noisy chain

lanezplitter · Aug 17, 2013

as I mentioned in a recent post, my new-to-me fz6 had an overtightened chain (~1.5 inches of play) from the PO. I loosened it to spec (about 2.1 inches at the tightest spot) but it is still making what sounds like an excessive chain noise at the front sprocket. I've owned a few bikes and never heard a chain whine like this one. It sounds like it is coming from the area of the front sprocket and is definitely chain-related--I can kill the engine and coast and the sound correlates with speed.

I pulled the front sprocket cover and there wasn't much noticeable wear on the sprocket or buildup of crud. The bike has 10k miles on it. The chain does not seem to have any tight links and it is well lubricated. Seeing as I don't know how long the PO had the chain on the tight side, could the output shaft bearing be damaged, and if so, what would the symptoms be?

Or does the FZ6 just have a noisy chain? I don't have a good reference point.

Thanks

trepetti · Aug 17, 2013

I hope I am wrong but if the chain was too taut for a long period of time it might have screwed up the bearing on the output shaft of the tranny. Not sure how to check it but hopefully someone will chime in with some advice.

TownsendsFJR1300 · Aug 17, 2013

lanezplitter said:
as I mentioned in a recent post, my new-to-me fz6 had an overtightened chain (~1.5 inches of play) from the PO. I loosened it to spec (about 2.1 inches at the tightest spot) but it is still making what sounds like an excessive chain noise at the front sprocket. I've owned a few bikes and never heard a chain whine like this one. It sounds like it is coming from the area of the front sprocket and is definitely chain-related--I can kill the engine and coast and the sound correlates with speed.

I pulled the front sprocket cover and there wasn't much noticeable wear on the sprocket or buildup of crud. The bike has 10k miles on it. The chain does not seem to have any tight links and it is well lubricated. Seeing as I don't know how long the PO had the chain on the tight side, could the output shaft bearing be damaged, and if so, what would the symptoms be?

Or does the FZ6 just have a noisy chain? I don't have a good reference point.

Thanks

To check that output bearing, pull the chain off it and gently put a lever (screwdriver/pry tool) or by hand push pull the shaft up and down or side to side. Thee should be no play. If it was bad, besides the play, shifting would start to act up as the gear box is getting sloppy. Its likley fine.

Mileage means nothing if the chain was NOT maintained. It was TOO TIGHT for how many miles??

BTW, if you could keep the problem on one thread, it'd be easier for anyone trying to help.

FinalImpact · Aug 17, 2013

Before getting too concerned about the output bearing, I'd hose that chain down with a good cleaning and scrub brush wipe down followed by short ride. Wipe it down again and then oil it good.

Today I confirmed every roller on the chain rolls with a touch of the finger. Then oiled. Assembly has 16,000 miles on it and looks and feels like new.

Clean and oil and test again. Report back. Mine gets noisy when dry. Just saying its always happier after being cleaned & lubed!

rs117 · Aug 17, 2013

FinalImpact said:
Mine gets noisy when dry. Just saying its always happier after being cleaned & lubed!

plus 1,
chains are noisy animals anways ..... but happier / quieter maintained

lanezplitter · Aug 17, 2013

thanks for the input, folks. I will give it a thorough cleaning and lube to see if that improves the noise. I honestly don't know how long the PO had the chain overtightened.

p.s. I started this thread because that other post was about the TPS and idle...this seemed like a different topic so I started a new one. I'll stick to one next time.

tosh23 · Aug 20, 2013

I had the same a few months back...the bike had done 11k and wasn't loved..I put a new chain on it and the noise reduced 50%..The bike in its true nature is not quiet around the front sprocket area..

lanezplitter · Aug 22, 2013

I did a through cleaning with some kerosene and a brush. Then I relubed. The chain is considerably quieter. Amazing how much the gunk buildup was adding to the noise!

biofractral · Oct 18, 2013

Hi there folks... I would like to share my chain noise experience hoping that someone could benefit in the future...

Yes, dirt can add a lot of extra noise... however in my case was different. The chain was dirty and very QUIET.... after cleaning and adjusting the chain went really... REALLY LOUD.... Long story short I did check and RE-check everything... making sure the rear axle was aligned properly, measure the distance from the pivot center at the swing arm to the rear axle etc etc... the tension of the chain was perfect according to the specs. What was wrong? The sprockets are good... chain is good.. clean, align etc etc... well after giving up I went to the local shop and one of the mechanics (a very nice man bty) went outside, lighted a cigarette and asked me to sit on the bike... then he checked the tension and he said: You did everything right... but you did it on the center stand didnt you? My reply was a obvious YES... then he sat on the bike and asked me to check the tension... for my surprise the chain was really tight...:jawdrop: so.. the solution was simple... he told me to get my wife or someone to sit on the bike and adjust the chain with the person ON the bike...so I got my wife to sit on the bike and I went and loosen a little bit the chain... VOILA!!! NOISE GONE... :rockon:Hope this helps someone down the road....

DavesFZ · Oct 18, 2013

I figured since the manual called for checking the chain tension on the centerstand, that they took that into account. Maybe your rear is sitting lower from the suspension being softer than it should be?

Glad you followed up with us!

TownsendsFJR1300 · Oct 18, 2013

biofractral said:
Hi there folks... I would like to share my chain noise experience hoping that someone could benefit in the future...

Yes, dirt can add a lot of extra noise... however in my case was different. The chain was dirty and very QUIET.... after cleaning and adjusting the chain went really... REALLY LOUD.... Long story short I did check and RE-check everything... making sure the rear axle was aligned properly, measure the distance from the pivot center at the swing arm to the rear axle etc etc... the tension of the chain was perfect according to the specs. What was wrong? The sprockets are good... chain is good.. clean, align etc etc... well after giving up I went to the local shop and one of the mechanics (a very nice man bty) went outside, lighted a cigarette and asked me to sit on the bike... then he checked the tension and he said: You did everything right... but you did it on the center stand didnt you? My reply was a obvious YES... then he sat on the bike and asked me to check the tension... for my surprise the chain was really tight...:jawdrop: so.. the solution was simple... he told me to get my wife or someone to sit on the bike and adjust the chain with the person ON the bike...so I got my wife to sit on the bike and I went and loosen a little bit the chain... VOILA!!! NOISE GONE... :rockon:Hope this helps someone down the road....

Its designed to be adjusted on the CC or standing straight up. (see below owners manual on how to adjust).

I suspect it wasn't adjusted correctly to start with.

At the spots noted in the manual, you have to fnd the taughest spot , I pick a link pin and use a tape measure and push it, light force up(zero in my ruler), then push it down noting the TOTAL PLAY. You should have two inches or so...

The suspension will only droop so far (it IS adjusted at FULL DROOP)

Click again on the below pic once its open to enlarge it...

digdoctor · Apr 11, 2014

biofractral said:
Hi there folks... I would like to share my chain noise experience hoping that someone could benefit in the future...

Yes, dirt can add a lot of extra noise... however in my case was different. The chain was dirty and very QUIET.... after cleaning and adjusting the chain went really... REALLY LOUD.... Long story short I did check and RE-check everything... making sure the rear axle was aligned properly, measure the distance from the pivot center at the swing arm to the rear axle etc etc... the tension of the chain was perfect according to the specs. What was wrong? The sprockets are good... chain is good.. clean, align etc etc... well after giving up I went to the local shop and one of the mechanics (a very nice man bty) went outside, lighted a cigarette and asked me to sit on the bike... then he checked the tension and he said: You did everything right... but you did it on the center stand didnt you? My reply was a obvious YES... then he sat on the bike and asked me to check the tension... for my surprise the chain was really tight...:jawdrop: so.. the solution was simple... he told me to get my wife or someone to sit on the bike and adjust the chain with the person ON the bike...so I got my wife to sit on the bike and I went and loosen a little bit the chain... VOILA!!! NOISE GONE... :rockon:Hope this helps someone down the road....

This happened to me today with my 06 Fz6. I went and loosened the chain by half a turn on each swingarm, checked it with pressure on the bike and it seems better, but the noise has barely changed (noticeable but still very loud above 40 mph). Do I clean and lube the chain again or let it out more? I definitely over lubbed it last time and couldve created a bit of crud. Or does that front sprocket really make that much noise all the time?

TownsendsFJR1300 · Apr 11, 2014

digdoctor said:
This happened to me today with my 06 Fz6. I went and loosened the chain by half a turn on each swingarm, checked it with pressure on the bike and it seems better, but the noise has barely changed (noticeable but still very loud above 40 mph). Do I clean and lube the chain again or let it out more? I definitely over lubbed it last time and couldve created a bit of crud. Or does that front sprocket really make that much noise all the time?

I would pull the front sprocket cover off, three allan head bolts. The cover will sneak out inder the shifter linkage. Check the sprocket for wear (hooking) and clean out the gunk that's likely there.

Re adjustment of the chain, it should be cleaned and lubed BEFORE adjusting. The front sprocket will make some noise, as the chain wears and the front sprocket, more noise will occur.

That 2" at the taughtest point is what Yamaha calls for, again at full droop on the center stand. I would NOT go looser than that, your much more likely to throw a chain thru your cases.

I doubt you damaged the output shaft at 1.5" play..

If the PO, didn't maintain the chain properly, it can easily be worn with 10,000 miles or lower. If you see any kinks in the chain NOT straightening, its a tell tale sign chain replacement is due.

Mine was lubed, by the PO ONCE in 4,500 miles, (never cleaned). Once I got the bike, I cleaned and lubed it but it was still worn out and noisy at ONLY 12,000 miles and needed replacement..

digdoctor · Apr 14, 2014

TownsendsFJR1300 said:
I doubt you damaged the output shaft at 1.5" play..

If the PO, didn't maintain the chain properly, it can easily be worn with 10,000 miles or lower. If you see any kinks in the chain NOT straightening, its a tell tale sign chain replacement is due.

Mine was lubed, by the PO ONCE in 4,500 miles, (never cleaned). Once I got the bike, I cleaned and lubed it but it was still worn out and noisy at ONLY 12,000 miles and needed replacement..

Thanks very much for the reply! I'm afraid of this, I'm having it checked out today or tomorrow (I'm not completely comfortable with working on it myself quite yet) and hopefully its just some build up on the front sprocket.

Although, after the chain was, cleaned, lubed and let out to specification I'm getting heavy vibrations through the handlebars, footpegs, and seat above 30mph. Basically the whole bike, and they correlate with roadspeed so I imagine its related.

Sigh...

MG-242 · Apr 14, 2014

The manual may say to check the chain tension on the center stand, but I would highly recommend doing it with someone sitting on the bike or compensating for the difference. I've literally looked at thousands of bikes chain adjustments while doing tech inspection for track days. That's one of the items we check. Even though it was adjusted on the stand, in real life actually riding the bike, it'll be tighter under load than on a stand.

Also, every motorcycle that I have owned that has been professionally measured, showed the swingarm markings to be off by at least a few mm. Measuring from a fixed point is the only way to be sure.

payneib · Apr 14, 2014

Mine has 17000 on it and is due. Getting an entire new set next week at the 18k service.

I really would advise taking that front cover off. My chain looks fine, as does my rear sprocket. But the past couple of weeks (~680 miles) I've been getting a lot of stretch. I took the front cover off and it was FULL of oily mud and the front sprocket is hooked to hell.

Even if you just clean it yourself and get a garage to everything else, just three little 5mm Allen bolts and a shimmy under the gear linkage to get it out, will make your transmission last a lot longer.

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

bdevries · Apr 14, 2014

tosh23 said:
The bike in its true nature is not quiet around the front sprocket area..

Anyone tried putting Dynomat or rubber sound insulation inside the little plastic front sprocket cover?

FinalImpact · Apr 14, 2014

Im headed towards 18k on the oem chain and to date I've not found a product that keeps the chain quiet paste 500 miles. Thus my interval is 400.

My advice for noisy chains, clean them repeatedly, lube them, and verify every roller spins! Verify the links leaving the front sprocket ALL straighten out the same w/out kinks or arching.
If you can't clean and lube it into submission, replace it.

FWIW: you can induce a pretty noticable vibration when the rear wheel is out of alignment. Do a search for "how to string align"... there options and opinions...

digdoctor · Apr 23, 2014

payneib said:
Even if you just clean it yourself and get a garage to everything else, just three little 5mm Allen bolts and a shimmy under the gear linkage to get it out, will make your transmission last a lot longer.

Took it apart, cleaned it up (sprockets are fine luckily

) re-lubed, readjusted to be within spec under weight and took it for a test drive. Much improved! It was gunked up. Funny what dirt and oil will do.

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