I am in the process of swapping out my sprockets and chain for the first time and only have worked with pedal bike chains previously. When I give some resistance with my hand on the chain and spin the front sprocket by hand the chain doesn't sit flush on the sprocket until about 10 o'clock, before that (10-1 or so) the chain "sits" on top of the sprocket teeth. Is this normal? is the expectation that under load the chain will stretch slightly and fit on the sprocket smoothly? or do I just have a wrong chain?

Note: the sprockets and chain were OEM honda, so I am just trying to make sure that I don't have the wrong sprocket/chain kit or that there wasn't a manufacturing defect.

-Adam

 

Put the middle of the chain on the sprocket and pull on both ends... Move the sprocket by pulling alternating on both ends... If it sits nice and flush all is well...

It won't stretch under load (or rather it will, but it's not supposed to need that to sit flush) but a new chain will have some resistance in the O/X rings and will not move smoothly unless there is enough pull on it to contour to the sprocket from both ends...

Otherwise, give us pics and I can possibly answear better...

 

Compare everything with the ones you took off and make certain the sprockets are on correctly in terms of facing outwards. I assume you have the adjusters so that the wheel can move as far forward as possible.

 

actually I didn't move the adjusters, the chain wasn't tight when I looped it around so I just slipped a spare link in to hold it in place (not rivited or anything like that yet). The old ones were very worn so I can feel a significant difference in the teeth width (by sticking my fingers in the slots and feelign how much my finger compresses). It's oriented correctly (or at least the same as the last one). It just feels like the sprocket teeth are slightly too large if anything. I will be calling the shop that sold me the parts later today to see what they say; shops probably run into this kind of a thing relatively often if it happens at all.

 

So it turns out I think the chain was just SLIGHTLY on the large side of a spec, and the sprocket was SLIGHTLY on teh tight side of hte spec, so it caught a little bit. After tensioning the chain and oiling it then running it for a few minutes on the rear stand it works fine.

 

that's cool. I'm not sure what you're talking about, but the important thing is, "did you learn anything?" Now get out there, twist that throttle hard, and see if you can stretch the hell out of that sum bitch.