Got that chain breaker finally

 I tackled the rear wheel today on my CB550.  Got rid of that horrendous back
sprocket (aluminum and absolutely worn out) and replaced the chain.  Chain
was rusty and loose, but in a pinch it will work, so I'll stow it in the
fairing.  The new chain was a nice X-chain that had to be cut down to size.
After whacking away at it with a grinder I bit the bullet and bought a combo
tool from the motorcycle shop.  Best investment I ever made, flat out.  What
was turning into a 2 hour job turned into a 20 minute job.  I made the chain
a bit long, something I hope doesn't come back to bite me, but I figured
that if I cut it too short that'd be all she wrote for that chain.  Still,
nice tool and I'm definitely glad I got one.

Riddle me this, why in the world would you make a back sprocket aluminum for
use on a steel chain.  Would it not be an almost certainty that the sprocket
would wear out much faster that way.

 Eigenvector wrote:

Too long is the way to go.  You want at least an inch of play in it.
Supposedly too tight puts undue stress on the countershaft bearings.  I
know I've run them too tight (because I hate slop in the drive train)
and suffered broken teeth on the rear sprocket as a result.


Unsprung weight.  Aluminum holds up fine for a chain or two and is
considerably lighter.

 saddlebag wrote:

There is an exact number of links that the CB550's chain should
be, it is not a matter for experimentation.  The number of links
in a chain is unrelated to the matter of determining how
tight the chain should be, since all chain driven motorcycles
worthy of the name incorporate a mechanism to adjust the amount
of chain slack.  The chain slack should be measured so that when
the swingarm is at the angle where the sprockets are at their
greatest distance the chain will not be taut.  This will
generally be achieved by measuring the slack while the rear
suspension is uncompressed, and the correct amount of slack will
be approximately 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches.  Misadjusting a chain to
the point where it gets bowstring tight can ruin some very
expensive parts such as countershaft bearings.

--
'01 SV650S  '99 EX250-F13  '98 ZG1000-A13
OMF #7

 

Man, that's some slack.  The service guide on my bike only calls for 3/8th
to 3/4" slack.  I'm guessing bikes with long wheelbases have much more
deflection in them.  In any event I tension my chain according to the
service manual specs - but strangely enough the number of links in the chain
isn't actually stated anywhere, not in the service manual, Haynes manual, or
Clymer manual - so I based it off the old chain.

 Eigenvector wrote:


Makes sense.  Now that you mention it, I guess now I know why I always
clipped it "perfectly."