Yamaha's Chain Slack Specification

[troll]

I imagine the FZ09s would be having problems with counter shaft bearings as well as rapid wear of the chain and sprockets. anybody hearing of these issues... I believe they both run the same chain spec.

[fj09wildman]

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.
 
Read more: http://fj-09.org/thread/1652/yamahas-chain-slack-specification?page=1#ixzz3d8T9aid0
 
That helps a lot when when your stuck on the side of the road with damaged drive train at night, in Bum F Egypt. My mechanic readjusted mine at the 600 mi. check up because he agreed with me that the spec. was incorrect. He adjusted mine with me on the bike the way it should be done. I checked when I got home and it worked out to be approximately 1 in. with the bike on the center stand. I've done most of my own work on all my bikes for the last 40 yr.s so I suspected it was incorrect in the Factory Service Manual. I always purchase a factory service manual for each bike going back to a Kawi 500 H1 triple. I have 2 Kawi ZRX 1100's and there are several mistakes in the Service Manual. Chain Slack was one of them and the illustration for the oil filter shows it assembled incorrectly.
 
Like anything else you make your own choices in life but remember even the factory can make mistakes. The guys at MC do these evaluations for a living for us, so I take heed when they find something. It's known as stated in your owners manual and in Section 3 under Periodic Maintenance on pg. 3-17 and I Quote "A drive chain that is too tight will overload the engine and other vital parts, and one that is loose can skip and damage the swingarm or cause an accident. So I would take this very seriously to keep the chain adjusted properly and not over tighten chain because a locked drive chain at 70 mph isn't any fun. As anyone whose had a 2 stoke engine lock up knows. So open up and maybe read it again from people that have dealt with and ride most every bike on the market for most of their adult life.
 
MC
Curious to know more, we placed our FJ-09 test bike 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."
 
Read more: http://fj-09.org/thread/1652/yamahas-chain-slack-specification?page=1#ixzz3d8W0TiFH

[fj09wildman]

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.
 
Skip

That's because I didn't put up a link.  I tried and like others in my shout out mistake, that's still active, others also couldn't find it on MC site but it is in the MC printed copy I'm holding in my hand.  So put some time in looking and find it for yourself. 
 
My mechanic readjusted mine at the 600 mi. check up because he agreed with me that the spec. through our experience was incorrect. He adjusted mine with me on the bike the way it should be done. I checked when I got home and it worked out to be approximately 1 in. with the bike on the center stand. I've done most of my own work on all my bikes for the last 40 yr.s so I suspected it was incorrect in the Factory Service Manual. I always purchase a factory service manual for each of my bikes going back to a Kawi 500 H1 triple. I have 2 Kawi ZRX 1100's and there are several mistakes in the Service Manual. Chain Slack was one of them and the illustration for the oil filter shows it assembled incorrectly.  So let's not question the information and believe the manual, even though it may contain some typo's. 
 
Like anything else you make your own choices in life but remember even the factory can make mistakes. The guys at MC do these evaluations for a living for us, so I take heed when they find something. It's known as stated in your owners manual and in Section 3 under Periodic Maintenance on pg. 3-17 and another on 3-18 with Warnings.  And I Quote: "A drive chain that is too tight will overload the engine and other vital parts, and one that is loose can skip and damage the swingarm or cause an accident. So I would take this very seriously to keep the chain adjusted properly and not have a over tightened chain, because a locked up drive chain at 70 mph isn't any fun. As anyone whose had a 2 stoke engine lock up knows. So open up and take it as a warning.   Maybe read it again from people that have dealt with and ride most every bike on the market for most of their adult life.
 
Question to MC: Noticed chain is banjo string tight on FZ and FJ-09 is the dealer setting the bikes up right?
 
MC Answer: 
Curious to know more, we placed our FJ-09 test bike 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 10 mm 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."  "We'd never subject one of our own motorcycles to such treatment."
 
Sometimes you just have to maybe trust and not question everything. Who here is purposely going to give you false info to damage your bike.  Check the information and go from there.
 
I have 10,800 mi.s on mine and I ride the hell out of it On and like yesterday Off road in the Shenandoah National Forest.  I will soon need new brake pads from running the mountain twisties of WV so much.
 
Steve
 
Read more: http://fj-09.org/thread/1652/yamahas-chain-slack-specification?page=2#ixzz3d8cqCHD2
 

[fanowater]

While I haven't checked the chain tension, don't you think it will loosen when off the centerstand?
The chain looks to small (is it a 520?) for the torque of the bike. I expect it will be running nice and loose pretty soon. ;>)

[fj09wildman]

While I haven't checked the chain tension, don't you think it will loosen when off the centerstand? The chain looks to small (is it a 520?) for the torque of the bike. I expect it will be running nice and loose pretty soon. ;>)

No, check your manual it's a 525.  Even larger 1000's only use the 530 size chain now.  Today's smaller chain sizes have the tinsel strength to handle the larger displacement and horsepower of the modern bikes.

[fanowater]

FJ09Wildman - You are right on both counts. I will be contacting my dealer on Tuesday to see if I should loosen it. Never had a chain so tight.
Cheers

[offo]

I loosened my chain a bit when i got home yesterday just to try it, put the missus on the back & we went for a short ride to her parents & back, the bike felt so different, it seemed as though gear changes were smoother & that there was far less vibration overall, i will certainly be leaving mine like this unless i hear of any problems.

[fanowater]

So I adjusted my chain (it now has 1.1 inch of slack) and it had several instant benefits:
1) The bike rolls around effortlessly now. Previously it took some effort to move it around
2) The buzz in the handle bars and footpegs is gone!
3) Rear shock works better. This has to be due to the swingarm moving more easily.
 
Yamaha needs to revise the spec. it will cause problems for owners.
 
Cheers

[philkin]

I set mine at 1.1 - 1.2 inch from the beginning. I made the mechanic set it there before I would accept delivery.
I have never had any of the problems, noise, etc. that so many have complained about. I have over 5000 miles
on my bike and have not needed to do anything but lube the chain. I prefer erring on the loose side.
 

[fj09wildman]

I set mine at 1.1 - 1.2 inch from the beginning. I made the mechanic set it there before I would accept delivery. I have never had any of the problems, noise, etc. that so many have complained about. I have over 5000 miles
on my bike and have not needed to do anything but lube the chain. I prefer erring on the loose side.

I basically did the same but at 600 mi. check-up.  Mechanic adjusted with with me sitting on it.  I came home and measured the adjustment with the bike on the center stand.  So that's how I adjust it.  I have 12,800 mi.s on mine now and ride a pretty spirited pace and tank to tank a lot of the time.  I checked the tolerance on the 15 links and it's at spec. 39 mm's.  Sprockets have worn some and I have developed a tight spot in the chain.  So I have been here and done this before.  I just split the difference on my chain slack and lube it more often to lengthen time to replace both.  When it's time, I'll get a good EK higher tinsel chain and Vortex sprockets.  Counting me the 100hp at rear wheel is only pushing about 6 lb.s/hp which is why she rips so well.  I'm not sure who make's the DIDA series chain for the Japanese manf.s.  Probably D.I.D. makes a spec. chain for them.  Most likely tinsel strength of the stock chain is made for middle of the road rider and doesn't have the higher tinsel you can get on the aftermarket so you can abuse the rear tire a little in A mode in the curvy sections. . 

[smoothbored]

Mine was tight as a banjo string day 1.   Never looked at the spec. & loosened it after the first ride.

[fj09wildman]

So as a concerned Forum, maybe our Fearless leaders should represent us as a group of consumers that are looking for some recourse from the factory for this dangerous safety mistake made by Yamaha. I know that left unchecked it could lead to some serious consequences. Some consumers are first time users and will not know that manufactures do make mistakes. They will ride it until it locks up.
 
Kinda like Skippers post.
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.
 
Skip
 
Hey Rob, can we set something up to contact Yamaha as a rather large group of worried consumers of their products, before something happens 2 years down the maybe unfortunate road?
 
Steve
 
Read more: http://fj-09.org/thread/1652/yamahas-chain-slack-specification?page=2#ixzz3fLBrnDrK

[pattonme]

> I'll trust Yamaha engineers
 
bawha ha aha. Yamaha doesn't deserve anything remotely this much trust. They screwed up your (FJ/FZ09/FZ07) suspension and FZ09 EFI so royally you can't be serious. Chain slack of ~1" has been the standard since forever. With your normal load on the bike, there needs to be slack left so the suspension can compress further. Try it, measure, and adjust.
 
I have a PoC at Yamaha USA headquarters (service engineer), I'll be happy to pass along the community concern. But you can bet they won't admit anything or send you a new manual. They might issue a service bulletin to dealers though.
 

[fj09wildman]

> I'll trust Yamaha engineers 
bawha ha aha. Yamaha doesn't deserve anything remotely this much trust. They screwed up your (FJ/FZ09/FZ07) suspension and FZ09 EFI so royally you can't be serious. Chain slack of ~1" has been the standard since forever. With your normal load on the bike, there needs to be slack left so the suspension can compress further. Try it, measure, and adjust.
 
I have a PoC at Yamaha USA headquarters (service engineer), I'll be happy to pass along the community concern. But you can bet they won't admit anything or send you a new manual. They might issue a service bulletin to dealers though.

Thanks for the response.  My sentiments exactly.  Would be nice if you could get us even an off the record response, so those who choose to be informed with the real world can at least investigate what we know through experience/knowledge is a mistake that could end up being very costly and potentially dangerous result.  I know who I trust and aftermarket testers, such as the guys at Motorcyclist mentioned I would adjust mine to 1/2 in.                             Steve
 
 
 
 

[rockinsv]

I would like to add that we tried my bike with my wife and I on it and it tightened up to banjo string tight with no slack at all rather than loosening like has been rumored. We moved to 1" and with both of us on there it was still tight. I've actually moved my slack to 1 3/8" and then that gives us room for a bit of movement with both of us on and that's without putting any luggage on. And no, neither of us is anywhere close to 250#. I rode the bike to his house and after we loosened the chain I noticed a lot of that 6th gear whine went away. I'm firmly of the belief that there are going to be some issues if you don't loosen it at least some. Has anybody else measured with and without rider/passenger?