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Yamaha's Chain Slack Specification


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Didn't do a search so this may have been discussed.  Just read in my April issues of Motorcyclist MC Garage pg. 74 that my suspicions were correct.  Yamaha screwed up on chain slack specifications.  I felt 5mm is way to tight and could damage drive train.  I've adjusted mine to approximately 1 in. - 25mm since my first adjustment just like most of my other chain drive bikes.  Like the guys at motorcyclist said, to tight can cause some expensive damage if left at Yamaha's spec. for the long run.
 
Steve 
Steve
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Others have done experiments and found that the chain loosens on compression, so the tighter end of things might be reasonable. Personally, though, I'm thinking I'm going to shoot for the upper end of the specified range.
 
2015 FJ-09 (Mary Kate)
2007 Daytona 675 (Tabitha, ret.)
1998 Vulcan 800 (Ret.)
2001 SV650S (Veronica, Ret.)
2000 Intruder 800 (Ret.)
 
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Has anyone cycled the swing arm through it's range of motion while checking chain slack. I meant to do this when I installed my lowering links but forgot.
Coming to you from the frozen wastelands of the barren north
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Guest lawrenceofsuburbia
So Yamaha has admitted the Owners Manual is in error? If that is the case they should be sending out corrected documentation, or we can take our bikes to the dealer and they will correct this specification?
First I've heard of this - it's a bit worrying! So - what is the correct specification please?
L of S 
 
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This whole chain slack spec thing is getting out of hand.  Get your 250 pound neighbor and his 250 pound wife to sit on your bike.  Check to insure you have a bit of slack.  If not,  adjust until you do.  Then put the bike on center stand and see that the slack is now about 1+ inches total displacement.   Or just do it the easy way and set to 1+ inches like two magazine reviews have said to.  Yamaha isn't going to send you and email on this issue. We've all had a number of bikes before and know what's right.  :D
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Has anyone cycled the swing arm through it's range of motion while checking chain slack. I meant to do this when I installed my lowering links but forgot.
I mentioned Motorcyclist has already perform the test. Read it.
the link leads nowhere... 
Coming to you from the frozen wastelands of the barren north
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I mentioned Motorcyclist has already perform the test. Read it.
the link leads nowhere...
 
 
I couldn't find it either.
I also checked the drop down menus and scanned all the on line articles from May to march, still not there.
 
I'll trust Yamaha engineers before I trust some magazine columnist. Just MHO.
 
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the link leads nowhere...
I couldn't find it either.
I also checked the drop down menus and scanned all the on line articles from May to march, still not there.
 
I'll trust Yamaha engineers before I trust some magazine columnist. Just MHO.

I couldn't find it online, but I have the print edition right here.  It was in the April 2015 issue in a section called "Learn to play the banjo" in MC Garage. 
Salient excerpt:
 
"The question is why does Yamaha spec the FZ-09's (and FJ-09's) chain tension so tight?  We asked our Yamaha reps that very question and received an answer similar to what's in the owner's manual.  If you run the chain any looser than 25mm of slack -- at the mid lower run with the bike on the sidestand -- it could hit the frame.
 
Curious to know more, we placed our FJ-09 testbike on the lift and compressed the rear suspension.  In our view, there's no way the chain can come in contact with any part of the frame.  Moreover, when we started the experiment with 30mm of slack, the chain had just 10mm of free play with the suspension compressed, which, in our interpretation, means that using the factory recommended setting will result in no slack with the suspension compressed.
 
Normally we'd strongly advise adherence to factory recommendations.  Not this time."
 
 
2015 FJ-09 (Mary Kate)
2007 Daytona 675 (Tabitha, ret.)
1998 Vulcan 800 (Ret.)
2001 SV650S (Veronica, Ret.)
2000 Intruder 800 (Ret.)
 
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So what do you now run for free play then?
Honestly the bike is so new that I hadn't even bothered to look yet, even though I knew about the issue.  I do trust my mechanic to have done something reasonable about it during initial assembly and first service regardless of what the manual says, though -- he's old school. 
When I get around to it (which I suppose is a little overdue at this point) I'll adjust it a lot closer to 25mm than 15mm, and check it more frequently.
 
Of course, I'm not especially worried about it because if Yamaha got it wrong they'll be paying for the repair if it goes kablooey any time in the next four or five years courtesy of the full duration YES warranty.  That limits my risk exposure even if I do it entirely by the book and the book is wrong.
 
 
2015 FJ-09 (Mary Kate)
2007 Daytona 675 (Tabitha, ret.)
1998 Vulcan 800 (Ret.)
2001 SV650S (Veronica, Ret.)
2000 Intruder 800 (Ret.)
 
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