Greetings all, I'm a new owner of a 2018 GS (YEAH!). I've noticed that the chain rests on and makes contact with the hard rubber (?) cylinder attachment directly above the kick stand. I was expecting a free flow contactless path for the chain.
Question: Is the the design of the bike? Is this normal? If so, why does the chain run in contact with this part?
@G0MYW, thanks I assumed it was supposed to be there. The amount of tension/friction on this part makes it a prime candidate for replacement in the not-to-distant future I suppose. I've seen guides on other bikes that seem less involved than this design.
@Bas310 thanks good to be here. I picked up a 2018 GS over the weekend with 1,000 miles and just getting to know the bike after an extended motorcycle hiatus.
Seems like a good fit for my needs out here in California wine country.
I need to get the clutch/levers dialed in better and would like to find a center stand if available. After getting to know the bike better, I'll re-evaluate and see what's next!
It's more of a tensioner than a guide. It keeps enough tension on the chain around the front sprocket while allowing sufficient slack on the rest of the chain to allow for the long suspension travel. It runs on bearings so it spins with the chain.
On the topic of chains and in particular the tension, I (and a few other of my biking buddies) are horrified when you first see this bike of just how slack the chain looks!
So my first question is:- Is this amount of slack (40 to 50mm) normal in a bike with a long travel suspension. I recall my VStrom only having about 25mm of slack, and similar with my VFR.
And as regards the measurement.... I always assumed that you measure the slack from top of chain to top of chain, but in a YouTube video, the presenter measured from top of chain to bottom of chain! So which is correct????
Technically speaking, if you’re measuring top to bottom, if a chain is for example 8mm thick, then even if the chain was as tight as a guitar string, it would have 8mm ‘slackness’ which is ridiculous!
So.... which is correct?
Strictly speaking centre to centre is correct but, for all the fractional difference, top to top or bottom to bottom will do. I don't mess about with rulers but make a gauge out of cardboard or plastic to measure between top and bottom so, in the case you quote, the gauge at its smallest would be 40 plus 8 and at its largest 50 plus 8.
Can't attach a photo and the sketch I did does not work when posted - everything moves to the left margin.
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