Chain tensioner - AXB & TCA from Gilles Tooling
In addition to the cardan drive and the toothed belt, the roller chain between the rear wheel and the gearbox is still one of the most common types of drive on motorcycles. Only if the chain, sprocket and the sprocket wheel are carefully maintained and lubricated, a long service life and perfect function can be guaranteed. In the TECbike shop you will find a large selection of chain care products: from suitable cleaning agents to chain tensioners in various designs.
The right voltage is what counts
The question "is the chain tightened?" sounds profane, almost hackneyed. Yet she gets right to the point. If the chain isn't tightened properly, the consequences can be costly. In the following we have summarized information about chain tension and correct adjustment.
The right preparation
Before you start measuring the chain sag (technical term for "chain tension"), you jack up the bike. It is important that the rear wheel can turn freely and without load. The side stand is therefore rather unsuitable for this work:
- Motor off
- The transmission is in neutral
Once all this is done, the chain should be cleaned. Fresh grease on the sprockets and the rollers will put something on. Therefore, it makes sense to lubricate the chain only after the work is done. The measurement results are a few percentage points more accurate.
The next step is to check the chain guard at the front of the swing arm. It must be sufficiently thick and must not be ground through at any point. If it is damaged, it must be replaced. If this does not happen, the chain grinds the swing arm. There is a risk of severe damage to the swing arm and additional chain wear.
Check and adjust chain tension
Rear and front wheel must always be in the same track. For this, an exact alignment of the chain is essential.
- When the motorcycle is jacked up, the chain has the most play. The rear wheel is fully sprung and therefore completely unloaded
- Note: Due to the weight of the rider, a passenger and any luggage, the rear wheel will be compressed accordingly. This moves the rear axle away from the transmission drive shaft. As a result, the chain is tightened
Tensioning the chain - determining the right measuring point
A chain tends to warp irregularly during its lifetime. Sprocket and sprocket are also subject to uneven wear. This even goes so far that they literally "wobble". How do you find the right measuring point? With one hand you turn the rear wheel. At the same time, with the other hand, you press the chain on the lower part slightly upwards. Mark the tightest point, it is your measuring point.
Please note: A motorcycle parked on the main stand with a fully sprung rear wheel has a greater chain sag than a motorcycle parked on the side stand. In this case, the rear wheel is slightly compressed and the chain is tighter. Therefore it is important to relieve the rear wheel in order to adjust the chain tension correctly. If your bike does not have a main stand, you can find rear mounting stands in our shop that fit your bike exactly.
Measure chain sag correctly
The rear wheel is turned so that the tightest point is as close as possible to the middle between the sprocket and the sprocket. For the measurement you put a folding rule at the bottom of the swing arm towards the chain.
With one finger you pull the chain down as far as possible. At the folding rule, the measurement is now taken in the middle of a chain rivet. The folding rule remains in the same place. Now you press the chain from below as far as possible upwards with your finger and take the measurement at the folding rule again. The smaller measure is deducted from the larger one in the next step. The resulting difference gives the chain sag.
The correct tension of the chain depends on the respective manufacturer and the matching model. Roughly it is usually in a range of 20 to 40 mm or 30 to 50 mm. The manual of your vehicle will give you the exact information. Alternatively, on some machines the chain slack is attached to a glue on a swingarm spar.
There are also markings at the end of the swing arm. Usually in the form of a scale with several lines, they should make it easier for you to correctly tension the chain and to assess its wear.
Gilles Tooling top quality chain tensioner
On all motorcycles the chain tension adjustment works in principle in the same way: The rear axle is moved backwards. This increases the tension of the chain.
To tension the chain, the rear axle is loosened by at least two turns. This makes it easy to move the chain. If there is a safety cotter pin in the axle nut, it must be removed before.
Loosen the lock nuts of the chain tensioners on both sides by two turns. The rear axle is now moved backwards with the adjusting screws or adjusting nuts.
In order to achieve the correct sag of the chain, proceed equally on the left and right. Quarter or half turns are optimal. Markings are placed at the end of the swing arms, they serve as orientation during work. Please note: On both sides, the reference points on the axle mount must lie on the same markings. If this is not the case, the rear wheel is crooked.
If you want maximum precision during these operations, Gilles Tooling chain tensioners are the ideal choice. The TCA chain tensioning system has the reputation of being one of the leading products on the market. The products combine the typical and absolutely perfect design of Gilles Tooling with fine engineering. A vernier scale offers high reading accuracy. The aluminium parts of the series are made of high strength al7075 material. High-precision and modern CNC processes are used for the production of the noble parts. A particularly resistant hard anodization protects against weather influences.
Chain tensioner for KTM and many other motorcycle brands
In our TECbike Online Store you will not only find a large selection of vehicle-specific chain tensioners of the brand Gilles at a reasonable price, but also a wide range of motorcycle accessories for all motorcycle brands. Whether for the tour on the road or for use on the race track.
Chain tensioner - AXB & TCA from Gilles Tooling In addition to the cardan drive and the toothed belt, the roller chain between the rear wheel and the gearbox is still one of the most common...
read more » Close window Chain tensioner - AXB & TCA from Gilles Tooling
In addition to the cardan drive and the toothed belt, the roller chain between the rear wheel and the gearbox is still one of the most common types of drive on motorcycles. Only if the chain, sprocket and the sprocket wheel are carefully maintained and lubricated, a long service life and perfect function can be guaranteed. In the TECbike shop you will find a large selection of chain care products: from suitable cleaning agents to chain tensioners in various designs.
The right voltage is what counts
The question "is the chain tightened?" sounds profane, almost hackneyed. Yet she gets right to the point. If the chain isn't tightened properly, the consequences can be costly. In the following we have summarized information about chain tension and correct adjustment.
The right preparation
Before you start measuring the chain sag (technical term for "chain tension"), you jack up the bike. It is important that the rear wheel can turn freely and without load. The side stand is therefore rather unsuitable for this work:
- Motor off
- The transmission is in neutral
Once all this is done, the chain should be cleaned. Fresh grease on the sprockets and the rollers will put something on. Therefore, it makes sense to lubricate the chain only after the work is done. The measurement results are a few percentage points more accurate.
The next step is to check the chain guard at the front of the swing arm. It must be sufficiently thick and must not be ground through at any point. If it is damaged, it must be replaced. If this does not happen, the chain grinds the swing arm. There is a risk of severe damage to the swing arm and additional chain wear.
Check and adjust chain tension
Rear and front wheel must always be in the same track. For this, an exact alignment of the chain is essential.
- When the motorcycle is jacked up, the chain has the most play. The rear wheel is fully sprung and therefore completely unloaded
- Note: Due to the weight of the rider, a passenger and any luggage, the rear wheel will be compressed accordingly. This moves the rear axle away from the transmission drive shaft. As a result, the chain is tightened
Tensioning the chain - determining the right measuring point
A chain tends to warp irregularly during its lifetime. Sprocket and sprocket are also subject to uneven wear. This even goes so far that they literally "wobble". How do you find the right measuring point? With one hand you turn the rear wheel. At the same time, with the other hand, you press the chain on the lower part slightly upwards. Mark the tightest point, it is your measuring point.
Please note: A motorcycle parked on the main stand with a fully sprung rear wheel has a greater chain sag than a motorcycle parked on the side stand. In this case, the rear wheel is slightly compressed and the chain is tighter. Therefore it is important to relieve the rear wheel in order to adjust the chain tension correctly. If your bike does not have a main stand, you can find rear mounting stands in our shop that fit your bike exactly.
Measure chain sag correctly
The rear wheel is turned so that the tightest point is as close as possible to the middle between the sprocket and the sprocket. For the measurement you put a folding rule at the bottom of the swing arm towards the chain.
With one finger you pull the chain down as far as possible. At the folding rule, the measurement is now taken in the middle of a chain rivet. The folding rule remains in the same place. Now you press the chain from below as far as possible upwards with your finger and take the measurement at the folding rule again. The smaller measure is deducted from the larger one in the next step. The resulting difference gives the chain sag.
The correct tension of the chain depends on the respective manufacturer and the matching model. Roughly it is usually in a range of 20 to 40 mm or 30 to 50 mm. The manual of your vehicle will give you the exact information. Alternatively, on some machines the chain slack is attached to a glue on a swingarm spar.
There are also markings at the end of the swing arm. Usually in the form of a scale with several lines, they should make it easier for you to correctly tension the chain and to assess its wear.
Gilles Tooling top quality chain tensioner
On all motorcycles the chain tension adjustment works in principle in the same way: The rear axle is moved backwards. This increases the tension of the chain.
To tension the chain, the rear axle is loosened by at least two turns. This makes it easy to move the chain. If there is a safety cotter pin in the axle nut, it must be removed before.
Loosen the lock nuts of the chain tensioners on both sides by two turns. The rear axle is now moved backwards with the adjusting screws or adjusting nuts.
In order to achieve the correct sag of the chain, proceed equally on the left and right. Quarter or half turns are optimal. Markings are placed at the end of the swing arms, they serve as orientation during work. Please note: On both sides, the reference points on the axle mount must lie on the same markings. If this is not the case, the rear wheel is crooked.
If you want maximum precision during these operations, Gilles Tooling chain tensioners are the ideal choice. The TCA chain tensioning system has the reputation of being one of the leading products on the market. The products combine the typical and absolutely perfect design of Gilles Tooling with fine engineering. A vernier scale offers high reading accuracy. The aluminium parts of the series are made of high strength al7075 material. High-precision and modern CNC processes are used for the production of the noble parts. A particularly resistant hard anodization protects against weather influences.
Chain tensioner for KTM and many other motorcycle brands
In our TECbike Online Store you will not only find a large selection of vehicle-specific chain tensioners of the brand Gilles at a reasonable price, but also a wide range of motorcycle accessories for all motorcycle brands. Whether for the tour on the road or for use on the race track.
