How To: Standard Motorcycle Swingarm Chain Adjustment

Setting chain tension is critical, so you need to take all the steps patiently and in sequence to make sure that you do the job once. If you don't know what a "tight spot" is on a chain, you'll see it in this video. The standard double sided swingarm on this 2015 BMW S1000RR is engineered like most Japanese bikes in terms of the adjusters.

[DRACATI-]

I just finished my very first chain adjustment on my Ducati Monster. I wish I had seen this before I did it 😊

It all went very well but I am a lil worried I set it too tight, seemed tough to find the true tight spot on the chain. I’ll double check it now after watching several of your videos on the matter.

Thanks for all you do! 🎉 🏍️

[robertkacala]

Dave time to write a classic maintenance book :)

[brandonclark]

Thanks for the video mate! My s1000r chain was way too loose and THIS video gave me the confidence to tighten it.

[Bikeadelic]

So useful. All the little things like the spanner in the teeth because the wheel is free

[mikeism]

He is the best. There are a bunch of people over tightening there chains putting videos out there. There are only a couple people here on YouTube that actually know what there doing. Just watch Dave to be on the safe side. Appreciate the videos and explaining why you do what you do. Have a blessed summer

[WILLY]

Although it's the same concept, I'd like to see a video where adjustment of the chain slack/alignment is done with rear wheels that use snail adjusters. My XR650L has the snail adjusters, to me it seems like every time I adjust it's either to loose so it feels like there's a delay everytime I get back on the throttle or it's to tight. It's hard to find the sweet spot and if there is it doesn't last long. Can't be my chain it's less than a 6 months old and I've been using Motion Pro Chain Alignment Tool but these bike do have a problem with the front countershaft wear and mine has some already. But I try to keep an eye on my chain tension and slack and these videos help a lot, thanks for posting

[patjakker]

I always sit and walk around on my bike to adjust your chain, because the sprockets are not round, if you turn the wheel you'll see that the slak/tension will vary it's called the polygon effect. The pivot of your swing arm isn't in the same spot as your front sprocket, so if you don't sit on your bike there's more slak on your chain and if you adjust it then it will be to tight when you sit on it.

[esmiley]

Mr Dave, here’s my problem with this video. You didn’t explain anything! We watch your not just to learn how but also why. Yeah dude’s chain was too tight, but when you were done with your adjustments there was no measuring for accuracy, just the look and feel like a chef who’s made a dish a million times and knows by looking when it is right. Sir, we look at your videos to also learn and understand why you do what your are doing.

All I learned from this video is that I can’t use a slake measuring tool because the bottom of my S1000RR swingarm is too high. I still don’t know if when I have the correct amount of slack.

[steveguest]

Great video Dave, can i ask why does a chain have a tight spot ? …. Cheers

[TimGoodrich]

Slap on a set of Lightech chain adjusters and this job becomes mindless....  :)

[onanysunday]

there is only one way to correctly determine the amount of chain slack needed for a given rear suspension geometry
the 3 axis line is the point in suspension travel when the 3 critical centers are in line
c/s sprocket, swingarm pivot and rear axle
almost all suspension geometries will have travel above and below this 3 axis straight line
at this moment in travel the chain reaches its tightest point and if the chain is adjusted to have just a bit of slack here, less than 1/4'' then it is correctly adjusted
on twin shock bikes you can easily undo the shocks and find this point and or use carefully p[laced ratchet straps
once the chain slack is adjusted thusly then it can be observed how much you have on centerstand or any other method to get full drop of rear wheel
measure it there and use that for future reference
a roller chain must NEVER be run in a mechanically tight situation
the further the swingarm pivot is from the c/s centerline the greater the amount of chain slack variation during wheel travel
just about the same time as single shocks suspension became popular all mfgs designed new machines with close proximity of c/s and swinger pivot

[sscups]

Should the bike be off the rear stand to do the chain? Once you adjust like you did, on the rear stand, does taking it off the rear stand change the tension much? Thanks for the great videos.

[markjwoodford]

Do you put something in between the chain and the sprocket to stop the chain tension increasing from tightening the wheel nut?

[gosoku]

After your finished with the chain adjustment, are you supposed to tighten the chain adjusting lock nut first or the axle lug nut? That always confused me. Thanks Dave

[AdryDoic]

Chain adjustment ok...but what is with correct wheel alignment to the front ?
Can we believe in these tiny mark's on the swingarm to be correct ?

[trustnuffin]

Hi, I have recently installed a new DID chain & sprocket set and have had trouble setting the chain tension to makers recommendation (Yamaha R6 @ 30mm to 45mm ).
I have ridden it for approx 6 hrs and the set is getting noticeably louder.
I placed it in my rear paddock stand and have found a slack spot at 40mm travel and a really tight spot at 22mm.
When you freewheel the chain around you can visibly see the tight spot against the free spot moving up and down consistently.
Is it a faulty chain ?

[Kevtribal]

Dave what was the spanner in between the rear sprocket & chain doing? Some sort of marker? Pull tension?

[mattluettgen]

Why did you wedge the wrench between the chain and sprocket when you are tightening the axle nut?

[honeybadgerwrx]

Can anyone be so kind as to tell me what size socket goes on the lock nut before making adjustments? Also what if my bike has little black things on the end and it would appear a socket wouldn't work there? Sorry I'm not sure what those are called, maybe some form of crash protection offered from BMW?

[Bryanj]

is it possible to put the wheel out of alignment with the front wheel using this procedure?