Anyone else SICK of chain maintenace?

[BarryG]

How big a deal is it to ride on a chain that's a little loose? My chain and sprockets are on their way out I guess-17K mi-orig chain/sprockets. I'm having to tighten it every 500 mi or so now as it keeps loosening. Bird is riding GREAT though. Is there much harm in just not tightening it to spec while it's a little on the loose side? I already tightened but I'm getting sick of chains since I have 2 chain bikes. I LOVE the Bird but man a C14 would be a HELL of alot easier on me....maintenance-wise!

[Mekanix]

I've already decided a long time ago that the next superbike I get will be shaft drive. That will actually be the #1 selling point in my next bike. I don't mind the cleaning and maintenance, but I like the long distance with never thinking about lubing my chain, or dealing with the nasty sticky fling-off from lubing systems.

[BarryG]

Well I don't ride long distance so I guess I should quit my bitchin'

But my next bike will most definitely be a shaft.....C14 or K1200S...etc

[Jaygermeister]

As chains go it’s better to be a little to loose than tight. Just make sure each and every time you adjust your chain on its tight spot. If you don’t it can seem it loose when it’s not. So always check and adjust your chain on its tightest spot.

[Warchild]

If you install a good chain oiler (that actually works well), you would be amazed at how infrequently you have to adjust your chain.

I put a Pro-Oiler on the K8 last winter, and the stock chain has, amazingly enough, required NO adjustment in the past 28,000 miles (other than when it gets adjusted during a rear tire change.) I've had a Tsubaki chain and oem sprockets sitting on the shelf for months, waiting for the stock chain to wear out.... but it's still going strong, no kinks/tight spots/etc. The Pro-Oiler's twin-nozzle dispenser kicks serious ass.....

[BarryG]

If you install a good chain oiler (that actually works well), you would be amazed at how infrequently you have to adjust your chain.

I put a Pro-Oiler on the K8 last winter, and the stock chain has, amazingly enough, required NO adjustment in the past 28,000 miles (other than when it gets adjusted during a rear tire change.) I've had a Tsubaki chain and oem sprockets sitting on the shelf for months, waiting for the stock chain to wear out.... but it's still going strong, no kinks/tight spots/etc. The Pro-Oiler's twin-nozzle dispenser kicks serious ass.....

That's impressive but don't those get messy? with lube getting on the wheels/tires...etc? I guess the oiler can sense when the chain needs lubing? Sorry I don't know that much about them except that they are out there.

[Warchild]

That's impressive but don't those get messy? with lube getting on the wheels/tires...etc? I guess the oiler can sense when the chain needs lubing? Sorry I don't know that much about them except that they are out there.

It is characterized as a "total loss" system, so there is some residual fling-off...... but it's pretty trivial, if your flow rate is set properly. Too, a little WD-40 on a shop towel, and it wipes up effortlessly.

In the case of the Pro-Oiler, yes, it absolutely "senses" when it needs to dispense oil, because it is connected to your odometer pick-up! It dispenses oil based *strictly* upon distance ridden... which is the proper way to go about it. If you run into a situation where you temporarily need a greater flow rate - say, riding through heavy rain, or riding through a desert dust storm, etc - the Pro-Oiler has a control module that sits on the triple tree, allowing you to temporarily increase (or decrease) oil flow while underway.

[RXX]

Organdonor has one for sale. I love mine

[Geoff James]

I'm with Warchild. I fitted a Scottoiler when my 'bird had a chain and sprocket change at 20000 km (poor maintenance by original owner I assume). I've now reached 70000 km on the same chain and sprockets and I don't need to tension the chain between tyre changes. I do get a small amount of oil fling on the rim and the inside of the chain guard but it's not a big deal. The 50 ml reservoir of the Scottoiler is good for over 1500 km so you can see it doesn't use much.

[BarryG]

Thanks for the info. I may look into one. Is it a bitch to install for someone mechanically uninclined like myself? I could always have my mechanic do it. So I guess you just clean the chain before the 500 mi interval (or whatever) when it will start oiling again.....

[runner]

I may be adding one of those pro-oilers soon. It would save me the headache of most chain maintenance as well....

[OMG]

let's see -- I have 85k on the RS and um well I really like the single side wheel set-up and no chain. I clean the wheel when it gets a new tire.

That being said - the bird has the pro-oiler and I wouldn't be without it. My son rides the Hayabusa and it's fun to watch him wrestle with the spray and no center stand. And +1 on the adjustments, very few. Still the hassle of cleaning the shiny parts is a pain.

[Zero Knievel]

Thanks for the info. I may look into one. Is it a bitch to install for someone mechanically uninclined like myself? I could always have my mechanic do it. So I guess you just clean the chain before the 500 mi interval (or whatever) when it will start oiling again.....

I think the hardest part is drilling into the swingarm for the two bracket mounting holes. You only get one chance to do it right.

I don't like the oil bottle. I put mine back by the ECU and used a used T-shirt to keep it upright. Where they suggest mounting it doesn't work if you have hard luggage because you have to remove the rear cowling to top off the oil bottle.

[MrBadExxample]

Overcoming the inertia and direction change of shaft drive typically costs about 20 hp. No thanks. I'll stick with a chain

But my next bike will most definitely be a shaft..... K1200S...etc

Be sure to research final drive failures on the first generation and evo paralever designs.

[redxxrdr]

Overcoming the inertia and direction change of shaft drive typically costs about 20 hp. No thanks. I'll stick with a chain

But my next bike will most definitely be a shaft..... K1200S...etc

Be sure to research final drive failures on the first generation and evo paralever designs.

The 20 or so horsepower sucks, but todays engines make huge power compared to 20 years ago.

My 87 Magna is shaft drive, and has never been apart.

Tire changes are a snap.

BUT if you get sloppy in your down shifts, Which I sometime do, the shaft drive will lock the rear much faster than a chain. Plus, those same downshifts play

hell on the final drive gears.

I have already bought the tools for chain replacment, so I will keep the bird for a while.

[BarryG]

Overcoming the inertia and direction change of shaft drive typically costs about 20 hp. No thanks. I'll stick with a chain

But my next bike will most definitely be a shaft..... K1200S...etc

Be sure to research final drive failures on the first generation and evo paralever designs.

Yes...heard about them but was thinking '08 or newer if I went for the K1200S.....or a C14 would probably be my first pick.

But I'll probably just keep what I have for now since it's a hell of a lot cheaper just to keep both of my bikes. And the Bird rides so good.

I'll just deal with the chain BS for the time being.

[Para045]

I just replaced the AFAM sprockets and EK chain on my 98 XX last week at ~46 000km and I was lucky to have to adjust it more than every 5000km and I was quite slack with maintenance

The chain was lucky to get lubed every 1500km and I only cleaned it twice with a Kettenmax and a couple of times it got a wipe over with a rag :icon_think:

I will be getting a Scottoiler ASAP though as I want the new DID chain to last a long time and hate kneeling down to oil the chain :icon_nono:

[Iceman_40]

I put a new chain/sprocket set on last spring, I also put a pro oiler. After some minor tweaking of the settings I got it to where I wanted it and haven't looked back.

20,000Km and only adjusted the chain twice.