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WIZARDOFOZONE
Guest
Got frustrated with my first build "Red Peril" and havn't been here for a few months. Had to mention a discovery though that is either just news to me or may interest others in here. Tried to complete my second build 2 days ago and I'll skip all the nightmare details about fitting the drive chain. Me and two other men were mystified about the total inability to get the drive chain to function even after we replaced the engine sprocket, chain, rear sprocket, rear hub, and 3 idler wheels ... long story shortened is simply that some bikes have very low or deeply curved/angled wheel support arms.This causes the idler wheel to need positioned close to the rear wheel drive gear which produces clicking, chain lift, or pop offs due to the erratic chain angles and idler wheel innacuracys in its position relative to the chain.Moving it to its more more normal forward position causes you to need more (and unavailable)idler arm height, or trying to drop another link which can be impossible to sync to the regular peddle chains length/tightness and wheel positioning.
After an all day attempt at every config I could think of with numerous additions and/or subtractions of links,and wheel adjustments that just would not please both chains equally, I recalled a pic of a bike in an ebay vendors ad that showed the idler wheel on the peddle chain rather than on the engine chain. At the time I had thought it was simply a busy vendors attempt to throw a bike together quickly and he had simply made a mistake.
But I'll tell you, try this for a real shock if you're assuming as I did that you must be content with the rattle/clang of the engine chain movement as you peddle in your off engine moments,or even when the engine is on. I reversed the procedure and fitted the engine chain for tightness first, with a strict 1/4 deflection,removed the idler arm and idler wheel and locked the rear wheel nuts down . Then I shortened the peddle chain as much as possible but naturally you'll always have slack (why oh way doesn't someone invent a HALF size speed link?) I then took up the peddle chain slack with the idler arm inverted so the idler wheel is pulling the chain down tightly with about 3/8 inch deflection.
Man, what a suprise ! The bike runs totally 'slapless' and as silent chainwise as a bike with no motor. smoothness and sync in relation to the throttle changes are as perfect now as my Nomad motorcycle ....bounce,pulsing , and 'chain on idler' sounds are totally gone as you coast downhill with closed throttle.
I honestly do not know why favoring the engine chain tightness over the peddle chain isn't in the general instruction sheets. I did find one sheet that stated if the chain was deflecting within the normal 1/4 to 1/2 deflections than the idler is not necessary, but never have I seen a recommendation to actually use the idler for peddle chain adjustment. WAY better.
After an all day attempt at every config I could think of with numerous additions and/or subtractions of links,and wheel adjustments that just would not please both chains equally, I recalled a pic of a bike in an ebay vendors ad that showed the idler wheel on the peddle chain rather than on the engine chain. At the time I had thought it was simply a busy vendors attempt to throw a bike together quickly and he had simply made a mistake.
But I'll tell you, try this for a real shock if you're assuming as I did that you must be content with the rattle/clang of the engine chain movement as you peddle in your off engine moments,or even when the engine is on. I reversed the procedure and fitted the engine chain for tightness first, with a strict 1/4 deflection,removed the idler arm and idler wheel and locked the rear wheel nuts down . Then I shortened the peddle chain as much as possible but naturally you'll always have slack (why oh way doesn't someone invent a HALF size speed link?) I then took up the peddle chain slack with the idler arm inverted so the idler wheel is pulling the chain down tightly with about 3/8 inch deflection.
Man, what a suprise ! The bike runs totally 'slapless' and as silent chainwise as a bike with no motor. smoothness and sync in relation to the throttle changes are as perfect now as my Nomad motorcycle ....bounce,pulsing , and 'chain on idler' sounds are totally gone as you coast downhill with closed throttle.
I honestly do not know why favoring the engine chain tightness over the peddle chain isn't in the general instruction sheets. I did find one sheet that stated if the chain was deflecting within the normal 1/4 to 1/2 deflections than the idler is not necessary, but never have I seen a recommendation to actually use the idler for peddle chain adjustment. WAY better.