I'm trying to figure out the wear indicator sticker on the swing arm. There is a zone on the sticker that shows "new" vs. "replace." It appears to me that the tip of the sprocket teeth should be between new and replace. Mine look to be beyond replace, but the bike has only 1900 miles on it and has never had a chain adjustment. (And doesn't need one.) The sprocket teeth appear new. Is my sticker in the wrong place? Are my eyes crooked? :blink:
Believe it or not, this is my first chain drive bike in 23 years of riding.
I'll give my 2 cents, seeing how we both have '04's :happy:
I recently had a chain go out at 5k , and I thought that was very short-lived. I don't use the chain indicator as I don't feel its accurate at all. According to the adjustment decal, even my new chain set is in the 'REPLACE' area of the decal, or I need to look at the indicator again with my right eye closed.
I look at the chain in other ways. Is it binding? Is there the red oxide (red death) coming from the pins? Does the chain not hold its adjustment well, that it is either is too tight or too much slack after adjusting? Does the chain squeak or click when rolling up to a stop? I feel that if I answer YES to any of these, I feel that a new chain set might be due. HTH
[image: View Post]hidesertmlb, on Jul 24 2008, 01:01 PM, said:
I don't use the chain indicator as I don't feel its accurate at all. According to the adjustment decal, even my new chain set is in the 'REPLACE' area of the decal, or I need to look at the indicator again with my right eye closed.
I look at the chain in other ways. Is it binding? Is there the red oxide (red death) coming from the pins? Does the chain not hold its adjustment well, that it is either is too tight or too much slack after adjusting? Does the chain squeak or click when rolling up to a stop? I feel that if I answer YES to any of these, I feel that a new chain set might be due. HTH
:+1: I looked at that stupid sticker and had the same thoughts, not accurate at all.
Now I don't have to worry about it tho, put on one of Rivcyco's Huggers and it didn't come with one :fing02:
[image: View Post]Conedodger, on Jul 24 2008, 09:37 AM, said:
I'm trying to figure out the wear indicator sticker on the swing arm. There is a zone on the sticker that shows "new" vs. "replace." It appears to me that the tip of the sprocket teeth should be between new and replace. Mine look to be beyond replace, but the bike has only 1900 miles on it and has never had a chain adjustment. (And doesn't need one.) The sprocket teeth appear new. Is my sticker in the wrong place? Are my eyes crooked? :blink:
Believe it or not, this is my first chain drive bike in 23 years of riding.
According to page 3-20 in the VFR service manual, there's an index mark on the swing arm that you should be using, not the sprocket teeth. I'm at work right now, so I can't put an eyeball on the thing.
[image: View Post]RRW, on Jul 24 2008, 10:51 AM, said:
According to page 3-20 in the VFR service manual, there's an index mark on the swing arm that you should be using, not the sprocket teeth. I'm at work right now, so I can't put an eyeball on the thing.
I was just looking at that page yesterday myself. The way I interpreted the picture you basically want to drop a plumb line down from the sticker and then move it so it's at the tip of the farthest forward sprocket teeth. Hope that makes sense.
That is my interpretation too. I guess I need to find a plumb line, 'cause my eyes are telling me that the sprocket is well past the indicator. I don't believe this is true as I bought the bike with 631 miles on it and the chain has never been adjusted. I'm thinking that the sticker is wrong.
[image: View Post]SpiralGray, on Jul 24 2008, 02:26 PM, said:
I was just looking at that page yesterday myself. The way I interpreted the picture you basically want to drop a plumb line down from the sticker and then move it so it's at the tip of the farthest forward sprocket teeth. Hope that makes sense.
[image: View Post]Conedodger, on Jul 24 2008, 01:40 PM, said:
That is my interpretation too. I guess I need to find a plumb line, 'cause my eyes are telling me that the sprocket is well past the indicator. I don't believe this is true as I bought the bike with 631 miles on it and the chain has never been adjusted. I'm thinking that the sticker is wrong.
[image: View Post]SpiralGray, on Jul 24 2008, 02:26 PM, said:
I was just looking at that page yesterday myself. The way I interpreted the picture you basically want to drop a plumb line down from the sticker and then move it so it's at the tip of the farthest forward sprocket teeth. Hope that makes sense.
PO of my bike removed ALL the stickers...Problem solved!
My indicator works like this. I feel the slack in the chain with my left hand....if it feels too loose, I tighten it up very slightly. Works every time!! :unsure: :laugh:
before every ride i check the tires and tire pressures with a guage. i look at all the brake pads and rotors (pads can be seen in place). and i inspect the chain. you will get used to what the parts look like and will be able to spot worn parts early. RIDE FOR FUN! :fing02:
[image: View Post]Bent, on Jul 24 2008, 05:08 PM, said:
My indicator works like this. I feel the slack in the chain with my left hand....if it feels too loose, I tighten it up very slightly. Works every time!! :unsure: :laugh:
Tightening a worn out chain just makes it a properly adjusted worn out chain. The purpose (whether or not it works is another matter) of the sticker is to let you know when the chain has stretched beyond its service life. Back in the day when chains had master links, we would take the chain off, lay it out on the ground and measure it. Obviously, you can't do that with a riveted chain.
Anyway, I just went out and looked it over. There is no index mark on the swing arm that I can see. I don't see how it would work if there was one since the label is also on the swing arm. So I fabricated up this high tech plumb bob (String, meet nut.) and took a look at my chain with 10K miles on it. When I was eyeballing it, it looked like the string was lined up with the edge of the most forward tooth on the sprocket and was in the green on the sticker, but the camera angle was on a slightly different axis apparently so there's a small gap between the string and the tooth.
I also looked at the sticker and I don't see how they can get them in the same place twice. There's no mark or anything to positively locate it on the chain guard. I suspect the guy that puts the tick marks on the adjusters for double sided swing arms that never seem to be the same from one side to the other has the VFR chain wear sticker job as an additional duty.
So the question now is: Is my chain good to go? Or is the sticker just fortuitously located farther back on my chain guard than the next guy's, giving the appearance that the chain is not stretched beyond serviceability limits? I think I'll just keep adjusting my chain like Bent said until the sprockets start looking tired, then replace them all at the same time.
I don't spend a lot of time adjusting the chain and I can say I don't understand the sticker. I'm sure it is in the book. The last time I adjusted it I tried the old can you pull the chain off of the rear sprocket at all. A chain that is not worn out should cling onto the sprocket and not pull away from it.
My guess is the sticker is an indication of wear based on adjusting the sprocket past those marks. So what if I change the gearing by changing the number of teeth on the sprocket and the number of links in the chain. That sticker is just an indication that the chain might be worn out. Inspect the sprocket gaps and teeth for deformation. Are there any frozen links or signs of rust from overheating.
After adjustment (keep it on the loose side) try to pull the chain away from the rear most part of the rear sprocket. If it's sloppy on the sprocket then that is a better indication of wear than any sticker extrapolation.
Try to keep the chain clean and lubed but above all don't over adjust it. O-ring chains have lube sealed in. Topical lube is mostly dressing that seal out water and prevents rusting. I'm sure it helps the spockets a bit too.
I'd add that you can actually measure chain strech (wear) with an accurate ruler thusly: Put the bike in gear and rotate the wheel either forward or backward until the top or bottom row is tight. You need to access 10" of chain and it can be either top or bottom run.
A brand new chain will measure exactly 10" pin to pin for 16 links of a 5/8 pitch chain. A really worn one will measure 10 1/8" or more. At this much wear the chain will readily pull off the back of the rear sprocket even when it is adjusted for proper slack and therefore should be replaced. At 1/16" over 10" it could be, but many will let it go a little longer.
The nice thing about measuring like this is that you can corelate chain wear to mileage and get a rough idea of how many miles your particular chain will last (with one caveat): wear will accelerate as more miles accumulate so it isn't a linear corelation.
[image: View Post]fuldogg, on Jul 24 2008, 11:53 PM, said:
What Cap't Bob says is true.
I'd add that you can actually measure chain strech (wear) with an accurate ruler thusly: Put the bike in gear and rotate the wheel either forward or backward until the top or bottom row is tight. You need to access 10" of chain and it can be either top or bottom run.
A brand new chain will measure exactly 10" pin to pin for 16 links of a 5/8 pitch chain. A really worn one will measure 10 1/8" or more. At this much wear the chain will readily pull off the back of the rear sprocket even when it is adjusted for proper slack and therefore should be replaced. At 1/16" over 10" it could be, but many will let it go a little longer.
The nice thing about measuring like this is that you can corelate chain wear to mileage and get a rough idea of how many miles your particular chain will last (with one caveat): wear will accelerate as more miles accumulate so it isn't a linear corelation.
I believe this method requires that you hang a weight of a pound or so on the bottom of the chain so that it's fully extended (thus showing the amt of internal wear) before measuring it. To get the best effect of the weight, I assume it'd have to be on the centerstand so the wheel could rotate and allow the take-up of the slack for an accurate measurement.
I own a bicycle shop...We use a tool to check fro chain stretch on bicycle chains. do they not make one for Motorcycles? its a pretty simple tool and works great basically it has two pins and a pivot you push it and it tells you how much in mm the chain has stretched. Also pulling on the large chainring on the front, rear on a moto, works like mentioned above..a worn chain on a bicycle will pull off slightly, a new or good one will not...
So no one makes a tool to check chain stretch?? Hmm Maybe i should build a big version for motorcycles using the Bicycle one as a guide....I always thought you checked motorcycle chains with a tool...
[image: View Post]GGray, on Aug 3 2008, 12:17 AM, said:
I own a bicycle shop...We use a tool to check fro chain stretch on bicycle chains. do they not make one for Motorcycles? its a pretty simple tool and works great basically it has two pins and a pivot you push it and it tells you how much in mm the chain has stretched. Also pulling on the large chainring on the front, rear on a moto, works like mentioned above..a worn chain on a bicycle will pull off slightly, a new or good one will not... So no one makes a tool to check chain stretch?? Hmm Maybe i should build a big version for motorcycles using the Bicycle one as a guide....I always thought you checked motorcycle chains with a tool...
Not a bad idea! I bet people will buy it.
To answer the other question, I believe that a little bit of rust on the outside is okay (within reason), rust leaking from the pins is bad.
--Ryan.
[image: View Post]DarkKnight, on Aug 3 2008, 11:59 AM, said:
A very good question. The bottom line for us is how stretched it too unsafe to ride (145 mph) with?
Indeed. I'm trying to figure out the same thing on my '06. I bought the bike with 15k and have since put 4,000 more on it. I dont have any idea when the PO changed the chain, if ever, so I am thinking about replacing it as a precaution. But OTOH, i would hate to throw away a chain that only has 5,000 miles on it. Rear sprocket looks fine as far as I can tell, and very little rust on the chain.
End of thread · 21 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 10 Apr 2010