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Ok on my Honda shadow I noticed about 2.5" of slack on the chain. I tightened up the chain to 1" of slack. Well I rode it to work and back (24 miles total) and it had 2" of slack after that. I couldnt understand it. So I tightened it back to 1" of slack and this time I marked where the bolts are on the wheel. The chain is now 2" of slack again (I just drove it to work which is 12 miles). The bolts havent moved from where I tightened them and the drive sprocket isnt loose as in the bearings and everything is good. I have never had a chain do this nor seen a chain do this. Any other ideas I should look into?

When you adjust your chain you should turn the back wheel until you find the tightest part of the chain and adjust it there. Now turn the rear wheel another ¼ turn and the chain won't be as tight. The chain won't be as tight anywhere along its run as in that one spot. You may need a new chain. I always changed mine every spring, when I had chain driven motorcycles.

Johnj wrote:When you adjust your chain you should turn the back wheel until you find the tightest part of the chain and adjust it there. Now turn the rear wheel another ¼ turn and the chain won't be as tight. The chain won't be as tight anywhere along its run as in that one spot. You may need a new chain. I always changed mine every spring, when I had chain driven motorcycles.

yup I do that. I am thinking need a new chain as I am pretty sure its the origional chain that came with the bike. I could be wrong though as I have only owned it since last year and the bike is a 96 with 18k miles on it.

Make sure the bike is off

Grab the chain with both hands in the middle of the bottom rung, attempt to pull it apart... one hand goes towards the front, the other towards the back. If you feel a lot of play it's time to get a new one.

Or grab it at the back of the rear sprocket and attempt to pull it away from the sprocket. If you see more then 1/2 a tooth, replace it.

Sev wrote:Make sure the bike is off

Grab the chain with both hands in the middle of the bottom rung, attempt to pull it apart... one hand goes towards the front, the other towards the back. If you feel a lot of play it's time to get a new one.

Or grab it at the back of the rear sprocket and attempt to pull it away from the sprocket. If you see more then 1/2 a tooth, replace it.

Thanks it never even dawned on me to try that. I will do so.

Your chain is chewed and quickly approaching total failure. Inability to hold tension is a classic sign of fatigued metal stretching rapidly just before it lets go. Been there, done that.....

Time to replace the chain and both sprockets, before it snaps and takes out your cases as well. If it is OEM it's even more likely, cheap steel stretches more than good steel, and sooner. Slap a good "O Ring" chain on there, and keep it lubed.

BuzZz wrote:Slap a good "O Ring" chain on there, and keep it lubed.

I find it amusing you could have typed a three letter word for a donkey, or 'O Ring' with double quotes.

Skier wrote:

BuzZz wrote:Slap a good "O Ring" chain on there, and keep it lubed.

I find it amusing you could have typed a three letter word for a donkey, or 'O Ring' with double quotes.

As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I do. Between here and work, I write the word "O Ring" a surprising amount of times in a week. I take any shortcut I can...

BuzZz wrote:

Skier wrote:

BuzZz wrote:Slap a good "O Ring" chain on there, and keep it lubed.

I find it amusing you could have typed a three letter word for a donkey, or 'O Ring' with double quotes.

As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I do. Between here and work, I write the word "O Ring" a surprising amount of times in a week. I take any shortcut I can...

Now trying explaining to the customers wife why you wrote NFG on the workorder next to the malfunctioning part.

Not
Functioning
Good

is almost an acceptable response...

We use NFG so often, it appears printed on our documents as it's own column.

It's considered polite.

Even more usual is the ever popular....'fluckin' flucker's flucked'..... but that's too many letters to jam into the column header.