Quick Maintenance: Motorcycle Chain Alignment

Motorcycles require a lot of maintenance to perform at their peak, and a lot of that maintenance is the basic stuff like oil, air filter and brake pad changes. 

However, some of the simplest yet most important motorcycle maintenance tasks are often overlooked. One of those basic tasks is chain alignment. A slight chain misalignment dramatically increases chain and sprocket wear, which leads to costly replacements. 

Although many motorcycles have chain alignment markings along their swingarms, they aren’t always accurate. This is where a chain alignment tool comes into play. 

A precision chain alignment tool is very inexpensive and should be a part of any motorcycle riders’ toolkit. To align your bike’s chain, simply attach the alignment tool to the chain, note how true the chain’s alignment is and correct it by adjusting the rear axle if necessary. It’s really that easy and only takes a minute of your time.

Why Align a Motorcycle Chain

Aside from the aforementioned chain and sprocket wear, a misaligned chain causes resistance at the drive sprocket, and reduces the amount of power reaching the rear sprocket and wheel. It also prevents the rear wheel from tracking properly, which spoils the handling.

Ready to align your motorcycle’s chain? Watch the video above to see how to align a motorcycle chain using a Motion Pro chain alignment tool.