How To Check and Adjust Your Motorcycle Chain | MC Garage

Checking and adjusting chain tension is a fundamental bit of maintenance, right up there with checking your oil and tire pressures. Very basic, pretty easy, and also really important! Run your chain too loose and it’ll slap around and may jump off the sprocket and throw you on your head. Run it too tight and you’ll wear out your chain and sprockets and inhibit rear suspension action. In this video from the MC Garage, Ari shows you how to check and adjust that chain for optimal performance and longevity.

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Motorcycle chain slack is a fundamental piece of maintenance, right up there with checking your oil and tire pressures. Very basic, pretty easy, and also really important.

Why does chain slack matter? Well, if your chain gets too loose, it could jump off the sprocket, jam up, and chuck you on the ground. A loose chain is also going to slap around and make a bunch of noise and create a lot of driveline lash.

A too-tight chain, while less common, is also bad. If your chain is too tight it’s going to wear out the sprockets and chain faster, plus it can inhibit suspension action.

How much chain slack you need varies based on the bike, so check your owner’s manual or the sticker on your swingarm for the spec. For streetbikes, the figure is usually between 30 and 40mm. Your owner’s manual will also tell you whether to measure the slack with the bike on the sidestand, or with it held vertical on a rearstand.

Armed with a slack figure, it’s time to take a measurement. Using a ruler or tape measure placed against the underside of the swingarm midway between the sprockets, pull the chain down and note the measurement, and then push it up and check the number. Now calculate the total deflection by subtracting the smaller number from the larger number.

If your chain needs to be adjusted, the first thing you need to do is crack the axle nut loose. Don’t spin it off, just loosen it enough to allow the wheel to move in the swingarm. There are several different styles of axle adjusters out there, but most will have a lock nut that you need to crack free. Then turn the adjuster ¼ turn at a time to shift the axle position and change the chain slack. Make sure you’re moving the left and right side the same amount, and check the reference marks on the adjuster to verify that the wheel is straight in the swingarm.

Once you’ve made an adjustment, recheck the tension. It might take some trial and error.

Once you think you’ve got the slack set, stick a rag or a screwdriver under the chain and rotate the wheel to pull the axle forward against the adjusters, then tighten down your rear-axle nut to the proper torque. Then pull the rag out and tighten the locknuts on the adjusters. Finally, recheck the slack one more time. With that done, you might as well wipe your chain down with some cleaner and give it a shot of lube.

And that’s it! One of the most basic maintenance procedures there is, so you don’t have any excuse not to do it! I hope you enjoyed this vid. If you have questions or video topics, leave ‘em in the comments section. Until next time, ride safe.

[GRWHITEC]

For new riders attempting this, listen to what the advice he is suggesting as a 1/4 turn at a time with the adjuster nuts. A full turn or two moves the wheel a significant margin and you will know right away in the chain tension or looseness. Do one quarter turn each side. Check chain tension. Check twice. Adjust as necessary. Check chain tension. Check it twice. Adjust as necessary. The only thing I wish was the notch marks on the bike were large lines with 3 smaller lines in between the large ones for finer adjustment.

[orion]

Brilliant video just saved me £50 and now my gear changes are so much better. Videos like this make me want to do more work on my own bike

[DesmoProfundis]

Been at this for literally my entire life, as in, I started riding at 9 years old and am 54 now, never not having a bike in that time. I have still never heard the rag in the sprocket trick. Thanks for that one!

[hammerofthegods]

would like to add that its always a good idea to adjust the tension in the tightest part of the chain, otherwise you risk over-tightening... great video as always

[MCTeck]

Clean and lube chain first. Take a short ride. Chain will slack even more after lubing. Then adjust. I found this out when I adjusted first then lubed, . chain got loose, went back and had to re-adjust.

[prizebitch]

I just tightened the chain on my Honda msx125 after watching this video. It was so helpful as I'm really not mechanically inclined at all! The bike rides fine now and the chain no longer jumps about when it's in 1st or 2nd 👍👍👍

[mmorgz]

i have a mate who is quite new to the motorbike scene and i got him onto your channel... your vids are so basic and easy to follow man. thanks and keep them coming

[postersm]

1:22 this is correct but it’s important to spin the wheel and measure the slack when the chain is at its tightest point during the rotation meaning find the tightest point and then take your measurement per most manuals

[gronkgrunk]

Good vid, one of the most important bike maintenance that many riders over-look.
Liked the 69 tribute on the side, RIP Nicky Hayden.

[areeb]

Even though I have seen numerous other videos of how to adjust chain, I would still watch Ari how to do it!

[Dusty-ch]

I can't tell you how many times I've referred to this video. This is one of the best videos ever made period. So helpful. Thank you guys a ton!

[rickybobby]

Question is: how much force should one use when raising the chain? I have heard different things and there will be a big difference in stopping at first resistance vs applying more force

[bobpeterson]

Nice touch adding the Kentucky Kid sticker. He will be missed.

[sigis]

love these videos. Short, easy to understand and massively useful. Cheers!

[siemens]

Awesome stuff Ari! What about a vid on steering dampers and how they operate?

[christopherharrington]

I'm looking forward to the video showing the alternate methods for aligning your rear wheel straight to the bike. Love the vids, Cheers!

[qualle]

Wait... An american guy using the metric system?!
I LOVE YOU. You are awesome!

[stephentruckey]

I'm just starting to realize how important maintenance really is to a top performing motorcycle. My chain was hanging low and did wobble to and fro.

[glenjamin]

Another very informative vid! Good job guys! I like the trick with the rag. Need to try that next time. I think a good topic to cover would be suspension. I feel that suspension adjustments are a very underrated necessity to getting the optimal performance / handling setting out of your bike.

[DirtyTaxman]

it is funny how I was about to do this procedure for the first time tomorrow, and this video pops out :D