Chain making clanking grinding sound.

[tod.branko_imp]

50mm??? I thought the specification was 30-35 mm slack?

You thought right.

It is 25-35mm on a side stand according to the service manual

Feel free to ignore the 50mm slack, not even my dirt bike used that much slack with 300mm or rear suspension travel.
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[Cormanus]

Well, the measurement is supposed to be on the centre stand and max is not usually right on the money with these things, so I might just wait and see whether it was a typo or he has some other advice.

And, I was wrong, it's 25-35mm on the centre stand, isn't it?

And I'm afraid I've deleted your photo as I'm afraid we can't allow reprinting copyright material on the forum.

[tod.branko_imp]

Well, the measurement is supposed to be on the centre stand and max is not usually right on the money with these things, so I might just wait and see whether it was a typo or he has some other advice.

And, I was wrong, it's 25-35mm on the centre stand, isn't it?

And I'm afraid I've deleted your photo as I'm afraid we can't allow reprinting copyright material on the forum.

That's ok, wasn't aware. And no, measuring on the side stand with swingarm loaded

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[bflint]

How many miles on the chain?

49,000


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[Lord Popgun]

tod, according the the service manual YOU posted in this link: http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....#pid277402 page 3-19, it says to turn the ignition off, place the motorcycle on the centerstand, and shift the transmission into neutral. Slack should be 25-35mm at the center point.

TL/DR put bike on centerstand to check chain slack.

[Olof_imp]

tod, according the the service manual YOU posted in this link: http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....#pid277402 page 3-19, it says to turn the ignition off, place the motorcycle on the centerstand, and shift the transmission into neutral. Slack should be 25-35mm at the center point.

TL/DR put bike on centerstand to check chain slack.

Checked my manual and it says the same. However, all bikes I've had have tight spots, also the RS from new. Thus I find it to be good practice to check several times, rotating the wheel slightly between each measurement. Otherwise, if you aim for the minimum slack (as I do) you risk an overly tight chain.

[tod.branko_imp]

tod, according the the service manual YOU posted in this link: http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....#pid277402 page 3-19, it says to turn the ignition off, place the motorcycle on the centerstand, and shift the transmission into neutral. Slack should be 25-35mm at the center point.

TL/DR put bike on centerstand to check chain slack.

You are absolutely right, slip of an eye, I apologise for disinformation

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[max]

Cormanus et all you are of course exactly right with 25 to 35 mm. according to page 79 of the manual and i have just checked this method on both the center stand and side stand.

The reason for my over estimation is because i understood bflint is on a road trip and had a problem so i wanted to come up with a simple way to see if the chain was not too tight, he may not have taken a decimal ruler and manual with him and a ball park figure that would work seemed ok to me.

The effect of a slightly loose chain is only 10% of the play at the rear wheel, most is the result of the gearbox and needed for a smooth gear shift, i had always assumed it was the chain that caused the drive lash until i actually measured the amount and it surprised me so i made a short video showing the minimal effect of a loose chain on the drive train lash;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exAZj1X427s

So thanks to everybody for the corrections and the very helpful link by n4rn above to help bflint solve the noise, i am also very interested in what other members use as a practical way to check the chain on a road trip?

And of course great thanks to Guth and all contributing members for this wonderful forum.

[Cormanus]

Max, in my earlier post, I meant to say you are usually right on the money. Apologies for the error.

I usually make sure the chain is in spec before setting out on a longish trip, lube it occasionally while away and then check and adjust if necessary when I get home. I’ve only once had a problem—the first time I suffered from the clanking described above—and I tried adjusting the chain. Pterodactyl and Inhouse Bob were with me and we did it by sight. Tension wasn’t the problem.

A bush mechanic, if really stuck, would probably find a straight-ish stick and scratch a mark on it. Using the middle joint of the little finger to measure, said bush mechanic would make another mark that distance from the first. That joint is around 1” or 25mm long which would give one a minimum spec. From there, I think you could make a reasonable guess about whether it was way too loose.

Speaking only for myself, if the chain needed tightening after I’d measured it, and I really was in the middle of no-where, I have no idea how I’d fabricate a lever sufficient to loosen (and then re-tighten) the 83 ft-lb rear axle nut. The Honda toolkit is not up to the task.

[the Ferret]

Wow, that's a lot of miles on the chain. Mine was shot at 37,000.

After all these years I'm still not sure I know the "correct" way (modern way?) to measure chain slack. I have always measured with bike on the center stand, roll wheel, feeling chain for tightest spot, measure slack from resting chain and pushing upwards, with tightest spot in the middle, to see how much slack there is. Measuring that, and adjusting from there.

On the sticker on the swingarm (and possibly in the manual?) it indicates "to me" to pull down on the chain until it is taut, then push up on the chain until it is taut, and measure the distance in between. Seems to me a 1 1/8" slack measuring that way would be awfully tight, especially when laden with rider and gear.

I have never seen a mechanic do it that way and was in the motorcycle business for 17 years.