95% of motorcycles with double sided swingarms use this exact mechanism for tensioning nowadays and it's useful for every single one if them. But you don't need to loosen up the tension of the chain on any bike I know, to remove the wheel.
this didnt work on mine same mechanism. difference is the orientation of the which side the blocks are on are reverse, so the block that goes on the spindle first is on the chain side
Before you tighten her up throw a rag between the chain and sprocket, wheel your rag into the sprocket, this will make sure your axle/pin is pulled right up to the tensioner 👍
Was a motorcycle tech for 5 years, I never did this. Just loosen and re-adjust them. Not that hard, takes a few seconds more to do the job right. Chains stretch over time, it’s a good way to ensure you’re keeping the wheel aligned and chain tensioned properly by simply making it a habit for each tire change. Not to mention you don’t have to put forward tension on the wheel before tightening the nut to ensure the axle is up against the tensioners. There’s a reason the service manuals tell you to do it this way. Honda/yamaha/kawasaki etc engineers know what they’re doing. I did it for every single customer, treated their bikes like I would my own. No point in risking someone’s life for 5 seconds saved. Not saying this method guarantees a failure, but it certainly increases the odds. I probably had 8 tire changes on average in a week, calculate that out for 5 years, if I could handle adjusting the tensioner for every one of those, I’m sure you’re fine doing it once every two to three years for the average rider
It really makes no sense because all you are doing is making another step by loosening. Doing a tire change and putting it back would only require you to tighten instead of loosening it and having to tighten it way more. And that’s assuming the chain has stretched and actually needs adjusted at the time and wasn’t done recently.
Great video as always. I don't want to be the tool police but I've got to tell you in case you are not aware (like I was). Never use a torque wrench to undo any bolt (assuming my eyes didn't buy out and it is actually a torque wrench). You might need to recalibrate the wrench if you do that enough. Again great video, keep them coming ❤️
It is a good practice to re-adjust chain, so no point avoiding loosening tensioners. In fact it is easier to loosen those up. But yeah, you don't have to.
Guy isn't using a torque wrench to undo the nut, he's doing it just fine. Besides there are torque wrenches that work both ways. What I would add is to first insert the axle in the opposite side of the sprocket, so as the chain won't fight back while you try to center the wheel, spread the pads a bit with a flat blade screwdriver, grease the axle and threads/washer, and buttoning everything up, get a round pin between the chain and sprocket and turning the wheel so that it jams, that way the wheel sits good on the adjusters. Also piece of wood beneath the tire will make everything easier while trying to line everything up. Good vid 👍
You didn’t see anything cuz i didn’t use the torque wrench to loosen it. Watch the end, my ratchet and breaker bar are sitting on the ground 😂😂😂 you guys are fkin morons
Only takes a little bit of time to check your chain or belt tension first. If it’s good then give ‘er. If it’s off the feel free to loosen the adjusters. It will usually make reinstalling the axle that much easier as you are not fighting the chain/belt tension. If the slack is good then at least you have the option to go either way. The important thing to keep in mind is the proper way to make sure the wheel is straight is to measure from the centre of the axle to the centre of the swing arm pivot
It's also good after you tighten the rear wheel to add a little bit of preload to the adjusters to keep it from pushing forward if you have a high powered set up
I put a screwdriver between the sprocket and chain, put a little turn on the wheel and then tighten the axle nut, this pulls the axle firmly and evenly against the adjusters. ✌🏻
I'm a Yamaha guy but KTM did something genius. They put a ledge on the swingarm that stops the wheel from dropping when you pull the axle out. As soon as I saw that I made some my YZ's swingarm.
Pro Tip... When you do this.... I suggest taking the wheel tensioners out and putting anti seize on the threads. If you leave them in there too long, when you go to install a new chain you will find they like to break off inside the swing arm.
Any advice on keeping the spacers in when reinstalling the rear wheel? I’m a bit too cheap to buy captive spacers at the moment if there’s a better technique with my oem ones.
As long as chain slak is well maintained said is valid. Other wise both the sprockets are pulled togather and rear axle always pushed towards the chain adjuster hence a bit force is required....
I slip a small end wrench between the chain and sprocket and rotate the wheel backward to take the slack out of the chain and pull the axle forward keeping the plates tight against the adjusters before torqueing.
I think it is depend on the type of swingarm and rear wheel mechanism employed by manufacturer. Some bikes do have to loosen chain tensioner just because the mechanism.
Good tip... but u used a torque wrench to loosen the axle nut. Torque wrenches are not meant for loosening fasteners. They are only reversible for positioning the tool. Doing that will throw off the calibration and make it inaccurate. Which isn't bad if you actually check it once a year like you're supposed to...😊
Put a rag between the rear sprocket and chain, roll tire forward enough it's just pulling the wheel forward, make sure you keep everything tight and your chain isn't tighter than when you took it off..
That is why I only get bikes with single side swingers. Easy to remove and replace without the need for re-tensioning nor realignment. Plus, it’s a ton sexier than double swingers…
If you look on the ground at the very end of the video, you will see a ratchet and a length of pipe. That was what he used to loosen the wheel nut. It looks like a torque wrench but it’s not. He does use an actual torque wrench to tighten it.
Another thing I do when I change tires is stick a rag on the sprocket and rotate the wheel back so it jams the wheel up to the tensioner so it is tight then I tighten the acle
@@Volelemo190 and also, that's not a torque wrench. He used a different wrench for loosening and tightening. He used torque wrench for tightening and ratchet (with a pipe extension) for loosening
Most important part at the end was missed, you need to jam something in the chain so the wheel gets pushed against the adjustment screws and everything is lined up correctly 😁
Damn those two screw is holding all that tension they must be mighty strong i think they just do the same effect as a sword thats got a rattail tang on it
Technically, you do not have to adjust your train tensioner but when you put your tire back on, I do very very very much suggest you adjust it so it is at the proper tension so your bike has the most performance as it can and you don’t have pre-explosion you know you don’t want your chain to explode out on the highway while you’re going to 170 I don’t think it’s a good idea and also dangerous
Ar axle seized in my yamaha t max. Mechanic had to get it off with heat and a mallet. Apparently manufacturers cutting costs without lubing parts. Now it sounds like the belt is scraping off the plastic casing for the belt. Something warped or bent. Sickened over it. Please tell all can be reversed or realigned 😢
My bike was purchased in 2014 brand new but the swing arm design is 60+ years old (it's a Royal Enfield), you just have to remove 2 bolts and away the tire goes. You can also do this by using the spark plug tool that came with it. While I was doing roadside repair of a flat tire, a motorcyclist in his brand new bike couldn't believe how and old design can make like easier that his modern bike 😂
2003 R1 and I fight the rear caliper every time. Makes a simple job into a big chore. The caliper bracket slots into the inner side of the swingarm and the axle goes through it. You can't remove the bracket without removing the wheel and you can't remove the wheel because the caliper doesn't have enough clearance due to the rim. Installation is even worse.
hii, my rear tyre is making a metallic noise(kee kee kee) while riding, is it enough to pressure wash the rear side to remove the noise or should is remove the whole tyre and clean it and assemble back to make it smooth and silent while riding?
Now there is some kid with an enclosed adjuster still try to get out his wheel because of this video. If your bike has a dropout (cut out like on this swingarm) sure this works great. Also if you removed your wheel always check your chain alignment after your reinstall and torque everything down.
Well only really riders know this, I known this since I was 4 and been riding,, my dad taught me everything about the bike if you ride you do your own work
I thought it was a torque wrench too, but it looks like it’s just some kind of breaker bar put over his ratchet, but it does look like a torque range. If you don’t take the time to watch the video two or three times.
I'd rather push them back a little bit. I'd rather not risk damaging the threads on those. Would hate to ruin my gixxer like that. Plus it's probably been a while since I've tensioned the chain anyway do I'd have to do it no matter what.
All depends what kind of tire you have to. Some tires have a larger profile so it will already be a hair away from the inner part of the swingarm and only way to go is back
This is half-baked. Only move the axle(not wheel pin) out enough to move the axle blocks out of the way. Then push the wheel forward to give you enough slack to pull the chain off. Then you can pull the axle. Same for install. No need to fight with the chain while lifting the wheel.
Damn this made me feel dumb for have to retension everytime I take the wheel off
Haha please tell me you are joking this should be common knowledge always know your ride
@@sw33tr1de4 well, almost everyone did it the first time they tried to remove the rear wheel. I did 😆
Same bruh
Its better to adjust and know its set them assume its good .
Why does this have so many likes 😂
Being new to the motorcycle world, the information you give has helped me visualize the work I'll need to do. Thank you.
OMG i love this short mechanic series. straight to the point without crap
Having a paddock stand really helps though too!
😂 how do you remove a wheel without one?
@@adobomoto When I first bought my bike I didn't know they even existed, but I found out real quick when the time came and I needed one.
You can simply use your centre stand on your motorcycle to do that.
@@ardwivedi16 I’d say most bikes do not have a center stand
@@adobomoto i scream baybehhhhhhhhhh at the reat wheel it comes off automatically
That's true for that specific motorcycle, they dont all use the same mechanism for tensioning.
95% of motorcycles with double sided swingarms use this exact mechanism for tensioning nowadays and it's useful for every single one if them. But you don't need to loosen up the tension of the chain on any bike I know, to remove the wheel.
@@janniksims5740 you need to wirk on some bikes from the 70s.
drive chains should never have tension, only slack..
this didnt work on mine same mechanism. difference is the orientation of the which side the blocks are on are reverse, so the block that goes on the spindle first is on the chain side
@@janniksims5740no they dont. more like 50% at best. mostly sport bikes use this and my gsxr 750 does not...
Before you tighten her up throw a rag between the chain and sprocket, wheel your rag into the sprocket, this will make sure your axle/pin is pulled right up to the tensioner 👍
Wowwwww! That’s an insane trick. Thanks! Literally never thought about that.
Was a motorcycle tech for 5 years, I never did this. Just loosen and re-adjust them. Not that hard, takes a few seconds more to do the job right. Chains stretch over time, it’s a good way to ensure you’re keeping the wheel aligned and chain tensioned properly by simply making it a habit for each tire change. Not to mention you don’t have to put forward tension on the wheel before tightening the nut to ensure the axle is up against the tensioners. There’s a reason the service manuals tell you to do it this way. Honda/yamaha/kawasaki etc engineers know what they’re doing. I did it for every single customer, treated their bikes like I would my own. No point in risking someone’s life for 5 seconds saved. Not saying this method guarantees a failure, but it certainly increases the odds. I probably had 8 tire changes on average in a week, calculate that out for 5 years, if I could handle adjusting the tensioner for every one of those, I’m sure you’re fine doing it once every two to three years for the average rider
It really makes no sense because all you are doing is making another step by loosening. Doing a tire change and putting it back would only require you to tighten instead of loosening it and having to tighten it way more. And that’s assuming the chain has stretched and actually needs adjusted at the time and wasn’t done recently.
Great video as always. I don't want to be the tool police but I've got to tell you in case you are not aware (like I was). Never use a torque wrench to undo any bolt (assuming my eyes didn't buy out and it is actually a torque wrench). You might need to recalibrate the wrench if you do that enough. Again great video, keep them coming ❤️
Two different wrenches. Look at the bottom of the screen
@@adobomoto You are absolutely correct. Have a nice day ☺️
It is a good practice to re-adjust chain, so no point avoiding loosening tensioners. In fact it is easier to loosen those up. But yeah, you don't have to.
Yeah, I don't see the advantage of avoiding loosening the tensioners. It's easy, fast, and should be adjusted anyway.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy, needed to get my wheel off to replace tire. Took like 2 mins. Thanks!
Guy isn't using a torque wrench to undo the nut, he's doing it just fine. Besides there are torque wrenches that work both ways. What I would add is to first insert the axle in the opposite side of the sprocket, so as the chain won't fight back while you try to center the wheel, spread the pads a bit with a flat blade screwdriver, grease the axle and threads/washer, and buttoning everything up, get a round pin between the chain and sprocket and turning the wheel so that it jams, that way the wheel sits good on the adjusters. Also piece of wood beneath the tire will make everything easier while trying to line everything up. Good vid 👍
I’m so glad I found your page, definitely gonna put your knowledge to use when I get my bike.
NO GIXXER JOKES?? YOU'RE FIRED...🤣🤣😆
I have never owned a motorcycle and probably never will, I'm glad YT shorts has blessed me with this knowledge
As someone who has never ridden a bike, I learnt a lot!
Nice. Since this technique also preserves wheel alignment, it makes the job almost as simple as if you have a single-sided swingarm.
Need more videos put out there like this one! Thank you!
Quickest how to video ive see this year🙌💪
Only a real mechanic uses his torque wrench to loosen a nut. 😂
Lol I saw that too
You didn’t see anything cuz i didn’t use the torque wrench to loosen it. Watch the end, my ratchet and breaker bar are sitting on the ground 😂😂😂 you guys are fkin morons
Lmao easy mistake as old torque wrench’s do look like yr breaker bar.
I have one here.
@@adobomoto it’s was a breaker bar with a bar on it huh🤣🤣 some people man
@@BenJones-xr2ii lmfao, doesn’t even look the same. These morons on youtube
Your content is always good!! Funny, informative, and always interesting.. Thank you
First time I've ever seen it done like that and I like it!
Only takes a little bit of time to check your chain or belt tension first. If it’s good then give ‘er. If it’s off the feel free to loosen the adjusters. It will usually make reinstalling the axle that much easier as you are not fighting the chain/belt tension. If the slack is good then at least you have the option to go either way. The important thing to keep in mind is the proper way to make sure the wheel is straight is to measure from the centre of the axle to the centre of the swing arm pivot
if y'all are thinking of buying a CFMOTO 450, it's such a good bike and sounds awesome. Maneuvers so well
It's also good after you tighten the rear wheel to add a little bit of preload to the adjusters to keep it from pushing forward if you have a high powered set up
Here’s some good advice, use a brass hammer to remove the axle, and grease it every time you put it back in.
Damn thanks, as a new rider I'm trying to learn all I can & this one is definitely useful. 🖖
I put a screwdriver between the sprocket and chain, put a little turn on the wheel and then tighten the axle nut, this pulls the axle firmly and evenly against the adjusters. ✌🏻
Try a rag instead. Works the same and doesn't potentially damage your chain or sprocket
@@jasongreen2179 a rag also works well but I don’t see how damage can be a possibility. Thanks
I'm a Yamaha guy but KTM did something genius. They put a ledge on the swingarm that stops the wheel from dropping when you pull the axle out. As soon as I saw that I made some my YZ's swingarm.
Pro Tip... When you do this.... I suggest taking the wheel tensioners out and putting anti seize on the threads. If you leave them in there too long, when you go to install a new chain you will find they like to break off inside the swing arm.
Any advice on keeping the spacers in when reinstalling the rear wheel? I’m a bit too cheap to buy captive spacers at the moment if there’s a better technique with my oem ones.
If ya grease em up a bit they stick to the wheel a bit easier. Just getting someone to hold it also helps.
Grease. Acts like glue.
Grease and patience
My dr650 uses a cam washer on the wheel pin for tensioning. Genius design
You make it so simple. Thank you
Thanks. Useful information. (a ZX14 guy)
As long as chain slak is well maintained said is valid. Other wise both the sprockets are pulled togather and rear axle always pushed towards the chain adjuster hence a bit force is required....
I slip a small end wrench between the chain and sprocket and rotate the wheel backward to take the slack out of the chain and pull the axle forward keeping the plates tight against the adjusters before torqueing.
A rag works well and no damage
I think it is depend on the type of swingarm and rear wheel mechanism employed by manufacturer. Some bikes do have to loosen chain tensioner just because the mechanism.
Good tips! Anyway don't use torque to undo nuts and bolts
Yeah I saw that and started having a panic attack
He used a cheater bar and a breaker bar to loosen the nut
Love your channel broski
Thank you. Saved me a lot of time
Niiiiiice, using this on my next tyre change!!
Great video. Just how tight should the chain be on a motorcycle? I have 2011 kawasaki Ninja 225R
Good tip... but u used a torque wrench to loosen the axle nut. Torque wrenches are not meant for loosening fasteners. They are only reversible for positioning the tool. Doing that will throw off the calibration and make it inaccurate. Which isn't bad if you actually check it once a year like you're supposed to...😊
Do you have to align anything when replacing the wheel?
Yes. This is a lazy way of doing it. Always recheck tension and alignment after removing the rear wheel. Better safe than sorry. Ride safe
Put a rag between the rear sprocket and chain, roll tire forward enough it's just pulling the wheel forward, make sure you keep everything tight and your chain isn't tighter than when you took it off..
That is why I only get bikes with single side swingers. Easy to remove and replace without the need for re-tensioning nor realignment. Plus, it’s a ton sexier than double swingers…
If you look on the ground at the very end of the video, you will see a ratchet and a length of pipe. That was what he used to loosen the wheel nut. It looks like a torque wrench but it’s not. He does use an actual torque wrench to tighten it.
Another thing I do when I change tires is stick a rag on the sprocket and rotate the wheel back so it jams the wheel up to the tensioner so it is tight then I tighten the acle
That rear end is what i call adjustability either you want to have a shorter wheelbase for cornering or longer wheelbase to have high speed stability
So the love tap to get it out doesn’t mess up the threads? Or the threads filing down the inside of that plate? It may be faster, but at what cost?
You need to put a rag between the chain and sprocket to maintain tension before tightening axle
He said “ohh the trickiest part is putting this on” as if putting a tire on was tricky 😂
These little videos are great
Wow, this changes everything. Thankyou
this guy is the perfect father figure i need ,
I set tensioners to zero, then count the rotations to chain tension, then match the number on non-drive side.
i’m not a bike person, how to adjust the rear wheel for alignment? how to make sure they are square?
Don't use torque wrench to loosen bolts or nuts
As long as it doesn’t click it doesn’t actually matter
@@Volelemo190 and also, that's not a torque wrench. He used a different wrench for loosening and tightening. He used torque wrench for tightening and ratchet (with a pipe extension) for loosening
@@N.I.C.K.0.3 these people are morons who keep saying i used the torque wrench
@@adobomoto oh it was nomal wrench with extension😅 you're right
Ofc it works, you just should not move tight fitted parts under tension as you might damage those in the process..
Most important part at the end was missed, you need to jam something in the chain so the wheel gets pushed against the adjustment screws and everything is lined up correctly 😁
Very professional dude say thank bros and ladies
Looks good, only critique is you shouldn’t use the torque wrench to loosen the bolt. Just imo tho, I know some people do.
Lmfao, i didn’t
Damn those two screw is holding all that tension they must be mighty strong i think they just do the same effect as a sword thats got a rattail tang on it
Technically, you do not have to adjust your train tensioner but when you put your tire back on, I do very very very much suggest you adjust it so it is at the proper tension so your bike has the most performance as it can and you don’t have pre-explosion you know you don’t want your chain to explode out on the highway while you’re going to 170 I don’t think it’s a good idea and also dangerous
Ar axle seized in my yamaha t max. Mechanic had to get it off with heat and a mallet. Apparently manufacturers cutting costs without lubing parts. Now it sounds like the belt is scraping off the plastic casing for the belt. Something warped or bent. Sickened over it. Please tell all can be reversed or realigned 😢
pro tip thanks homie -GIXXER RIDER
This makes me realize why I always have a shaft drive.
Long live the shaft drive!!!
Adobo get you the pitbull pit crew tire wedge. Makes tire changes and axle work super quick and easy.
Been meaning to pick that up. Got used to the shoe wedge method 😂
@@adobomoto they are great. Worth the money for sure. Yea or some wood wedges. This has made it much easier though lol.
My bike was purchased in 2014 brand new but the swing arm design is 60+ years old (it's a Royal Enfield), you just have to remove 2 bolts and away the tire goes. You can also do this by using the spark plug tool that came with it.
While I was doing roadside repair of a flat tire, a motorcyclist in his brand new bike couldn't believe how and old design can make like easier that his modern bike 😂
Torque wrench is used only for torqing bolt if you will use it to unbolting you will damage the tool.
This isn’t on todays topic, but a good video idea would be, the use of air tags or tiles, to help find your bike if stolen.
2003 R1 and I fight the rear caliper every time. Makes a simple job into a big chore. The caliper bracket slots into the inner side of the swingarm and the axle goes through it. You can't remove the bracket without removing the wheel and you can't remove the wheel because the caliper doesn't have enough clearance due to the rim. Installation is even worse.
Yea right you cut out the struggle of that rear caliper hanging on to everything it can 😂😂😂
Don't forget the spacers.
Underslung caliper and captive wheel spacers from the factory. That’s why aprilia is superior
@@adobomoto I have a 2018 Tuono RR and 04 RSV Factory. That tuono caliper likes to play games lol
Would you ever remove a link in the chain and move the wheel forward 🤔?
hii, my rear tyre is making a metallic noise(kee kee kee) while riding, is it enough to pressure wash the rear side to remove the noise or should is remove the whole tyre and clean it and assemble back to make it smooth and silent while riding?
I wish my rear brake was mounted to the swingarm. I have a 16zx10r if you know you know. Its rough sometimes
Did you use a torque wrench to remove that bolt that thing must be way out of calibration if you do that regularly
Get the lightech chain tensioners they’re awesome. Got them on my BMW.
Did you just use a torque wrench to loosen the axle nut? Great way to ruin it.
Nope, you should go to an eye doctor
Nice dude. Good on ya. Ride safe
Did you just use. A torque wrench to remove the bolt?
Aint nobody got time to set up chain slack again 😂
Now there is some kid with an enclosed adjuster still try to get out his wheel because of this video. If your bike has a dropout (cut out like on this swingarm) sure this works great. Also if you removed your wheel always check your chain alignment after your reinstall and torque everything down.
If you have a different chain adjuster, why would you follow this video? Lmfao, your first line is the problem
@@adobomoto 😕 yeah it was a joke, but yeah your right why did I watch this video
Unless you have aftermarket adjusters that stay in place when you remove the wheel
I like the way the number plate is installed. This would never be possible in germany.
thank you for this tip dude
Isn't it hard to remove the axle pin when there is tension on it?
There shouldn’t be tension on it. The chain should have slack not be tight like a piano wire.
Well only really riders know this, I known this since I was 4 and been riding,, my dad taught me everything about the bike if you ride you do your own work
Holding up the tire and putting in the inner spacers with the axle is the biggest PITA.
Holding up the wheel.
Yes with that kind of wheel clamping system.
I wish I could subscribe to this channel twice
Could you make tutorial how to set up chain tension 🙏🏻
I thought it was a torque wrench too, but it looks like it’s just some kind of breaker bar put over his ratchet, but it does look like a torque range. If you don’t take the time to watch the video two or three times.
You’re not using your torque wrench to loosen that nut are you?
He's not
Gixxer move...😂
It's called a breaker bar genius
I'd rather push them back a little bit. I'd rather not risk damaging the threads on those. Would hate to ruin my gixxer like that. Plus it's probably been a while since I've tensioned the chain anyway do I'd have to do it no matter what.
All depends what kind of tire you have to. Some tires have a larger profile so it will already be a hair away from the inner part of the swingarm and only way to go is back
It will be easier to remove the axle after releasing the tension on the chain. If it is propperly tightened.
This is half-baked. Only move the axle(not wheel pin) out enough to move the axle blocks out of the way. Then push the wheel forward to give you enough slack to pull the chain off. Then you can pull the axle. Same for install. No need to fight with the chain while lifting the wheel.
Yes, but to clarify, this trick works for street bikes and olny some dirt bikes
(do check and adjust chain tension if needed tho)
awesome thank u, got stuck in the same mistake
Did you just use a torque wrench to remove a nut?
Nope