KLR650 Only Thread......

This is not quite accurate. The tightest point is going to be when the centers of the countershaft, the swingarm pivot bolt, and the rear axle bolt are all in a line. Depending one how the bike is sitting on the jacks, how high you have the bike jacked, ect., this doesn't necessarily happen when the swing-arm is level with the countershaft.

+1
Kawa, however, do not give the slack measurement for the centers at a straight line, but with the bike unloaded. The OP has lowered links, so the measurements we have given him and the manual do not apply directly.

The best then would be to measure a bike with stock links and fully extended on a jack and correct chain slack. Then compress the rear to get the 3 points in line and measure what the slack is then. I will see what I can do when the sun gets up today.

Yep, all true. The manual for my 09 give specs for the unloaded bike, sitting on the side stand. If you have lowering/raising links or are loaded, or have an aftermarket shock or spring, the book specs no longer apply. I think I may have read that the gen I manual gives specs for adjusting the chain while it is upright on the stand?

Fawking god. My doohickey arrived on friday, and an hour ago started to chance it.
Thing is, next im having some good time fishing half of my original doohickey with magnet from oil pan. God i hate you Kawasaki. Wasnt enough that on my last kawasaki i had to do full gearbox rebuild, and now this..

To further complicate the issue, in addition to the aforementioned KoubaLink, I have also upgraded the shock and forks with RaceTech springs, slid the forks up one inch in the triple trees and I have installed a one inch shorter side stand.

Not sure if any of those additional changes affect the slack, but I am interested to hear thoughts from the group.

Numa

Just do what aalexander suggests - regardless of what suspension mods have been made. Line up the 3 reference points by compressing the rear end and make sure you have slack when in that position.

inline... go in from the clutch side with the magnet. there is some good magnet fishing holes at the rear of the transmission once the clutch case is removed..thats how i retrieved the last "piece".

As promised, when the sun came up, I would have a look. Got into trying to line up the 3 points, after 1st taking the bottom shock bolt off. Cant do it. Have to take more off and that will take time out of my ride this am. Compressing all to get the straight line between the 3 points with a stiffened Moab shock was more than today's work.

Here are my measurements. Sprockets in good, unworn condition. Chain and sprockets only 3k miles old. Greased. At the center point of the bottom of the chain. 2 3/8" chain play up and down. That is with a 22" measurement from the center of the axle up to the center of the forward side back rack bolt.

I had hoped to take a pre-compression measurement and then an in-line measurement to be able say that an in-line chain sag was ...X. Another day.

Doohickey is done, bike runs fantastic now, but there's a noticeable sound change, nothing I'm worrying about though. Currently 400 miles in to a trip and it's still not exploded, so I think I'm ok haha.

Here's what I did: I put my bike on it's center stand, and disconnected the tension links (dogbones, whatever) and them propped the wheel and swingarm up so that those three points were all in a line (center of counetrshaft, center of swingarm pivot, center of axle) I used as scissor jack I had lying around, but I guess you could also block up under the tire. Then I adjusted the wheel until the slack was out of the chain, but not tight enough that it was binding. Then I took out the jack and hooked the suspension links back up. So now it's still on the center stand, and the wheel is off the ground and the suspension is at it's maximum extension. So i measured the slack of the chain at the midpoint of the swingarm. So next time I adjust my chain, I set it on the center stand so the tire is off the ground and the suspension is at full extension, and I adjust the slack to no tighter than my measurement, any tighter and it's going to bind at the tightest point in the travel.

So this works for me, as I have a center stand and as long as I can wrestle it up on the stand, it doesn't matter if the bike is loaded or not, or whether it's on level ground, or what, as long as the rear tire is off the ground.

Hummm, I've never obsessed over chain slack. Made an "educated guess" and added a little for good measure and ride. A little too much is a LOT better than not enough.

Ya I just ratchet strap the suspension down ,make sure the chain isn't tight with just a little slack, tighten it down and done. 5 minutes. Error on the loose if questionable.

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I've done it this way as well many years ago. Now it's just an instinct thing. Sit on the bike and look down / reach down with hand, foot, or a riding buddy to see if the slack is adequate.

After 75,000 miles on a KLR and numerous chains, you learn to get shit right just by feel and experience...

When I install a fresh chain, I might get out a tape measure.

No luck by opening another side cover.. Hmm. Either way it has come out with oilchange on previous owner, or its jammed somewhere of my engine. Gives very positive toughts to drive with a bike which may have a part of doohickey on engine.. Yes, i tried to tilt the bike on both sides, and lifting front and rear. No hits.

I found the spring end of mine behind the oil screen in the case, clutch side. get that screen and clean it out plus the cavity it goes in. It's behind and below the clutch.


other junk behind it ,



.

As i told, no luck from that side either. And im more than triple checked everything possible and impossible.
But hell no im not opening cases. I will just put it back together tomorrow and call it good..

Just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for the advice on choosing a bike! The KLR650 is so boss! She's a 1998 and still kicking ass. I spent my first day ever riding out in the dirt for 4 hours. She's easy enough for me to handle at 5'11" and 150lbs, albeit definitely on the heavy side. I hope I don't drop it before I get buff from riding it haha.

Congrats, Fenix! Enjoy the new bike.

How many miles?