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Ok, I'm Stoopid... Chain Adjustment?


Guest SOTY

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Ok, I'm stoopid... How do you adjust the chain tension on the VFR 6th gen? Is it near the sprocket or sumptin?

I was informed that i needed to order a 'longer' swing arm when i inquired about this.

I think someone's messing with you head, use another dealer if that comment came from them.

It was a joke from a guy on here. Got me good though. i was dumbfounded for a minute with the thought of how expensive that new and 'longer' swing arm was going to be every 2000 miles. :mellow:

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Funny thing is on the VTEC, it's the opposite direction to tighten as it is on the 5th gen... go figure!!

Maybe it's because the older VFRs tend to lower the rear ride height when you turn the hub eccentric to tighten their chains.

Many had gone as far as flipping their hubs and changing out or modifying a few botls in the way to do so to correct this. Maybe Honda finally listened to something we were saying.....

Beck

95 VFR

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Check the slack midway between the sprockets while the bike is on the centerstand and always err on the side of being a little loose . Also spin the wheel around and check your slack at several points as you may have tight spots in the chain.

ChainAdjustment.jpg

Curious......... the service manual for the 3rd/4th Gen lists a free play of 0.6-1 inch or 15-25mm why is there such a difference?

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It was a joke from a guy on here. Got me good though.

Is this your bike? :biggrin:

8319_1145480114811_1161754882_30380.jpg

Ewwww :blink: ......i'd ride that thing and flip it into those trees in the background and start a big forest fire or something.....

That's just so prickly bad ass!!.......but maybe that's what the builder meant it to be...... :biggrin:

Beck

95 VFR

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Curious......... the service manual for the 3rd/4th Gen lists a free play of 0.6-1 inch or 15-25mm why is there such a difference?

My guess would be that the length on the two bikes are different???????

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One thing I don't see very often, but have seen, is when checking the bottom train of the chain, the bike should be in gear and turn the rear wheels backwards to tighten the upper train. Hold that position tight while checking the slack.

I lie on my left side 1st lining up so my eyes are in a position to read the soft tape measurer. Then find the master link on the chain and check the chain ( at about 4 or 5 places). During this I'll stick my right leg on the back of the wheel to hold it still giving me two hands to work with. I adjust to 1 and a 1/4" total movement( use the pin on the chain as my point of reference).(Total movement means to move the bottom train up and down while measuring

I'll get a pic in here to show how and where on the bottom train to check.

I'm sure there are peeps that know all this, but there some that don't....Like myself at some point in my life.(Thx, Seb)

gallery_16535_4665_822284.jpg

002

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Funny thing is on the VTEC, it's the opposite direction to tighten as it is on the 5th gen... go figure!!

Maybe it's because the older VFRs tend to lower the rear ride height when you turn the hub eccentric to tighten their chains.

Many had gone as far as flipping their hubs and changing out or modifying a few botls in the way to do so to correct this. Maybe Honda finally listened to something we were saying.....

Beck

95 VFR

I have an 89 Honda hawk 650 that is the opposite as my 04 vfr.....and then Honda stopped listening to us when they designed and built the 7th gen vfr's :pissed:

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Hey guys,

Just figured I'd add to the confusion.

I'm uploading the chain adjustment page from the 6th gen factory service manual which indicates that chain adjustment is done while on the center stand. The owners manual says to check it on the side stand, go figure. Anyway , fwiw see below:

post-7188-0-73873600-1337548210.jpg

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6th gen ---- 25 - 35mm (1.0 - 1 3/8 inch)

5th gen chain slack says 20 - 30 mm (.8 - 1.2 inch)

3rd/4th Gen lists a free play of 15-25mm (0.6-1 inch)

-

hmmm -- :comp13:

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The owners manual says to check it on the side stand, go figure.

What page does it say that? :huh:

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Hey guys,

Just figured I'd add to the confusion.

I'm uploading the chain adjustment page from the 6th gen factory service manual which indicates that chain adjustment is done while on the center stand. The owners manual says to check it on the side stand, go figure. Anyway , fwiw see below:

The owners manual says to check it on the side stand, go figure.

What page does it say that? :huh:

My owner's manual for my 2004 says to check it on the center stand.

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Here's good one- I decided to check and adjust my chain after reading this thread. Got out the Honda tools, loosened the pinch bolt, put the extention on the adjuster wrench, and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work- it just slipped out. Granted it's been a while since my last adjustment. After struggling for about 5 minutes I realized I was using the wrench that was meant for rear shock adjustment. :pissed:

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Here's good one- I decided to check and adjust my chain after reading this thread. Got out the Honda tools, loosened the pinch bolt, put the extention on the adjuster wrench, and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work- it just slipped out. Granted it's been a while since my last adjustment. After struggling for about 5 minutes I realized I was using the wrench that was meant for rear shock adjustment. :pissed:

At least you had a shock tool........ Mine came without(have one now, though).
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Chain sits on a big cam(rear sprocket hud assembly) cam down moves the cam further from the front sprocket, cam up moves the cam closer to the front sprocket ...................

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Look at the T-shirt for the correct free play.

YES guys there IS a T-shirt in this picture!!!!

73d67947.jpg

:tongue:

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Check the slack midway between the sprockets while the bike is on the centerstand and always err on the side of being a little loose . Also spin the wheel around and check your slack at several points as you may have tight spots in the chain.

ChainAdjustment.jpg

Curious......... the service manual for the 3rd/4th Gen lists a free play of 0.6-1 inch or 15-25mm why is there such a difference?

Probably the newer bikes use more swingarm down angle, and so need more slack, as when the swingarm flattens out under load, the distance between the sprocket centers gets longer, eating up your slack.

I have to run more slack than Honda recommends due to having a shimmed rear shock and maxed out rear ride height, which gives me more swingarm down angle than stock.

If I run the slack in the manual, my chain is too tight once seated on the bike and even worse when hitting a bump. So I run about 1.5 inches instead of 1.25. Once the bike is loaded its fine.

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Turn the wheel with the bike in neutral and look for tight spots on the chain and adjust at these tighter spots to within spec. No point along the chain should have less than the recommended slack (25mm on the VTEC VFR). In my opinion the looser parts of the chain can have up to 35mm of slack with no real noticeable effects whilst riding... once this is surpassed, you will notice a rhythmic jerking or cyclic jerking effect whilst maintaining constant speeds and possibly unusual jerking effects whilst engine braking, changing gears will be less smooth.. etc etc... due to the larger difference between the tight and loose parts of the chain...

Glad someone mentioned that. Only thing that I will add, if your a fat bastard (or carry a regular pillion), carry a lot of gear, then this can also add tension to the chain (once its off the center stand) & your on the road. So don't be tempted to do overkill on the tightening & check that its adjusted properly on several of the tights spots. There is always more than one.

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One thing I don't see very often, but have seen, is when checking the bottom train of the chain, the bike should be in gear and turn the rear wheels backwards to tighten the upper train. Hold that position tight while checking the slack.

Really? My manual says to check slack with the bike in neutral on the sidestand. I would think that the chain would have too much slack now compared to the specified method. Have you compared what slack measurement you get with these two methods?

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"Have you compared what slack measurement you get with these two methods?" YES.....And I just went though it 5 min ago, and this is what I came up with.......

1st there is no diff by checking with top train tight or loose......... no diff centre or side stand, it all came out 1 & 1/4"

2nd I checked to see if there was any slack in bottom train while sitting on it. There was some slack, guessing about 1/4" to 1/2" , because I couldn't "measure" while sitting on it, but used a "L" shaped (homemade) tool to check for slack(which I do every time I adjust it, to be sure there is some slack).

I can't copy/paste the part in the service manual but it says to check on centre stand.

This ia all I could find in the owners manual.

I got the top train check with no slack elsewhere(chain maint' web).

An endless (riveted master link) chain connects the countershaft and rear wheel sprockets. The O-ring chain uses rubber

rings between the side plates of the pin and roller links to seal in the manufacturer-installed lubricating grease

and keep out moisture and dirt.

Under severe usage, or when the motorcycle is ridden in unusually dusty or muddy areas, more frequent maintenance

will be necessary.

The service life of the chain depends on proper lubrication and adjustment. Poor maintenance can cause premature wear

or damage to the drive chain or sprockets.

The drive chain should be checked, adjusted, and lubricated as part of the preride inspection (page ).

Before servicing your drive chain, turn the engine OFF, lower the center stand (page 64), and check that your transmission is

in neutral.

It is not necessary to remove or replace the drive chain to perform the recommended service in the Maintenance Schedule.(page)45.

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Hey Monk - Since it all comes out the same, I'll continue to check it with the bike in neutral on the centre stand.That seems to be the easiest way to do it. Thanks.

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Hey Monk - Since it all comes out the same, I'll continue to check it with the bike in neutral on the centre stand.That seems to be the easiest way to do it. Thanks.

That's the same I'm doing.... after doing it enough I pretty much just hit the bottom train on the low side of the swing arm guard and I'm good to go.... Then check it with my "L" tool while sitting on it.....

Of course then one you quoted was a little over a year ago.......... WE KEEEEPS LEARNING.......

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Look at the T-shirt for the correct free play.

73d67947.jpg

From the photo on the bike, it seems that they are saying the 1 1/4" of slack is the space *between* the links when pushed to the max (up and down).

Or are they trying to show measuring from the middle of the chain, which then your shirt will give the same measurement?

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