened ?
How does the manual suggest you set it up ?
 
It's a sealed chain! Either it's gone rusty inside or the rubber seals have dried up and gone hard and then it will go rusty inside.
There is not much way that could happen otherwise and soaking a sealed chain in anything isn't going to do much if the seals are still good, you're just lubricating the outside of the rubber o-rings and the rollers.
Did you take it completely off to inspect it for seized or worn links? That's how you inspect chain, you take it off the bike, seized links will become very apparent.
 
attachment.php


:unsure: well seized links I have seen, Crushed links? wtf crushed it, that must have been a heck of a crash.
 
Have any of you guys ever gone this far into this problem? With a brand new bike, and being Italian (intentional dig) , the rear sprocket might have been cranked down on the rim with an air tool and is sitting a micrometer high on one side.


The guy formerly known as Mladin.
 
-Maverick- said:
There's a noticeable tight spot in the chain, drenched it in WD40, tightened again and it's loose 500 km's later.
Click to expand...
How much mileage on the bike with this particular chain?
I would double-check: 1) both adjustment marks on the swing arm lined up; 2) the rear axle nut has been tightened to the OEM torque setting.

If the bike was sitting for upwards of 4 years I might wonder about other potential contributing factors --specifically the condition of the tires. Were the tires elevated off the ground? If no, the tires might have flat spots, perhaps causing an alignment issue which could relate to chain issues.



Sent from my SGH-M919V using GTAMotorcycle.com mobile app
 
Just 2 FYIs:

There is a way to check chain stretch independently from chain slack. If it keeps getting loose but the chain is not stretching you have a different problem.

Also if the scenarios Trials described are happening, you will know very quickly as the chain will start sweating red powder. Then it's 110% definitely toast
 
-Maverick- said:
Have any of you guys ever gone this far into this problem? With a brand new bike, and being Italian (intentional dig) , the rear sprocket might have been cranked down on the rim with an air tool and is sitting a micrometer high on one side.


The guy formerly known as Mladin.
Click to expand...
Well first of all :/ that rim in your video has Suzuki written on it.
 
-Maverick- said:
Have any of you guys ever gone this far into this problem? With a brand new bike, and being Italian (intentional dig) , the rear sprocket might have been cranked down on the rim with an air tool and is sitting a micrometer high on one side.


The guy formerly known as Mladin.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be surprised - make sure the sprockets are round (concentric) while you're at it.
 
D-J said:
How much mileage on the bike with this particular chain?
I would double-check: 1) both adjustment marks on the swing arm lined up; 2) the rear axle nut has been tightened to the OEM torque setting.

If the bike was sitting for upwards of 4 years I might wonder about other potential contributing factors --specifically the condition of the tires. Were the tires elevated off the ground? If no, the tires might have flat spots, perhaps causing an alignment issue which could relate to chain issues.



Sent from my SGH-M919V using GTAMotorcycle.com mobile app
Click to expand...
Check the alignment with a string too. There is always a small chance that the Marks on the frame are not correct. I doubt that is his problem though.
 
rear sprocket likely not concentric

need to find the tight spot and do proper tension adjustment there
if in loose spots it's too loose, you have a problem that needs attention

every chain drive bike I've owned had a bit of run out on the rear sprocket
 
Had that happen on a trip.
Did what JF suggests, but then the chain was bouncing off the centre stand at it's loosest point.
Bought a new chain, and used it for the rest of the trip.
Had to replace the chain and sprockets when I got home.
Chain had some links that just wouldn't bend properly anymore. Sprockets were also worn down.
 
J_F & TK4 I'm thinking along these lines as well. The chain was loose at 500 km's, I adjusted it. The bike has 1000 km's on it now, I did the first service and noticed it was loose again. While spinning the wheel checking the tension, noticed a considerable tight spot, then loose, then tight. I'm going to try this trick tomorrow. Will report back if it's a fix. I'm thinking there's a sweet spot sprocket to hub and it's not on it.



Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
 
I just put on a new EK chain and it had screw type links. Very interesting and I’ve never used them before. Much faster install than rivets.
 
shanekingsley said:
I just put on a new EK chain and it had screw type links. Very interesting and I’ve never used them before. Much faster install than rivets.
Click to expand...
EK screw links are awesome. The second version of it barely looks any different from a rivet link until you get very close. They can be kinda hard to come by though
 
Yet another thing to consider, does your bike have a rubber cushion rear drive sprocket ? Most chain drive street bikes do, then the sprocket runs on completely different bearings then the axle. If any bearings are damaged anywhere in the wheel or hub drive you could end up with misalignments.

attachment.php


Just watched your second video. That's exactly what I was going to suggest, move the sprocket relative to their current position on the rubbers. But I think you are going to find you have a rubber cushion drive, and that scooter on the video has the sprocket bolted directly to the hub. He only has 2 wheel bearings, you have 3 or 4, service your cushion drive and the problem should go away.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TK4
Trials said:
Yet another thing to consider, does your bike have a rubber cushion rear drive sprocket ? Most chain drive street bikes do, then the sprocket runs on completely different bearings then the axle. If any bearings are damaged anywhere in the wheel or hub drive you could end up with misalignments.

attachment.php


Just watched your second video. That's exactly what I was going to suggest, move the sprocket relative to their current position on the rubbers. But I think you are going to find you have a rubber cushion drive, and that scooter on the video has the sprocket bolted directly to the hub. He only has 2 wheel bearings, you have 3 or 4, service your cushion drive and the problem should go away.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. The cushion being part #10?

The bike is still under warranty, it only has 1000 km's on it. I'm not sure if they'd cover chain / sprockets being wear items? It's an Aprilia...their warranty is a nightmare to deal with.

Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
 
-Maverick- said:
The bike is still under warranty, it only has 1000 km's on it. I'm not sure if they'd cover chain / sprockets being wear items? It's an Aprilia...their warranty is a nightmare to deal with
Click to expand...

Can't hurt to try, and it's not always a nightmare. I had a small oil leak appear from the rear valve cover a couple weeks after bringing mine home last spring, and from drop off to pick-up, it was only at the dealership for two days. Dropped it off in the morning, got a call saying the work had been approved later that day, picked up by the following evening. I was worried they'd try to blame the suspension shop that installed a replacement shock, but they didn't say a peep...
 
-Maverick- said:
Thanks for that. The cushion being part #10?

The bike is still under warranty, it only has 1000 km's on it. I'm not sure if they'd cover chain / sprockets being wear items? It's an Aprilia...their warranty is a nightmare to deal with.

Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Yep, assembly #10 rides on it's own bearing system, it holds those 5 steel studs that are pushed into the rubber donuts (parts #6)
like a wheel that drives the wheel. The parts that will wear out, assuming you don't leave it needing service for too long, are the bearings and the rubber inserts. Those are consumable items, they won't fix those under a defect in parts or manufacture warranty unless there was a safety recall.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom