chain and sprocket issues

migjet

Registered
my chain seems to be tight as I roll the wheel and then it becomes loose if I continue to roll it. when I am riding it seems to grab as if it was not catching all of the teeth on the front sprocket. The wheel seems straight and the rear sprocket does not appear to be worn down or misaligned. the chain was cleaned by a racer and lubed as well. I recently cleaned it after the problems started happening and lubed it as well. any help?
 
Sounds like you have a 'tight' spot in the chain...put the bike on a rear stand. Rotate the rear wheel so can watch the chain...make sure ALL the links lay flat on the sprocket. Do you have any rusty spots on the chain ???
 
Sounds like you have a 'tight' spot in the chain...put the bike on a rear stand. Rotate the rear wheel so can watch the chain...make sure ALL the links lay flat on the sprocket. Do you have any rusty spots on the chain ???

+1 If you find a link or two as described above, it's time to start thinking chain and sprockets.
 
Either the chain has tight links, or the wheel bearing are damaged. A buddy of mine got lightly rear-ended on his bike and his chain did the exact same thing you're describing. Nothing wrong with his chain. We replaced the wheel bearings and it's as smooth as glass now.
 
exact same thing happened to me on the Katana...I had a few worn links. Put on a new chain and problem was solved.
 
Call me if you need help figuring it out and we'll get you rolling with all the right stuff....
 
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Normally, it's a worn chain. Wheel bearings or out of alignment would be the exception.

Prolly time to replace the chain and possibly the sprockets.

--Wag--
 
Tight spots in the chain, could be worn or could be pretty dang dirty. If you don't have too many miles on it you could try a good cleaning of that chain followed by some good lube or wax.
I have 6 miles of dusty gravel road to my house, so keeping the chain clean often is a must, it will tighten up on me quick if I dont.
 
You would hear a wheel bearing. And does a wheel bearing move that far to stretch a chain? :rofl: :poke:

I'll give you off the wall bearings ball is call is dis one for example:

Say, you were adjusting your chain and did not know about the hi/low spot. So, what are the odds you now have a loose chain all within spec. But come around half way and she tightens up?

Say, did you load that chain on the swing arm compression? Did the chain roll over the C/S sprocket and that is the tighter wind around the pin?

Does not the manual say to count about 12 or so link pins and now is that much distance longer than spec? So, the pins on the link look good, but there is one side that is being torn up and narrows the dowel pin say, on the inside is the I/D of the roller being chewed too.

Now say that load on the swing made more pins sheer over that tight wind and that sort of is the looser chain. Where the tighter part of the chain was not under compression is that bottom rung was loose under compression say.

Sort of see how that pin is being shaved down and the chain elongates as you pull the chain back off the sprocket teeth? Those pins show how loose the one side is.

Now, if you can reverse the chain and run the inside row or rungs, you have clean pins on that side that did not chew itself around the smaller sprocket.

So, with 2 chain adjusting tests, I loosened the new chain way loose so it will evenly wear and if the swing arm bottoms, that chain is still loose as a goose.

One more thing is believe it or not? If you do not key back the same link to the chain, you begin a new pattern even though it would take about 65 or more turns to re-key that same link to the sprocket. Get it?

Too tight a chain is a high spot in the making.
Take one keyed link off the sprocket wear and noise will appear is the new bed-inn or bead in.

:whistle:
 
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