Kawasaki Ninja Owners Manual: Chain Slack Inspection

Kawasaki Ninja Owners Manual / Maintenance and adjustment / Drive Chain / Chain Slack Inspection

Set the motorcycle up on its side stand.
Rotate the rear wheel to find the position where the chain is tightest, and measure the maximum chain slack by pulling up and pushing down the chain midway between the engine sprocket and rear wheel sprocket.

A. Chain Slack

If the drive chain is too tight or too loose, adjust it so that the chain slack will be within the standard value.

Drive Chain Slack

Drive Chain

The drive chain slack and lubrication must be checked each day before riding the motorcycle and must be maintained in accordance with the Periodic Maintenance Chart for safety and to prevent exce ...

Chain Slack Adjustment

Remove the cotter pin, and loosen the axle nut. Loosen the left and right chain adjuster locknuts. A. Axle Nut B. Cotter Pin C. Adjuster D. Locknut If the chain is too loose, tu ...

Other materials:

Sidestand Installation
Replace the sidestand nut [A] with a new one. Apply grease to the sliding areas [B]. Tighten the sidestand bolt [C] first, and then the sidestand nut. Torque - Sidestand Bolt: 44 N·m (4.5 kgf·m, 32 ft·lb) Sidestand Nut: 29 N·m (3.0 kgf·m, 21 ft·lb) Install the spring [D] as sh ...

Exhaust Butterfly Valve Actuator Inspection
NOTE Be sure the battery is fully charged Remove the front seat (see Front Seat Removal in the Frame chapter). Turn the ignition switch to ON. In the left side view of the motorcycle, check to see the pulley [A] clockwise [B] and counterclockwise [C] smoothly. The pulley turns ...

Additional Considerations for High Speed Operation
Brakes: The importance of the brakes, especially during high speed operation, cannot be overemphasized. Check to see that they are correctly adjusted and functioning properly. Steering: Looseness in the steering can cause loss of control. Check to see that the handlebar turns freely but ha ...