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Chain Noise???

Skinnymoss

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I bought a used NC with 3K miles and by the time I hit 8K miles. I replaced my chain, sprockets with DID VX3 chain. About 3,000 miles in, I feel like it's making that droning noise. I gotten the chain tightened as it was too loose, maybe 45-50 mm slack. Now its around 35 mm. Again, some parts of the chain way tigher/looser than other parts. (I know this issue was mentioned for other users) I have not seen that in other bikes.

Only cleaned it once after 3000 miles, as I just installed my center stand. I have a loud exhaust (Danmoto) , yet the chain can be heard, in acceleration, neutral, and downshifting.... hoping it's not a safety concern. I suspected the links making noise.
 
I would have preferred 45mm slack to 35. I never clean a chain but I do apply lube frequently. I suspect Your chain is too tight whatever about being lubed properly.
 
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What griff said!

Leave chain slack set on the loose side of specifications. Tight chains make noise and wear faster. In your example I would leave it at 45mm slack.

Also make sure the front and rear sprockets are properly aligned.
 
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If some links are more tight than others......clean it well, re-lube......then adjust. With tight links it generally impossible to obtain a correct chain slack. Curious........have you checked your valves?. This has nothing to do with your drive chain......I'm just curious.
 
I really hope you didn't mean that you skipped lube and regular checks of your chain tension for 3000 miles
 
You mention “tight links” . Are the “tight” ( need lube) or “frozen” ( time for a new chain). Chain if maintained should not have tight links or be shot at that mileage. Sounds like the chain may be a bit too tight as well…
 
I swear the less I jack with the chain the longer they last. I leave mine fairly loose and I really don't measure the slack. I take a wrench and lift the bottom of the chain toward the swing arm, if it hits the swing arm I tighten it until has about an inch of clearance. Then I ride it for a few thousand miles. LOL. I probably neglect my chain a bit but they still last well over 10K miles.
 
This noise you describe I can duplicate with my motorcycle when the chain slack is too tight, when the rear sprocket and front sprocket are out of alignment, when the chain has frozen links, when the chain needs lube.

If the chain is kinking due to frozen links, the chain is toast and time to replace. (You can cut out the frozen links and splice new links in using river style master links or just replace chain entirely) A frozen linked chain will cause lots of noise as it makes its contact with the sprockets. Once the internal grease seeps out, it will begin to freeze links. A chain that is badly frozen will even cause a clicking or vibration to be felt in your foot pegs.

I’d lift the rear tire off the ground and rotate the wheel and look for frozen links. If the links are coming off the sprocket retaining the curvature, you should be able to gently push with your finger to straighten. This is normal, just signs of a chain needing to be cleaned and lubed. I recommend o ring x ring safe chain cleaner with nylon bristle brush as to not damage the x rings. That vx3 is a top shelf chain. If the links require much more effort to straighten or won’t straighten, you more than likely found the culprit.

Next I’d check chain tension and adjust to a looser spec listed on the swing arm or manual. I would also have my chain alignment tool on the rear sprocket at the same time just to ensure it’s aligned.

Next, I’d turn the motorcycle off and coast it in a parking lot listening for the sound. The sound of noisy chain due to lube type or lack of is very easy to hear doing this because now the chain doesn’t have to compete with the exhaust note. apply lube and conduct this test again. If it’s quiet, problem solved.
I have a motion pro chain alignment tool and use it on all my motorcycles. It’s very easy to misalign the wheel if not careful. Installing the wheel spacers incorrectly, adjusting the rear axle nuts at an inconsistent interval, possibly not installing all the rubber spacers in the Cush drive.

One thing to note, the NC has a very forgiving Cush drive, so it will adjust for small misalignments.

Also, for what it’s worth, depending on what chain lube/wax you use, some are just generate more noise than others. I used maxima chain wax for years, it is sticky and gunks, creating a barrier of overbuild up on the sprockets, slider and front sprocket cover causing the chain to be quieter. If you use more of a spray lube such as the Honda lube, it flings off very quickly and the chain rollers are noisy because you can hear them on the sprockets. This is normal. I use a Teflon spray lube that leaves a dry film. It’s clean, but noisy compared to a chain wax that gets gunked.



hope this gives you direction. If this doesn’t work, can you post some pictures or link a video to help aid in diagnosing this.
 
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Great reading this as I don't have much experience with motorcycle chains.
Just to clarify, are people saying 45mm is a better slack than the manufacture specification? Or only in the case of OP as he has frozen links etc?

if I can hear the chain when rolling the bike in neutral with the engine off, this may be a sign it's too tight and/or needs lube?

Another thing I'd like to ask is how hard are people pushing to measure the chain displacement? I can push pretty hard and squeeze out an extra 5mm if I want :/
 
Great reading this as I don't have much experience with motorcycle chains.
Just to clarify, are people saying 45mm is a better slack than the manufacture specification? Or only in the case of OP as he has frozen links etc?

if I can hear the chain when rolling the bike in neutral with the engine off, this may be a sign it's too tight and/or needs lube?

Another thing I'd like to ask is how hard are people pushing to measure the chain displacement? I can push pretty hard and squeeze out an extra 5mm if I want :/
For a ‘12-‘20 NCX, the Honda spec is 30-40 mm slack as measured on the sidestand. When measured on the center stand, some of us have determined that the equivalent slack is 35-45 mm. I prefer to use the loose end of the spec, so I usually set to 40-45 mm on center stand and let it expand from there. So I am setting it within the manufacturer’s specification.

Honda does not specify a particular force be applied to take up slack during measurement. I just apply, wild guess, around 3 pounds (~1.5 kg) force. Again, that’s a wild gues as I have never measured the force used. If a lot of force is necessarry, it may mean you are trying to straighten some kinked links, since there is no easy way to actually stretch a metal chain.

The sound of the chain when rolling the bike in neutral would be a rather meaningless observation, in my opinion. You adjust it when it is outside spec. You lube it when it looks dry. If it sings or howls while riding, you check to see if it is adjusted too tight. In the rare instance you hear it slapping the top of the swingarm on deceleration, you check to see if it’s too loose. If you visually observe many kinked links, you live with it or replace it.

If all this seems like a hassle, you try to buy shaft or belt drive bikes, like I prefer to do.
 
Ahhh yes I have the centrestand installed and iirc I did 32mm or so from centrestand which would mean my chain is too tight. I also applied quite a lot of force when measuring slack so yeah, not a fantastic job all told! Cheers @670cc
 
I realised there are a couple of pitfalls with chain slack adjustment for rank beginners like me.
Some guides don't specify that you shouldn't overloosen the axle nut, as you can easily knock your alignment out. I feel like this needs to be emphasized.
Also if the slack is too tight you need to shove or rubber hammer the rear wheel back in towards to front sprocket; simply turning the adjuster nut is only sufficient when tightening. This is kind of obvious once you're familiar with the mechanics of the area but I definitely fell prey to these myself the first time round.
This is one of my own which I'm adding after my latest experience: make sure the last adjustment is a tightening one, i.e. the adjustment nuts moving clockwise towards the front of the bike, snugging them up against the metal plate. If the last adjustment is in a loosening direction, then i) you require the rubber hammer step and ii) it won't be snug and the metal plate can rattle and create noise.

Also, once you've achieved correct slack and alignment, should you tighten the axle nut before the two locking nuts or vice versa?
 
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I realised there are actually some pitfalls with chain slack adjustment for beginners.
Some guides don't specify that you shouldn't overloosen the axle nut, as you can easily knock your alignment out. I feel like this needs to be emphasized.
Also if the slack is too tight you need to shove or rubber hammer the rear wheel back in towards to front wheel, simply turning the adjuster nut is only sufficient when tightening. This is kind of obvious once you're familiar with the mechanics of the area but I definitely fell prey to these myself the first time round.
Also, should you tighten the axle nut before the locking nuts on both sides or vice versa?
Yep. You got it. When using the adjusters to tighten the chain slack towards it’s spec, have the rear axle tight enough to cause drag against the adjuster bolts, and stay in place. If you over tighten the chain, loosen the axle nut a lot, loosen the adjuster bolts some, then kick the tire (tyre) towards the front wheel.

When I reach my destination chain slack, I then use a torque wrench to tighten the axle nut per spec. I recheck chain slack to be sure nothing moved. Then, finally I ensure the adjusters are still snug, then tighten the lock nuts.

The chain adjuster set up that Honda uses on the NC is a cheap arrangement. Although the concept is similar, other machines use a better refined, less sloppy adjustment mechanism.
 
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I have a new 2021 Nc750 and the rear end has a very whiny sound. Seeing as the bike is brand new I don’t imagine it’s a wheel bearing, but likely the chain. However, contrary to a number of posters here the noise is not due to the chain being too tight. In fact it’s dead on Honda’s upper limit for a slack chain. I personally run my chains at the tight end of of chain adjustment. I find it gives a better gear change, rides better on a bumpy road without upsetting the suspension, and doesnt lurch at occasional inadvertent abrupt throttle movements.

The last new bike I bought sat in a showroom for 2 years before I bought it. The chain was somehow kinked, having numerous tight spots. I tried lubing it and twisting the individual links, but had to replace it. Numerous people in threads have stated the chain is cheap and wears out quickly. Maybe that’s the reason for the noise, it’s a poor quality chain.
 
My whining chain noise is gone
After adding some slack.
I had it to spec. But when I tightened the axle it sucked up a it and was now to tight.
30 years of Dirt bikes....( 2 Stroke)
You ran the chain until the rear Sprockets teeth started to hook / bend at the top.
You replaced both Sprockets as a set.

" That's all I got "
 
I use an old screwdriver handle placed between the chain and sprocket to pull the wheel forward tight against the chain adjusters during the adjustment process. A piece of broom stick works just as well. Lay the stick on the lower run of chain close to the sprocket and rotate the wheel so the stick is caught against the sprocket and chain. Additional force trying to rotate the wheel pulls the wheel forward and will hold it tight against the adjusters when the axle is loosened. It doesn’t take much rotation force to hold the jammed in stick in place. Now I check correct chain/sprocket alignment with the Motion Pro tool or simply “gun sight” the upper run of the chain. It will be straight because nothing has been loosened yet. Loosen the axle and back off the adjustment lock nuts while the adjusters are again held in place under pressure. Now by turning one adjustment nut then the other the same 90 or 180 degrees that is sufficient to remove slack and adjust back to spec without having to check the chain & sprocket alignment again. Tighten the axle nut enough to hold the wheel in place and recheck slack. I learned the screwdriver trick from Beemerphile when he was active here.
 
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