I checked the chain tension with countershaft/swingarm bolt/spindle in line. This tool gives the PERFECT amount of slack without being too loose on my '18 350 EXC-F. Thanks Taco Mike!
Great info and I agree, the loose factor accounts for debris on the chain and sprocket. . I checked the swingarm adjustment notches, they were almost 2mm off. I’m pretty sure that’s why my bike was steered right when my hands are off the bars. I use the Motion Pro Alignment Tool now. Best way to use it is like sighting on a rifle. Perfectly aligned sprockets make your sprockets, chain and tires last longer. It also helps reduce resistance, which can have an effect increasing rear wheel horsepower, fuel economy and bearing life.
I love engineering that makes task simpler and easier! Just used it after putting a 50T on my 500EXC😁 Also like to add that being too tight and also bust cases so I’ll happily wear out sprockets and chain sliders!
Yo so crazy. I'm watching this video right after my chain was overtight for 2 rides and very costly. Bored out hub an crushed bearings. New complete rear wheel/sprocket is $700.00 U.S. Should of left loose an squeaky but working!
The groove in the bottom of the tool itself is not wide enough for the ridge on the chainslider so it sits on top of the ridge while in position and might make the chain too tight. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be like this. It's the stock slider on a 23 husky 501s
And the bikes this works with? I have a KTM 690 R for instance, will this work for my bike? Manual calls out with bike on side stand, and in N, push lower chain up and should be 1/4 inch from touching bottom of swing arm.
2023 500EXC here, after taking possession from dealer noticed large amount of "chain slap" noise (not sure what else to call it) when chugging low rpm in lower gears (like 1-4). Went home and checked tension per manual. Loose but per spec. Went on another ride. The noise is concerning, I almost thought it was jumping teeth on the front sprocket it's so loud. It's not jumping, but does everyone's do this? More revs take care of it but hmmmm
@@Siskiyouoffroad obnoxious as all get out! It's not even at just low resonances, from idle up to mid to even 3/4 throttle... I noticed yesterday it even does it on the road. Chain is just all over the place. My WR250X would do it, too, but only at certain resonances...
Did you figure this out? My 23 KTM 500 excf is doing this too and I was just on and off throttle around a normal subrurban yard as I just got the bike and haven’t ridden it any further yet.
@@blackers10 that sucks, but I can relate. It's so bad it's eating away the upper plastic chain guard on mine now, at 11 hours and 300 miles. I sent pics to my dealer and his suggestion was to "remove the upper guard, it doesn't do anything and is only added to the road bikes" and said the chain slap is essentially part of this bike, but said he wouldn't recommend tightening any more than the manual describes. He said keep RPMs higher and don't lug it, but who wants to always ride a 4 stroke like that? This thing is super vibey at those rpms. I think it's already taking a toll on the factory chain guides, I told him, and he said they're wearable items 🤷♀️ not impressed with this portion of KTM so far....!
Is this compatible with the TM Designworks Dirt Cross chain slider? I know on website it states that baja 1, 2, and sx are incompatible, but I just wanted to make sure that these are different from the Dirt Cross/standard chain slide.
Off topic but is it normal to be able to feel exhaust coming out from the joint right above the back brake lever where the exhaust and header exhaust pipe cupple together or is that a leak I should fix
@@yoramlavee I saw the two moto version, which is just a copy of an old expired patent. That means the idea of a tensioner block is in the public domain.
Just sayin, but a "horizontal" or "parallel "swing arm has got nothing whatsoever to do with the tightest point of chain tension!!!!! As someone else correctly stated a few comments ago, it is all to do with aligning the centres of the gearbox sprocket, the swing arm pivot, and the back axle✅✅✅✅ Set the chain everso slightly loose at this point, then with the bike on an engine lift pit stand, with the wheel fully low, make a block that takes up all the slack present and locates positively somewhere on the swing arm like this one does, and you only have to set the tension as shown, to get it right every time, with no risk of taking out the engine and wheel bearings with too tight a chain👍
@@TACOMOTOCO I think he was referring to - if you change the rear from 52 to 48, the measurement of 55-58mm will not be correct anymore, thus the 3d printed tensioner will be useless. Makes me think, is that true?
This is so silly. Chain tension is not that picky or dangerous. Just eyeball it and err on the side of too loose, rather than too tight. Done. Go ride. Quit spending all your time nerding out on every microscopic detail and go put some serious practice hours on your bike. This may sound obvious but you need to be spending more time riding the bike than fixing the bike, or you're doing motorcycling wrong.
Bro, I totes feel you. We’re on the same vibe here. That’s why we also adjust valves with a business card instead of ‘feeler gauges’ (total conspiracy if you ask me to sell more needless tools), set the sag with a guess, measure fork oil air gap with a spoke shoved in there like a dip stick and shock air pressure is a handful of strokes from the ol’ bike pump. And don’t get me started on the whole measuring pre mix ratios for the two stroke bikes. One mouth full of Klotz per tank is how real men do it. If you gotta use a measure cup to get that right I’m not sure we can even be friends 🤷🏼♀️ Bike set up that gets more techie than that is just waisting braaap time amirigh?
I don’t disagree with you though on principal, that is the mechanical ‘feel’ and intuition that’s being lost with the aging out of guys like you and others who could sense and intuit how a machine was performing and what it needed and lacked. I get what you’re saying here and agree.
