'90 Honda Hawk - chain adjustment

[Ooddiittyy]

So this is my first fully-owned street bike, and I'm trying to do some general maintenance on it. I tightened the chain the other day to the manual-specified tightness (measured via chain slack when pulled) but since I did I've been getting a lot of chain-induced vibration and buzz, especially in the left footpeg.

To me, this would indicate that the chain is too tight, but since this is my first street bike I'm not sure if that's actually normal or not. Anyone have any suggestions as to what to do about it? Before I tightened the chain, I couldn't really feel any vibration from it at all, but now it definitely creates a tingly feeling in my foot every time I ride over about 25mph and pull in the clutch. (When the engine's revving, I can't feel the chain over the engine.)

Thanks!

[Mintbread]

Is the wheel straight?
If the wheel isn't aligned properly neither are the sprockets which will send a vibration through the bike.
It is best not to trust the indicators on the swingarm as they can be out by a fair margin.

[Ooddiittyy]

I believe the wheel is straight, although I only believe this because before I tightened the chain, I didn't get any vibration whatsoever. Could the wheel alignment change due to the tightening of the chain?

[Mintbread]

How did you adjust the chain?

[Ooddiittyy]

I tightened the chain using a little adjuster tool (bearing carrier wrench) from the Hawk toolkit. A nut is loosened on the rear of the chain-holding mechanism (which Honda jovially refers to as the "eccentric bearing carrier") which allows it to be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. If it's rotated clockwise, the chain slack is taken up. If it is rotated counterclockise, more slack is given.

I can see how, if the wheel was out of alignment, further tightening the chain would result in further distortion of the wheel, but I didn't tighten the chain very much, and I didn't have to put very much torque into it to do so. I'm not sure if this is the general chain-tightening mechanism used for most street bikes, but it's in the manual for the Hawk.

[BuzZz]

Your wheel could easily be (probably is) out of line after adjustment. Your bike uses eccentric cams to position the wheel, not threaded rod and collars, but you still need to adjust both sides evenly. And the only way to check is to get down and eyeball the chain run from rear sprocket to front sprocket. Do not trust any alignment marks on the swingarm. You want to be able to see that the chain is coming off the back and straight up to the front, with the sprocket teeth in the middle of the chain, not rubbing one side or the other.

If your sprocket teeth are worn, especially if they are hooked) a properly adjusted chain can still give the syptoms you have. If all the parts are good, the wheel is true, and everything else is fine, back off the adjustment slightly and see if that cures it.

[Ooddiittyy]

Okay, I'll give that a shot tomorrow. But, what do I do if the wheel *isn't* aligned properly? (The sprocket teeth are fine; I have checked that.) I'll check the manual for wheel alignment, but those things are severely lacking in indices. Thanks!

[BuzZz]

If the wheel is not aligned to center, you have to use the adjustment cams to get it straight. There is one one each side of the swingarm for just that reason. You can move them independantly to get the chain adjusted and in-line.

I'm not trying to be dick or question you in any way, but you did loosen the axle first, right? And re-torqued it after? O.K., good.

[Ooddiittyy]

Uh, axle? Actually, no, I didn't, but that's because I'm just trying to go exactly by the book on this. According to the manual, all I need to do is loosen the eccentric bearing carrier (via a nut on top) and rotate that, then retighten. Unless they're assuming information about the axle...?