How to Check and Adjust Chain Tension for the FTR 1200

Zilonis

Member
Hi Everyone, I have a few questions about the chain tension procedure.

- Do this on side stand or rear tire up? This video shows it done on the side stand and the manual DOES NOT specify. I'm assuming we do this on the side stand.
- Do you use a Chain Tension tool to measure deflection or just your hand and a tape measure? I'm very interested to see how others get this measurement.
- What cleaning method do you use?
- What is your preferred chain Lube?

Thanks!
 

Charliemurphay

Well-known member
^what he said. I use kerosene to clean and gear lube on a rag to lube it. Keeps my chain nice and shiny but I also clean/lube my chain pretty frequently. Cleaning it and lubing it regularly at all will go a long ways to extending chain life regardless of what products you decide to go with. Most people seem to use Maxima Chain wax for lube.
 

Zilonis

Member
Chain should be between 33 and 40mm using the following method.

View attachment 3304
I called the 3 Indian Dealers nearest to me, none of them have part PV-43532 in their systems never mind in stock. One of the part guys says Service probably just does the measurement with their hand instead of using the Chan tension gauge.

Motion pro has one - sold out
Ebay has one - sold out

I ended up buying a 10lb BELT tension gauge from Amazon, hoping this works all the same I don't see why not

 

Timps27

Active member
I have the motion pro slacksetter and just use feel for the 10 lbs. Before I got the slacksetter I always just used little six inch plastic rulers, they were a common item companies would put their name on and hand out back in the day, can usually find them laying around anyone’s house.
 

Ultratoad

Member
I really recommend that you invest in a front wheel chock and a good bobbin lift for the rear.... With the rear wheel off the ground you are free to rotate the wheel to locate the chains tightest location and loosest location.... Adjust the chain at the tightest location to the minimum spec number.... Then check it at the loosest location-- should not exceed the high spec number.... If it is beyond spec you need a new chain and/or sprockets....
 

Ab.riyami

New member
I really recommend that you invest in a front wheel chock and a good bobbin lift for the rear.... With the rear wheel off the ground you are free to rotate the wheel to locate the chains tightest location and loosest location.... Adjust the chain at the tightest location to the minimum spec number.... Then check it at the loosest location-- should not exceed the high spec number.... If it is beyond spec you need a new chain and/or sprockets....
The service manual mentions to keep the bike on a the side stand when checking for tension.
 

Blue1

Active member
What people need to understand about chain tension is that a chain is tightest when the countershaft, swingarm pivot and rear axle are in line. You want zero or very close to zero slack at that point.

Some slack is required at static sag, as the suspension is not compressed enough to align those three points on pretty much all motorcycles.

Too tight a chain accelerates chain, sprocket and bearing wear. A little extra slack hurts nothing, so err on the slack side.
Chain adjustment ain't rocket science.

This procedure is not so precision-dependent that the difference between measurements with three pounds of pressure or ten pounds will matter, so this ridiculously superfluous chain measurement tool requirement is a blatant money grab by Indian. Just push on the chain with your hand to make the measurement.

I bet very few of the dealerships actually adjust chains with this tool.

After four decades of high-performance Japanese motorcycle ownership and maintenance, I must say that Indian is kinda lame; is this just them, or is it an American motorcycle manufacturer thing to treat your customers like idiots or suckers?

With that being said, I love my FTR, but Indian as a manufacturer is not very customer-friendly.
 

Max Kool

Well-known member
I gotta say, my other (Austrian) bike has a similar procedure as the FTR. But yes, some owners are that a-technical…
 

DeplorableOne

Active member
I'm gonna post to this thread to obtain some more info as the manual is prety vague and/or bikes are different as far as chain sliders go. It states to measure at the end of the chain slider, but my slider ends right at the front chain guard mounting point but the top does extend out quite a bit further. I wrote on the picture I've attached where i've been measuring.
 

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ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
The top one. Where you have the arrow. It’s shown in the video at the first post in this thread
 

MacBayne

Active member
I'm gonna post to this thread to obtain some more info as the manual is prety vague and/or bikes are different as far as chain sliders go. It states to measure at the end of the chain slider, but my slider ends right at the front chain guard mounting point but the top does extend out quite a bit further. I wrote on the picture I've attached where i've been measuring.
Umm... what?
Page 106 of your owner's manual tells you "on the sidestand and in Neutral" and shows you a picture of where to measure. Did you even read the manual and look at the pretty pictures?
 
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