[Kruz]

OK, I come back in from a ride this morning and notice my chain is due for lubing so I put it up on the rear stand, tire off the ground and crank it up, put it in first gear to spin the chain while I spray lube and the bike is shuddering and shaking bad, like the chain is catching on something and jerking every time it goes round, loud clattering noise. In all my years of working on motorcycles I've never heard anything like this. I've seen a stiff link before but this is way different. So I'm thinking this doesn't sound good, I need to pull the countershaft sprocket cover and take a good look around to see if I can see anything amiss. I back out the two screws holding the countershaft cover in place and one drops down into a black hole...great! I don't know where it went and the magnetic retrieval tool won't snag the screw. Now the good part, the cover will not come out of there, way too much stuff in the way. Is there a quick way to get the cover off without disassembling half the motorcycle? This is way too much of a PITA for a simple countershaft cover removal. Next I need to find out what is going on under there. I've heard the countershaft sprocket can loosen up, sure hope nothing is damaged.

 

[Dingo]

you have the Service Manual, right...!?!
:grin2:
have fun! :laugh:

 

[Kruz]

Well not as bad as I thought, I murmured a few blessings in my limited Italian and the errant screw dropped down onto the chain and was quickly retrieved. I stared at all the shift linkages for a good bit trying to figure out how I could get them disconnected with minimum drama and get the countershaft cover off there but finally gave up as daylight was fading fast and I could see no easy way to get this done. I noticed the chain was very loose at this point and proceeded to tighten it up, just one sixth turn out on each adjuster and it took a lot of the slack. Good news was the rear axle nut came loose pretty easily this time, applied an 18", 1/2" drive breaker bar and it came right off. I noticed the Service Manual calls for 41-43 mm measured between the chain centerline and the bottom edge of the swingarm, a little different once again than the typical Japanese machine I'm used to. Lubed it up real good and put it back on the stand and ran it in first gear. Sounded much better now, apparently these big twin pistons firing slowly can generate a lot of snatch in the drive train and this bike doesn't like excessive chain slack. I'm used to the inline fours that fire twice as often and much smoother so it's just different.

 

[Rinzlr]

My F3 675 worked the sprocket carrier nut loose once.. that was a scary moment when I realized it lubing the chain

 

[dougo1199]

I've always just turned the rear wheel by hand when lubing my chains. I take a piece of shop towel, place it behind the chain and spray a 4" to 5" section, move the wheel forward and repeat until the entire chain has been lubed. I spray the inside of the chain while it's in the 'bottom' loop. I also clean the chain after every ride and apply new lube prior to each ride. Keep in mind this weekend ride machine and not a commuter bike for me.

 

[Kevin.H]

I've always just turned the rear wheel by hand when lubing my chains. I take a piece of shop towel, place it behind the chain and spray a 4" to 5" section, move the wheel forward and repeat until the entire chain has been lubed. I spray the inside of the chain while it's in the 'bottom' loop. I also clean the chain after every ride and apply new lube prior to each ride. Keep in mind this weekend ride machine and not a commuter bike for me.

That's how I do it too except I use cardboard to block overspray onto the wheel and elsewhere.

 

[Dingo]

+1 for the cardboard coverage below and behind the chain - using WD40 to clean the chain first, it makes a mess and the cardboard soaks it right up