How to Adjust a Motorcycle Chain!!

How to Adjust a Motorcycle Chain!! | Kawasaki Z900RS

Рет қаралды 2,303

10 ай бұрын

Hallo friends, for many years people have messaged me, commented and in two instances in my memory asked in person could I make a video on how to tighten a chain. I have avoided this as some jobs on motorcycles REALLY bring out people who are strongly attached to a certain way of doing things.
I'm not a professional, however this is how I do it and it's correct as per several mechanics I've talked to over the years, presented as best as I could while my garage was roughly as hot and humid as a swampy sun.
If you enjoyed the video please hit the like button, it pleases the gods of KZfaq and then let my videos do well :D Also if you're new here please consider hitting that subscribe button for more bike related content :)
Thanks for watching!
Use code GORILLA10 for 10% off at ultimateaddons.com
Use code GORILLA10 for 10% off at dango-design.co.uk
About me!
My Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/ie/shop/thegoril...
My Patreon: / thegorillabiker
PayPal: thegorillabiker@gmail.com
Instagram: / thegorillabiker
Facebook: / thegorillabiker
Twitter: / bikergorilla
Bikes: Suzuki V-Strom 1000 2015
Honda CB750 Nighthawk 750 1997
Kawasaki Z900RS 2019
Honda Super Magna Vf750c 1987 (In Storage)
Suzuki GSX-R 750 SRAD 1996 (In Storage)
Gear: Street and Steel Anarchy 2 jacket
Lindstrand Jeans.
LS2 Storm(In Ireland) & HJC RPHA 11
Gloves: Lindstrad Orbital WP, Knox Orsa Leather Mk 2, Indie Ridge.
Boots: Oxford Continental WP Boots, Indie Ridge Commanches,
Indie Ridge Crows, Indie Ridge Crossfields.
Electronics: Cardo Packtalk Bold
Gopro Hero 7 Black
DJI Osmo Action
Insta360 One X2
Nikon D3500
Canon M50
The legend that is Chewie! He made me some musica which I love :)
/ hachewie
chewiepix?...
The magician behind my new graphics : / davidwright_photography
Mental State: I don't own near enough bikes.
#howto #z900rs #chain #kawasaki

Пікірлер: 59

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Is this how you adjust your chain? I know there are a million different ways to do it, some people roll a spanner in there to get the tension and adjust from there!

@MonkeyButtRides 10 ай бұрын

Yes, that is almost exactly to a T how I check/adjust my chains on all my bikes.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

@@MonkeyButtRides we are basically geniuses

@MonkeyButtRides 10 ай бұрын

@@TheGorillaBiker certifiable

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

@@MonkeyButtRides KZfaq certified 😂

@jonathanwilkinson267 Ай бұрын

Hang a wooden board on your garage wall, you'll save loads of time looking for the correct size spanners, screwdrivers etc and keep your garage neat and tidy. I only keep large or infrequently used tools in a toolbox.

@callandy100 10 ай бұрын

Good vid. "Just moved so don't know where everything is yet" is my mantra at the mo! Just be certain it will not be where it should be 😂 I don't have a sensible tool box or vice at the mo, so will be looking for myself shortly. I'll be very interested in your choices as things progress. Cheers, Andy.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Haha yeah it's some pain in the behind now to be fair. Like I spent a good 5 minutes looking for my torque wrenches 😂😂 Yeah the nice thing about America is that sort of stuff is very readily available :)

@nickfisher3415 10 ай бұрын

Great video as always, but at 2.08 it sounds like you dropped a sneaky fart 😂😂 jokes aside I started watching you for the cbf 1000 videos as it’s the same bike as I have, but have watched most of your videos now. You seem like a pretty decent guy and your videos are always informative and helpful. Keep up the good work 👍

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Haha I heard that in editing, it was my flip flop on my sweaty feet 😂 Thank you, glad you've been enjoying them and I promise, I'm a terrible person really :)

@stephencartwright5046 10 ай бұрын

Late to the party! Did I miss anything? No looks like another solid job. 👍

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Haha you'll never miss anything on KZfaq happily, they don't go anywhere! Thank you sir.

@byDanimal 10 ай бұрын

Very nice. I hope to be able to refer back to this one day. In fact I'm sure I will. I don't have a lot of experience with Harbor Freight but I've heard the tool boxes aren't a complete fiasco.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Thank you sir. I hope it proves useful for people, the biggest mistake I see really is the loosening of the axle, that'll really mess you up. Yeah so it would seem, can never have enough data tho :P I'm such a nerd ....

@RoadsOfOz 10 ай бұрын

My garage is always messy. I used to worry about it in my videos, but not anymore. At least your Kawasaki does not have the eccentric axle setup found on some of its other models.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Oh God you're dead right, I'd like it neat for me! But if someone has an issue with it, tough 😂 We have garages not production studios eh. Hahaha very true. The castle nut is a nice to have but that's about as far as I'd go with their alternate ways of doing things. The adjuster lock nuts being the same size as the adjuster bolt is a pain too.

@user-is2vy7ou4d 27 күн бұрын

I noticed on mine that on the swing arm it specifically states to check the chain tension while it's on the side stand.

@TheGorillaBiker 27 күн бұрын

That's to make sure people don't use centre stands. Mechanically you have to have weight on the swingarm. A paddock stand is fine to use also. Side stand is perfect if that's all you have.

@HippoDrones 10 ай бұрын

It amazes me how many people don't adjust their own chains and pay main dealerships to do so for them.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

I understand how some people would be nervous of it but there's so much info out there now that really there isn't an excuse not to have a crack at it I feel :) Were just turning in to grumpy old men :P

@HippoDrones 10 ай бұрын

I'm def getting old... and think I've already made it to the dizzy heights of grumpy! 😀@@TheGorillaBiker

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

@@HippoDrones you are probably one of the least grumpy people I've met 😂😂

@HippoDrones 10 ай бұрын

@@TheGorillaBiker Ha... you should see the grumpy face on me right now at work! 😀

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

I bet it's still friendly :)

@MightyMouzMoto 10 ай бұрын

I'm new to this myself, but on other videos, I've seen instruction for checking the tension, that you are to push the bottom only up to the point where you are not moving the top of the chain. Is that correct?

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

I honestly don't understand what you mean sorry!! You push the chain until it doesn't move any more basically, that's the available slack on the chain. if there's movement left and you're not on a dirt bike etc then you haven't measured all of the slack :)

@TheHelac 10 ай бұрын

I just stripped out rear axle threads on my brand new vstrom 650 by over tightning, it appears. I still find it hard to believe, and I wasnt the first one, vstroms seem to be susceptible to it... an expensive lesson to get that torque wrench

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Ah I'm sorry to hear that, sadly it's easily done as most stuff now is aluminum! Great material for weight and all but not particularly resistant to abuse. I hope you can get a new axle soon! No need for a mad expensive torque wrench either just a decent one :)

@paulhartwell8460 10 ай бұрын

Small point but I think you should have the paddock stand swing arm cups as close to the axle as possible because the lever effect of the swing arm. If positioned away from the axle the weight of the bike will not compress the rear shock as much (and hence raise the swing arm) as it would if the rear wheel is on the ground. Hope that makes sense.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

I mean technically you're correct but the effect of the lever another 100mm or so is going to be negligible for the chain tightening, also that paddock stand is shite and the rear of the swing arm is tapered, which is why I said I want to get one to use with bobbins, it's an Amazon one and the wheels literally like to fall off the thing. Have them modified now so they shouldn't. So mathematically and mechanical effort wise you're right. But in real terms the difference is minimal and the bike is way more secure the way I had it :)

@paulhartwell8460 10 ай бұрын

@@TheGorillaBiker understood. I did not mean to be picky I was not sure how much of an effect it would have. I’ve seen folks adjusting the slack with the swing arm unsupported ( on the centre stand) and end up having no slack with the wheel on the ground. This will knacker the chain, sprockets and bearings. On the other extreme I’ve been in a ride with a novice whose chain was so loose it came off the sprocket. PS love the RS 900 great looking machine. I have a Speed Twin which has similar styling. Enjoy your videos both in your homeland and now across the pond. 👍

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Yeah I mentioned in the video not to do it on your swingarm, never a good idea. You CAN do it, but you'd have to do some experimenting. I did also mention pressure on bearings and sprockets in the video :) Thanks!

@hachewie 10 ай бұрын

Nice safety boots mate.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

Most of the time I wear my skin boots in the garage. I do have scars yes.

@hachewie 10 ай бұрын

@@TheGorillaBiker Hahahaha. We must be brothers.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

@hachewie it's possible. No evidence to the contrary

@benjaminfuentes4682 10 ай бұрын

That nut was pretty tight. I bet them bearings will wear faster.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

This man is wise.

@hachewie 10 ай бұрын

I already know how to do this but need not as my bike is a shaft drive. I’ll watch anyway I case one day I get to own a beautiful bike like your Kawasaki.

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

You now own one of the most beautiful bikes on this revolving sphere thing that we call home.

@hachewie 10 ай бұрын

@@TheGorillaBiker yes. But we can have more than one. 😉

@TheGorillaBiker 10 ай бұрын

@@hachewie very true :)

@user-is2vy7ou4d 27 күн бұрын

Why can't you loosen the axle from the right side and just leave the cotter pin side alone?

@TheGorillaBiker 27 күн бұрын

The Cotter pin goes through the axle.

@user-is2vy7ou4d 27 күн бұрын

@TheGorillaBiker oh yeah that makes sense. I guess I wasn't really thinking. I'm adjusting mine for the first time today. Good video.

@BikerBoy101 4 ай бұрын

The cotter pin is upside down, needs to be fitted ither way round with the cotter pin head at the top so if anything happend to the pin it doesnt fall out

@TheGorillaBiker 4 ай бұрын

If it's wrapped correctly it really doesn't matter.

@BikerBoy101 4 ай бұрын

@@TheGorillaBiker it does because the bits that you bend become weaker then the rest, trust me check Google etc but that is 100% incorrect, look it up

@TheGorillaBiker 4 ай бұрын

While you are correct the bent parts become weaker, but there's a nut torqued to spec, a cotter pin which is a safety device just in case the nut fails(already terribly bad) and a rubber boot holding the cotter pin in place.....it's absolutely fine. Ideally from the top sure, but it's literally grand.

@BikerBoy101 4 ай бұрын

@@TheGorillaBiker totally agree its a fail safe and if torqued right shouldnt need it but if is extra safety then might aswell serve its purpose 👍 easily fixed next time you adjust chain you can swap it out... Take care ride safe

@TheGorillaBiker 4 ай бұрын

You too, I'm going to put it that way every time now to prove a point :P

@switchblade762x51 3 ай бұрын

I'm only here to see how to do it. My Z900RS is the only different one I have owned...mfkr HAD TO BE different!

@TheGorillaBiker 3 ай бұрын

What else would you be here for? :D Yeah Kawasaki's all tend to be like this, they've stuck to the same formula on most of their bikes for a long time.