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Automatic Chain Tensioner Adjustment

There is a oval inspection plate near the middle of the outer primary cover,remove it. Look inside and you will see a 9/16 nut,loosen that where you can slide the adj. up or down. Push it up to tighten the chain. If memory serves me it should have 3/8"-5/8" up & down movement of the chain when adjusted. This is done cold. You can reach in with your finger just above the 9/16 nut to check the chain. Look below the nut and you can visually check the white/yellowish shoe for wear then also. They last a waaay LONG TIME. I usually check thOSE every primary oil change seeing as I'm in that cover anyway.
tourbox
 
If for some unknown reason these auto tensioners tighten up too much, will they also loosen the chain as needed, or are they tighten only???
 
I just found this old thread and it makes sense. The automatic adjuster has a toothed wedge which raises the rubbing block when the chain has enough slack for a small spring to move the wedge. The ongoing problem is that over time you will have a perfectly tensioned chain for awhile, but as it stretches you'll have a "slack time" before the wedge advances again. I'm going to look for an aftermarket tensioner that maintains constant tension without this "step function." I did the abovementioned trick and it worked but, being unconvinced, I pulled the primary cover. Most of the slack was gone but it still appeared to me that the chain could be a bit tighter.
 
I personally would rather have my primary chain a "touch" loose ,than too tight.My bike and i'll treat it like I want to
 
I installed the factory primary auto adjuster and after about 45k miles I haven't had any problems. The tentioner is a 2 stage tentioner. The primary adjustment uses the teeth ( one wedge is spring loaded) the second adjustment (also automatic is a non-locking adjustment that as a chain wears unevenly will allow for a give and take adjustment as tighter and looser sections of chain pass over the tensioner. I never have been able to figure how you could loosen it without opening up the primary as those teeth are not going to back off.
 
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