How to Adjust a Motorcycle Chain

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Riding around town, going off road, or taking a long cruise—no matter how you ride, eventually your motorcycle chain will need some adjustment. After all, maintaining your bike chain is essential to preventing bigger problems down the road with your motorcycle. To help you out with this simple task, Cycle Trader is showing you how to adjust a motorcycle chain.

Why You Should Adjust Your Motorcycle Chain

A basic element of routine motorcycle maintenance, correctly adjusting and lubricating your chain will prevent strain on other parts of your motorcycle, plus diminish noise as you ride. A loose chain can jump off the rear sprocket, causing damage to your bike and potentially causing injury while riding. Loose chains can also wear grooves into your swingarms and engine cases. Alternatively, a motorcycle chain that’s too tight limits suspension movement, and can cause strain on your countershaft and wheel bearings. In short, a chain that’s not properly adjusted can harm you and your bike.

How to Adjust a Motorcycle Chain

To give you a better idea of how to adjust a motorcycle chain, we’ll use a Yamaha MT-10 as an example when it comes to getting down the right technique. Follow these steps and you should be able to adjust the chain on a number of bikes, for the exception of single-sided swingarms or classics with a more elaborate adjustment setup.

Check your owner’s manual for the required chain slack. With an MT-10, the chain slack is 20–30 mm or typically around .5 to 1 inch of slack.
Check the chain tension with the bike sitting on its wheels, or on a bike stand, so its weight is on the rear suspension.
Use a tape measure to see how loose or tight your chain may be; measure the chain slack in the same space to make sure you get the same reading as you make adjustments.
If necessary, use a socket wrench to loosen off the rear axle nut—keeping it on but ensuring it’s loose. Use a spanner to adjust the bolts on either side.
Make sure the rear wheel and front wheel are aligned by using alignment marks on the adjuster and the swingarms. Have them line up with the corresponding marks on both sides.
Adjust the chain to the correct tension, and make sure the alignment marks are the same on either side to tighten up the rear axle nut.
Use a rag or screwdriver to tighten the chain on the rear sprocket; nip the axle nut up to the correct torque according to your owner’s manual.

Whether you ride a dirt bike off road, a cruiser, touring, or other type of motorcycle, checking your chain tension should be part of your regular maintenance. Inspect your chain to see if it’s too loose or too tight to prevent damage, and make these easy adjustments. And if you’re ready to purchase your next new or used motorcycle, be sure to see all the nationwide listings online at CycleTrader.com.