Triumphrat

TOMKRILL

'04 Speedmaster, 13 months old, just turned 12,000 miles. I am anal about lubricating my chain. I read in the Haynes Manual to lay the bike on its stand and measure the slack and it should be no more than 30 to 33 Cm. Anyone disagree? Also, if it is too loose, is it brain surgery to tighten it up?? Any advice is appreciated. I ask because I have this strange feeling that it is looser than it should be because even wearing my helmet and having pretty loud pipes, when I twist the throttle in say 2nd gear at 30 MPH (48 kph for you metric persons- 30/.625??) sometimes I swear I hear the chain make noise- not much but like its a little loose and then it snaps tight? :???:

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"The most happy marriage I can picture or imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a knock out blind woman who digs motorcycles."

Silverado57

Tom, I'm also anal about it. I lube my chain every week, after about 250 miles. I clean it with kerosene every 1,000 miles or so.

We're going away this weekend on the bike & I got a small can of Chain Wax to bring along to keep it lubed.

I'm just over 10,000 miles and have never adjusted the chain, although it SEEMS to be OK.
Should I be losing sleep over this? :???:

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Kevin
Luceo Non Uro
NJ USA

mag10

easy to adjust the chain, just make sure that the wheel is straight when you are done. I put a dial indicator on each side of the axle and wind it back evenly.

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see my wicked black speedmaster

Silverado57

I guess my question is: Is it unusual that a chain requires no adjustment.
It's likely it was checked and/or adjusted at the 6,000 mile service by the dealer.

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Kevin
Luceo Non Uro
NJ USA

TOMKRILL

Kevin,
I never cleaned it with kerosene, it's never been really dirty- one rain storm back in August of '06 for about 2 hours. I use chain wax about 4 to 500 miles also, and make sure I get every link- when I complete a ride and it is warm. My biggest problem with my Triumph has been since I got it there is nothing to fix, adjust, repair. All I can do is check the tire pressure, lube the chain and keep it clean and give it the once over look before I ride. I wish I had a H-D so things would at least fall off every few miles so I could use my tools once in a while :-D
I have the same problem with my '87 Toyota Camry with 189,000 miles- it just starts and runs and runs and runs!! Oh, washed it last week and checked the oil- but IT DIDN'T NEED ANY OIL!!!!!!!!

__________________
"The most happy marriage I can picture or imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a knock out blind woman who digs motorcycles."

Silverado57

Tom, that's great, we're lucky to have reliable bikes.

The wife was asking me why I've never use my Craftsman jack.
I told her it's because my bike ain't broke. :-D

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Kevin
Luceo Non Uro
NJ USA

TOMKRILL

BTW- I have crud build up around my rear sprocket from the chain wax. Will kerosene clean that off??

__________________
"The most happy marriage I can picture or imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a knock out blind woman who digs motorcycles."

Silverado57

It sure will. I wear rubber gloves and use rags soaked in kerosene to get it off. You can put an oil drain pan under the chain to collect the runoff. You could use an old toothbrush for that caked on stuff too.

__________________
Kevin
Luceo Non Uro
NJ USA

TOMKRILL

Kevin,

Thanks a lot! I will be cleaning my sprocket in about 4 hours while it rains outside the garage. :-D

__________________
"The most happy marriage I can picture or imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a knock out blind woman who digs motorcycles."

speedblastr

Tom, my Triumph shop manual says AMERICA&SPEEDMASTER 20 to 30 mm {I had to come back in and edit this was trying to use standard measurement }..............."20mm-30mm tolerance. 1 "- standard=25.4mm.....right smack in the middle! I set mine in the middle-1 inch slack .I had a little too much slack.I could hear it reeling& rolling on sprocket-of course I'm a little rough on her,I get her to bark a lot. 1. Measured at the freeplay measurement point of chain,then in the middle of chain for vertical movement with{ someone holding bike up straight on- ground -first}then put it up on stand(just slightly up ,still 2/3 weight on wheels) .2**Slackened rear spindle nut, 3.rotate adjuster bolt clockwise to increase chain free-play anti clockwise to reduce freeplay......WATCH ALIGNMENT MARKS.....make sure that it's an equal adjustment on both and keep the adjusters in firm contact with the bolt shoulders during adjustment.When the freeplay is set ,4.... **tighten spindle nut to 85nm(**I used a wrench for the other side spindle nut loosening and tightening because it wanted to turn.)Rotate rear wheel(on stand) and re-measure (off stand),readjust if necessary.On completion, rotate the adjuster bolts anti-clockwise until their shoulders are in firm contact with the adjusters...done. :hammer: :-D

[ This message was edited by: speedblastr on 2007-05-17 21:22 ]

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"At times Ya' have to hold a candle to the Devil." ~06' Blk-SpdMstr~130/40,TBS Ndls.-1Shm.,3T,AI out,Plrs-Blmth,UNI,Th-Bi.-pipes