Chain marked swingarm at 390 miles!

[nobull]

Quick word of warning to those with new bikes especially. Checked my chain tension at 390 miles for first time this morning (I know, I should use it more, and clearly should have checked it more especially), despite correct running in procedure ie not revving the nuts off it or pulling wheelies etc, it's already gone so slack that its lashed the weld under the swingarm and taken paint (thankfully no metal) off. The rubber guard doesn't extend far enough back.
I've fitted more than a few chains in my time, most frequently on the R1 & GSXR1000 race & trackday bikes I used to own, & never had one go so slack so quick despite the power and abuse they had to cope with. So keep an eye out peeps, another 50 miles or so and it would have been welding and repainting time for me!

 

[Yaminator]

Thanks for that...

 

[sdrio]

This seems to be a 'feature' of the MT07. Have seen a few posts mentioning the same thing, and mine did the same before the first service.

It has been fine since then, just seems to be that when they're new, the chain almost immediately becomes a bit loose. Whether that's how it's set up, or that particular chain stretches during the first couple of hundred miles, I don't know.

 

[DJP]

Sorry, but there's a large degree of operator error involved here: The chain must have been horribly slack for that to happen. It would have been revealed by the most perfunctory check and obvious when actually riding the thing.

 

[nobull]

Sorry, but there's a large degree of operator error involved here: The chain must have been horribly slack for that to happen. It would have been revealed by the most perfunctory check and obvious when actually riding the thing.

As I said, I clearly should have paid more attention, but the point I was trying to make was that in 390 very gentle miles it had stretched enough to be able to reach the swingarm. It was meant as a warning to others to avoid a problem, it was moderately slack at worst. The main issue it the placement of the rubber protector (doesn't go far enough back) combined with poor quality chain. Even when correctly adjusted the clearances are very tight. And no, it rode fine. You'd be better taking a look at your own before making such comments, by which I mean actually measuring as per owners manual & then seeing how far from the swingarm this leaves the chain. Given your comments you may be surprised!

 

[Yaminator]

It's a budget bike so it means yamaha don't buy the pre stretched chains cos they cost more... ;-)

 

[Ralph]

Mine needed 2 or 3 adjustments in the first 600 miles then as stayed in adjustment for the last 5000 miles,
mine as a DID chain and I have never had a bad one from them, it's not just the chain involved but the sprockets bed in to.

 

[Ady]

Just back after my bikes first service at 680 miles, the chain was really slack but hadn't caused any damage..luckily. But being a bike rookie i'm still pretty clueless about maintenance. Hopefully i've got a few thousand miles now to figure out how to adjust the chain.

 

[Yaminator]

Ady the first service and they didn't adjust the chain.. That's poor mate....?

 

[Ady]

They sorted the chain at the service Yaminator, but pre service it was really loose,