Loubloub

I did what you said and also loosened the steering bearing as I had over tightened when I installed it. It seems to be riding better now! All is well, with the exception of the paint! 😄

Thanks for all your replies people. Lesson learned. I just crashed, so the chain is now the least of my worries. Hit a patch of sand on a corner, wasn't going fast, well too fast for the corner. I was wearing full gear, so no injuries, but the bike is pretty beat up. I felt a wobble on the way home, so I did more than scratch the fairings. I'm at a loss as to what to do. But obviously something is bent. Bummed.

I'll take note for next time. I know I was being cheap, but thought that the 530 could take a little abuse.

I went cheap on the chain to compensate for the expensive tool, but I thought it would last a few thousand kilometers. You're right about readjusting frequently, I just went for a 300km ride and it's loose again. Not as much as this morning mind you, but still. P.S. I am a newbie! lol

I bought the big motion pro tool and the diamond shaped anvils were an extra $60. I may have been okay with the smaller version.

Yes I use the maintenance guide religiously. I replaced everything, even the chain guide in front. It was worn too.

Did my preride checkup last night and notices noticed excessive slack on my drive chain. I just changed it less than 1500 km on it. So I'm wondering if I did anything wrong? I can be a little aggressive with acceleration and downshifting but I am not a stunt rider by any means so no wheelies or anything risky. I followed the maintenance guide instructions, adjusted the chain to about an inch and a sixteenth play. I don't thing there is any adjustment for wheel alignment as it is a single arm suspension. So what have I overlooked? 2003 VFR800 and I ordered a low end chain (D.I.D530NZ) because the rivet tool was $300 with the extras. I was hoping to get at least a season out of it. Thanks in advance for your time and assistance.

https://ngksparkplugs.com/en/resources/5-things-you-should-know-about-spark-plugs

P.S. they stated that this practice is dangerous because lube can lead to over tightening.

You mean like they used grease or oil as an anti cease agent? I just saw a video that explains that more expensive (silver colored) spark plugs get a special treatment or coating that prevents them from sticking or jamming. Anti cease paste can be used on cheap plugs (black appearance). But normally if you follow torque specifications it shouldn't be necessary. But thank you for your answer. That makes sense.

I just pulled my four plugs and they seem to be great. Electrodes seem new and they look like they're the right color. Might have been changed recently? My hesitation is with a gooey deposit they all had at the seal on the thread. I am wondering what might cause this and if it's cause for concern?

I saw a few posts on "the drill" which seems to be a post on checking a new acquisition. How do I find it? I tried looking with search but I get so many irrelavent results that I couldn't find it. Is this the title of the post? I read in a search result that it is supposed to be under "electrical" but still didn't find it.

So ther's a way to bypass and avoid tinkering next time?

My ignition switch has seen better days. I tried DW40 and oil to lube them, but seventeen years of wear is what it is. So I went to the dealer and they want close to $300 for the ignition and that doesn't include the gas tank and the sattle lock! No thank you. While I was there the sales clerk told me they had had a client who wanted to change his locks and Honda apparently hides some kind of anti-theft device in the lock. So I was basically resigned to the idea of putting up with rough insert until failure and then forking out loads of cash. While looking for something else unrelated, I see a complete lock set, ignition switch, gas cap and saddle lock for less than $9 on Amazon, I figure, I got nothing to lose, well maybe $9, but it didn't seem like a big deal, because most kits are going from $35 to $75, so I bought it. I finally got the top plate off the bike and before I reasemble everything I give it a shot, nothing. The bike turns over, but won't run. Honda's anti-theft technology. To make a story short (yeah right) I compare the two ignition switches and they look pretty similar, so I decide to try and swap just the cylinder, I get luck it works! On the left is the new cylinder with the original Honda bottom half. There are three security Torx holding the two halves together and they used lock-tite to secure them, be prepared to swear and cuss, they're hard to remove. My second chalenge was the fit. The new cylinder head is not exactly the same size so the holes didn't line up. I had to file the lock a bit to get the holes to align.When you put it all together, make sure the wires are secured to the side with a tiewrap, otherwise you won't be able to lower the top plate back down into it's place. I don't know if this is clear, but it's pretty straight forward. I got the instructions on how to remove the top bridge from the Service Manual that I found on this forum. The only thing I would add is that the bridge might not wat to come out. I tried prying with a screwdriver, I have several pullers, but since the shaft is off center they were useless. I ended up getting a rubber mallet and giving it a whack until I saw some movement, from there, I applied some lube and let it work. I just kept wiggling by hand. I recommend removing the cowls and lifting the tank to remove the handlebars, don't want to scratch the paint! Here's the link to the lock kit: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07M97Y7LW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 $8.39 shipping included with Prime.

Thanks, I'll take a look.