696 chain tension question

[metroplex]

I read up on several threads discussing chain tension procedures/specs, and looked up my owner's manual and factory service manual - but I still have some questions and wanted to be sure.

In finding the mid-point between the countershaft sprocket and rear sprocket, it came out to be about 11.5", and it just so happened to be a notch in the lower chain guard with the front most edge at around that 11.5" point - so I used this as the midpoint. Is this the same thing that other owners have found?

Now, there seems to be 2 trains of thought on measuring chain tension. One is the OEM spec that relies on what appears to be a static distance between the lower part of the swing arm and the chain. I can't find out if the correct measurement is the center of the links or the bottom of the chain. But I measured 58mm to the bottom of the chain.

The other train of thought appears to be measurement of chain slack.
If I push down on the chain, it goes to 66mm. If I push up on the chain, it contacts the chain guard easily and without resistance, in fact I think it can move upwards even more if the chain guard wasn't there. But I measured about 23mm.

So from 23mm to 58mm, that is 35mm of play. Others have quoted 20-25mm or 27-29mm of chain slack, so I am over either by 10mm or 6mm depending on who you ask. Looking at the OEM spec, I am over by 10mm.

My 696 was bought brand new, with 0 miles, and I have only put 148 miles on it so far. I can tell no one adjusted the chain tension at the dealer because the paint marks are still on all the adjusters and axle nuts.

Is my chain too loose? What measurement should I use as a reference? What can go wrong with my chain this loose?

[stopintime]

Copied from your owner's manual


Turn the rear wheel slowly to find the position at which the
chain is at its most taut.
With the motorcycle on its sidestand, press with a finger in
the centre of the bottom run of the chain and measure the
distance between the centres of chain link pins and the
aluminium swingarm. The distance should be within 46 to
48 mm

[Goat_Herder]

148 miles since May?  You need to get on the bike and just ride, instead of worrying about every little thing about your bike. 

[thought]

148 miles since May?  You need to get on the bike and just ride, instead of worrying about every little thing about your bike. 

this

[metroplex]

Fair enough, but I didn't have much experience to ride it for commuting this year - the MSF BRC was worthless IMO, and there wasn't much opportunity to go cruising on the weekends. So the manual's instructions are good to go? I should forget about the other internet Ducati articles talking about 20-29mm of play?

I ordered a 30mm axle socket which looks like a 6-point long socket, is this good to go in case I do need to align the rear wheel or adjust chain tension? 30mm sockets aren't exactly common or part of most kits, I looked around and the biggest I had was 27mm.

It sounds like I am worrying about every little thing, but I'm just planning ahead with any necessary special tools.

[stopintime]

Ducati's 46 - 48 mm are from the swingarm to center/middle of chain.
It's not the same as 'play' - 'play' is distance from chain pushed down and lifted.

Since the chain is NOT supposed to contact the swingarm when it jumps up, it's plausible that the 46-48 distance is resulting in a 'play' shorter than 46-48..... probably matching what you have read elsewhere.

[thought]

and offhand... one more thing to mention about getting more seat time if possible...

making sure you get as many miles as you can on the bike while it's under warranty is a really good idea.  if anything is funny from the factory, only by riding it will you find out if anything is wrong.  and if you dont ride it to shake it down and the warranty expires... you'll be SOL if there really is something wrong.  you've only got about a year and a half left on your unless you get the extended.

so again, get more seat time.  unless your commute is really dangerous (18 wheelers blowing past you at 90 mph), just try it out.  even riding in a straight line is still more and more practice.  or look up a less widely traveled route to work.

[Goat_Herder]

It sounds like I am worrying about every little thing, but I'm just planning ahead with any necessary special tools.

Doing all the research is a good thing, don't get me wrong.  And by the look of all your posts and questions asks, you are definitely doing your homework.  But I do think you should just go out for rides for the sake of riding.  Enjoy the wind in your hair (with a helmet on, of course).  Don't let motorcycle ownership be a job. 

Now get away from the computer and go for long ride!

[Kev M]

Ducati's 46 - 48 mm are from the swingarm to center/middle of chain.
It's not the same as 'play' - 'play' is distance from chain pushed down and lifted.

THIS

I've owned mostly belt and shaft drive bikes for the past decade plus and when I DID have chain drive bikes the spec was normally play so it confused me to when we picked up this M696 back in April.

Anyway, I've since posted in one or more threads about what I discovered which was simply that the wording in the owner's manual and service manual SUCKS and you "press" on the top of the lower run of the chain moving it AWAY from the swingarm and measure the gap.


Yes, the end of that chain guide corresponds to about the midway point.

[ScottRNelson]

One thing that I didn't understand until after many years of Ducati ownership:

When measuring chain slack, you don't push down.  Only up.

And it doesn't matter if you measure top edge of chain, bottom edge of chain, or center of pins, because the distance is the same.  You're only looking at total chain movement.  In other words, measure from the same point on the chain to measure chain movement.

When I had the ST2 I forgot to find the tightest spot first and did the chain adjustment at a loose spot instead.  When I rotated the wheel to check everything it was way too tight part of the way around.  I had to do the adjustment again - then get a new chain soon after that.

[metroplex]

There's no tension on the chain if I push up. It goes right into the swingarm/guide without any resistance, but it measured about 52mm using the Ducati method. I didn't do any adjusting, just played around with the measurement methodology.

[stopintime]

If you reduce the distance from 52 to 46 it probably won't hit the swingarm.
At least it shouldn't if Ducati has the correct numbers.

It'll be interesting to hear if you then get the play described elsewhere

[thought]

on my 796, the chain would hit the swingarm when correctly tensioned if pressed up.  dont worry about it.

[Kev M]

One thing that I didn't understand until after many years of Ducati ownership:

When measuring chain slack, you don't push down.  Only up.

And it doesn't matter if you measure top edge of chain, bottom edge of chain, or center of pins, because the distance is the same.  You're only looking at total chain movement.  In other words, measure from the same point on the chain to measure chain movement.

That is aboslutely NOT how the procedure is written in the OEM owner's manual or the service manual (not that either are written well). Nor is it how the sticker is presented on the side of the M696 which is what caused me a LOT of head scratching when we first bought it. Maybe the M696 is unique in that aspect - I don't know.

Push chain downwards with a finger at midway of chain lower section and release

But you absolutely DO measure the GAP, NOT the MOVEMENT on this model (unless FBF is setting up the chain wrong).

[Kev M]

There's no tension on the chain if I push up. It goes right into the swingarm/guide without any resistance, but it measured about 52mm using the Ducati method. I didn't do any adjusting, just played around with the measurement methodology.

When I first attempted to adjust the chain that puzzled me too. Turns out that when properly adjusted the chain can be manually pushed upward to contact the swingarm right at the end of that guide.

If you attempt to tighten it to a point where you could no longer do that it will be WAY too tight and you'll eat the chain/sprocket (and possibly damage output shaft bearings).