- This topic has 7 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 1 month ago by Kipfire.
Love my bike, but are all chains this much trouble?
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February 19, 2010 at 12:21 am #3711KipfireParticipant
Last summer I bought a used Virago 250. It has been great except for the final drive chain. Just about every time I ride it, I need to pull slack out of the chain before I go out again. It is driving me nuts! Can someone PLEASE tell me if this is normal, or am I doing something wrong? I am 46 years old, could lose a few, or maybe more than a few pounds, (5’10”, 190 lbs) Am I too big for this bike? I do not try to make the bike do the impossible. No wheelies, no holeshots, burnouts, etc. I bought this little bike with about 1800 miles on it. It is a 2006. Everything about it seems to work just fine but I find myself wondering (or worrying) while leaning in to a bend, that the chain is going to wrap around the axle and launch me into oblivion. It actually has dinged up the chain guard up front before I finished a ride. Any/all help would be GREATLY appreciated. I just can’t believe a chain needs this much attention. If/when I step up to a larger bike, I am thinking about a Triumph Scrambler or Tiger. Both chain driven. If chains need this much work, forget it! And please excuse my ignorance on this subject! Thanks !~
February 19, 2010 at 12:32 am #24584bigguybbrParticipantAre you sure the chain is properly tensioned? It really shouldn’t be bouncing around at all…
I would recommend having a local bike shop take a look at it and adjust the chain to proper tension. With only 1800 miles on it, it may have never seen anything but an initial service at 600 miles and may be in need of some attention.
Also, at 190lbs you are not exceeding the weight limits for the bike. I rode one for a little bit in my msf course (in addition to a honda nighthawk, both way too compact for me at 6’5″) and it was pulling me around just fine, and back then I was pushing 300lbs (I’m now down to a svelte 230lbs)
February 19, 2010 at 2:10 am #24588briderdtParticipant… and instead it’s whatever holds the axle in place.
February 19, 2010 at 4:23 am #24591TrialsRiderParticipantPointers on chain adjustment and maintenance.
If you are needing to adjust the chain every time you ride, it’s time to get back to basics, you are possibly over tightening the chain to start.
Chain cleaning and lubrication: ( this applies to regular roller chains not those expensive, wide, o-ring chains ) Dirty chains run tighter than a clean and properly lubricated chain ! Find yourself an old plastic oil container, the 4 liter (1 gallon) containers are the perfect size, put about 1 cup of liquid WD-40 or similar solvent into the jug along with your chain,. Put the lid on and shake it up good. Now recover your chain from the container, ( you might need to cut the top off the plastic jug, as they go in easier than they com out ) Wipe off the chain with a clean rag and hang it up to drain off the excess solvent. ( dispose of the used, dirty solvent in an appropriate manor.) Re-install the chain on your bike and lubricate it with a good quality chain lube. ( one that goes on like blue foam and clings like grease is best )
Never over tighten a chain or you will do significant damage to your chain, wheel bearings and swing arm bushings. Frequently inspect the wheel bearings for any play and replace them if they are not perfect. They are not difficult to replace, they are very inexpensive and available from any bearing supply. Swing arm bushings or bearings should also be cleaned and greased regularly and replaced if they are not perfect. They are harder to source outside of the OEM dealership.
How tight is too tight? Because the vast majority of motorcycles have a swing arm pivot point which is not concentric with the drive sprocket, the chain tension changes, as the swing arm travels through it’s range of motion. The critical position is the point at which the drive sprocket, swing arm pivot and axle are all aligned in a single plane. At that point the chain should still remain slightly relaxed, not taut, or your chain will stretch like crazy from the tremendous leverage and strain imposed on it.
If you are unsure of how to adjust the chain after consulting the owners manual, that is maybe because it was badly written ! The virago owner manual I downloaded says: “Spin the wheel several times and find the tightest position of the chain”, which BTW is totally absurd as it is the swing arm travel that tightens the chain, NOT the rotation of the wheel. …duh !
Have someone sit on the bike and inspect the chain tension, when the chain is at it’s tightest position. If your assistant is not heavy enough to compress the springs to achieve that aspect, you can remove one shock and this will make the suspension settle very easily. Just make certain you are inspecting the chain tension at it’s tightest point of the swing-arm travel !!!
If your rear wheel is drum brake equipped you need to loosen the brake “tension bar”
( item 1 on page 8-38 of the manual ) when adjusting the chain.
Make sure your chain adjusters are in their proper position and tighten the axle nut significantly tighter than you might think appropriate. At one time I observed the Spanish Trials Team Mechanics chain adjusting for the top world rider at that time, They used 2 massive spanner wrenches to tighten the axle and I was shocked by how much torque they put on the rear axle nut. ( The Virago manual calls for 76 ft-lb ) for comparison purpose the Virago manual calls for only 43 ft-lb on the front axle, so in simple terms the rear wheel needs to be almost twice as tight as the front axle !
And make sure you tighten that rear brake “tension bar” and re-adjust your brake before riding !!! Brakes are very important sometimes.
Sorry this is such a long read! … see why my street bikes are shaft driveFebruary 19, 2010 at 4:32 pm #24596Gary856ParticipantNot sure what you mean by “pull slack out of the chain” – you mean straighten/unkink the chain physically or adjust the chain slack adjusting nut? But if you have to mess with it after every ride, that’s absolutely not normal. I have 3 bikes and all I do is to clean/lube the chain once in a while (typically people say do this every 600 miles but it depends on your riding condition), never had to mess with adjustment over thousands of miles. Check your manual for proper chain slack – normally the mid section of the chain should have about 1 inch of total up/down movement (when you push with your fingers) for proper slack. If I were you I’d take it to a shop. Maybe something is worn out (chain, front/rear sprocket) from mis-adjustment; If you have that much trouble, I even wonder if you have the right number of links in your chain.
February 24, 2010 at 2:09 am #24647KipfireParticipantI appreciate the advice. I would not be surprised if I was overtightening it but I tried to follow the manual I downloaded. I bought it used and expected that with only 1700 miles on it, there would be no problems with the ‘drivetrain’. I bought it from a dealer and thought, (erroneously, it seems) that they would not sell a bike that wasn’t up to snuff. But almost from the get-go, I was hearing strange klunks and bangs. It seemed to be worse when i was going round a bend and leaning. I looked closer and it was pretty obvious that the chain was way too loose. It had actually dented up a small metal panel (Chain guard?) that you find on these bikes. Now I tried to be realisitc when adjusting the chain and not over tighten it, but I may have done so. I wonder if it is possible that the chain was badly stretched (and pretty much ruined) before I bought it. I have had some bike owners tell me they never had to mess with their chains and I have heard 600 miles is not unusual like Gary856 said. If I sticvk with this bike for the upcoming season, I plan to have thwe chain replaced. I am just too nervous and don’t trust the one on there now. (I will have it done by the local Yamaha guys the 1st time to be safe) It is a damn shame because the bike is a nice little scoot! I lurked on this site for a while and picked the Virago because of what I read by the members of this board. Oh, and by the way Trialsrider, I didn’t get the ‘spin the tire’ crap either! I mean “Huh?” And don’t apologize for the lengthy reply. Damn nice of you and all the others to reply and help a noob like me out. I’ll tell you one thing, when I am riding I can’t believe what I have been missing all these years. If I could ride year round, I’d sell the damn car.
February 24, 2010 at 12:26 pm #24648TrialsRiderParticipantChains are cheap and easy to install. The only time I’ve heard a chain make clunking noise is; when it was terribly out of alignment, had a seized up link, or when the previous owner had fitted it with a half link.
Bikes are relatively easy to work on, unlike cars, everything on them is there for a reason and they aren’t coated in rust.
The best riders all work on their own bikes.
March 13, 2010 at 12:36 am #24920KipfireParticipantYeah, I want to do my own work but I’d feel better letting someone experienced do it the first time around.
There is a small panel on this bike down by my left foot. It is made of aluminum and I think it is just a chain guard. It is clear to me that the chain has been so loose at times that it has hit this panel. (And that is the “BANG” I am hearing) To actually do this, the chain has to move left/right and not up and down if you know what I mean. I know it isn’t right and no way it should swing that far left. I am hopeful that a new chain will fix this problem and let me just enjoy the ride. I am seriously thinking of moving up to a Kawaski Vulcan 900 this Spring. Might keep the Virago for my oldest boy to learn on. Thanks again all! -
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