Ducati Monster Forum

on take off or accelerating.

I'm pretty sure thats what it is, and my chain seems a little saggy?

is there any way to adjust it without a pit stand, cause I don't have one?

That sounds like a personal problem.

Is your bike DSS or SSS?

Not sure what model you have, but you don't need a pit stand for the s2r's, just loosen two nuts and use a special tool to tighten.  Oh, don't forget to torque the nuts back to spec.

Easier to do on a stand, but it's not mandatory.

it's a DSS


03 m620



guess i should of included that tidbit of information in the first post [cheeky]

Obviously you want your chain tension adjusted properly, but avoiding driveline lash starts with smooth throttle control.  If your throttle off-to-on transition is too abrupt, you will get lash no matter how perfectly your chain is tensioned... It's just the nature of the bike (lots of engine braking + torque)..

-I like to practice this by letting the bike slow down via engine braking (usually in 2nd or 3rd gear), and veeeeery slowly crack the throttle open until you are acellerating again... If you are doing it right, you should feel little or no lash at all... Keeping your RPM's up helps too..

-Sorry about the threadjack, just throwing it out there.. Also, I adjusted my chain tension this weekend onthe sidestand w/no problems, just remember to measure the distance from the axle to the swingarm pivot on each side to verify the wheel is on straight..  :)

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Chains.html

Scroll down to "Make your own rear tire stand".  Good for lubing the chain, passable for adjusting it. 

Or place a set of inexpensive car jackstands under the swingarm, one on each side.  Get one under and then rock the bike up and slip the other one under.

Scott

I think my Haynes manual says to adjust chain slack while both wheels are on the floor. I push the bike forward before I check my tension to see what it is at the maximum tauntness. Then to adjust my sag I do it while the bike is on the floor as well so that I can measure while I adjust. Have I been doin' it wrong this whole time?

No, not the wrong way, but it is easier on a rear stand since the rear axle is higher and vertical.  The weight of the bike is still compressing the spring since the stand is under the swing arm.

I have a couple of observations / pointer from chain adjustments:  I have a dual sided swing arm or dss or a "biposto" which means the same thing in italian I beleive; (... it only swings right :)

you will find some areas of the chain "streched" so you have to find the point in the chain where its at its least slack point on the bottom; then loosen & adjust the chain.

better looser than too tight.

you need to grease the large axel nuts before torquing to the proper specification (you need a torque wrench to do this job; period).

the tension nuts at the end od the swing arm are good at tightening; but not loostening; watch when loosening; you may have to push in the axel or tension end bolts.  After final torquing of the axle bolts go back and put the proper torque on the tension nuts; I found one vibrated loose once.

Above someone mentioned to double check the rear wheel alignment points; also check after you have take the slack out of the axel nuts but haven't tightened; you may find things are aligned differently.

the whole jobs easier with a clean chain ....

Cheers D [moto]

According to the owners manual, you adjust the chain with the bike on the side stand. It's an easy, 5 minute job.

Using a rear stand helps with cleaning the chain, but you don't need one to tighten it.

Just a note D, dss=dual sided swingarm but biposto means two seats.  Some Ducatis like the super sports can come in two configurations: one with a rider and passenger seat, "biposto", and one with a rider seat only and a fiberglass cowl over the rear end, "monoposto" if you will.  This is a fixed piece, not like a Monster cowl that can be removed.  If you look through some Ducati super sport threads you'll see many postings about converting one to the other and back.

Scott

That's  funny, I used to think the same thing when I first started learning about Ducatis when I was younger... [cheeky]

-Nope, it's 1 or 2 seats....monoposto=1, bip=2...

.... [cheeky]

I humbly stand corrected .... [thumbsup]

Dont feel bad, it took me months to figure out what "dss"meant ;)

Just came here after I couldn't break the axle nuts loose with the bike on a rear stand. Am I correct that thses nuts turn counter-clockwise to loosen? I've done this before but can't remember. (A sign of advancing age. Another sign may be losing the strength to crack them with a socket and a breaker bar.) I will try again in the morning with the bike on the side stand.

Yep.. Righty-Tighty, Lefty-Loosey, just like you're used to.  ;)

It's probably just torqued down hard and if you're like me, you're afaraid to knock the bike off the stand by trying to un-torque it!!  :-\

-A "cheater-bar" can help... if you can find a hollow metal tube that fits over your ratchet handle, it'll give you more leverage to ease that nut loose from the axle threads. Just remember to grease the threads w/some waterproof grease, to make future axle adjustments easier!!  :)