adjusting chain off the stand

[scapco at ecentral.com]

Dave, you are totally correct.

The issue is even more pronounced on a dirt bike with 12+ 
inches of rear suspension travel.  It's one reason they 
have rollers above and below the chain for this.

I have to say that like Bill, I like to adjust my GPZ (but 
not my dirt bikes) on the centerstand, but I've also 
learned how much slack there has to be vs when it's on the 
tires.  I also think it's important to have someone sit on 
the bike and check the slack if you're uncertain as that's 
going to be a good indication of how tight or loose it is.

Charles S.


>Your swing arm moves up and down in an arc. This causes 
>the chain to tighten and loosen slightly as the swing arm 
>moves up and down. If you adjust the chain on the center 
>stand, you are making the adjustment at the end of the arc 
>instead of the "center" and your chain may become too 
>tight when the rear shock is compressed when you hit a 
>bump in the road.
> 
> 
>William K. Denton wrote:
>I've always adjusted chains on the stand... pls explain,