[dsn_klr650] chain slack questions/countersprocket bearings

[Weaver, Mark]

> Mr. T/Conall/et all, > Thanks for the thorough explainations/experiences. I have > my chain > adjusted to the loose end of the spec. now. I'm going to > make-it a habit to > check the slack often, with me and whatever load I'm carrying > on the bike. > Having 9 inches of travel certainly changes the game compared to my > streetbikes.

forgive my apparent ignorance, but i fail to see how it would make any difference what load you have on the bike. the spec for chain slack is designed so that throughout the entire 9 inches of travel, the chain will not get excessively tight. if you set the chain slack to spec (with the bike unloaded and on the sidestand), it won't make any difference whether when riding, you are at the top of your 9" of travel, or if you sag through the first 5". even an unloaded bike can easily bottom out the suspension. if your chain is tight when that happens, you are probably in for trouble. so just set the slack once (correctly) then ignore it until service time, or you remove the rear wheel or change a sprocket. mark weaver (who knows little about motorcycles, and only slightly more about geometry)