[elime]

I read in the owners manual the slack is supposed to be between 35 and 60 mm or 1.38 to 2.36 inches.

Then I read in the service manual it is supposed to be 30 to 40 mm or 1.2 to 1.6 inches.

Which is correct? There is very little overlap.



The reason I ask is because right now I have it set at about 2.4 inches. If I go one notch tighter it is 1.2 inches. I would prefer something in the middle but it is not to be, at least not yet.



I leave it at 2.4 inches because I would rather have it to loose than to tight.



Comments anyone? Tony.

 

[Rainman]

Looser is better. The chain slack is hard to dial in because of the use of the snail adjusters on the TW. I put my bike on a stand so the rear wheel is off the ground and then I get the chain as I tight as I can by moving BOTH adjusters by hand. I then go back one notch and its adjusted. It has worked for me just fine.

 

[peruano]

Loose is better than tight. But too too loose is just as bad as too tight. I actually had a stick jump up from the trail and pry the chain off of the rear sprocket (luckily I was not going too fast) but I do suspect that my chain was a bit loose and hence came off easier and rather than merely trying to eat the stick. Being an old bicyclist used to chains jaming on shifts, I was able to get it back on the sprocket and proceed with minimal delay (and apparently no damage although I changed out the stocker chain for an o-ring within a month or two after the stick attack. Make sure you have that 30 mm slack and don't let it go by the 60 mm mark and you should be fine. I have not adjusted my chain for over 1000 miles and its still in the range and serving me well. I admit I do check it with a good deal more frequency, it just hasn't warranted adjustment. Tom

 

[M3b]

Just in case anyone happens to look at this thread, as I did, and comes away confused. From what I can tell, there are two different sets of measurements depending on whether or not the bike is upright, as in perpendicular to the ground, or on the side stand. The full service manual states that the bike should be perpendicular to the ground before measuring the chain slack. The shorter owners manual states that the bike should be on its side stand before measuring slack. Two different positions, two different measurements. I hope this helps someone, someday

 

[Wickedcoolname]

One of the things I disliked about the TWs that I've owned is the chain adjusters. They are novel and easy to use, but the settings are too wide.
The chain can have too much slack but the next increment is too tight.
But, as stated above, if you have to choose between too loose or too tight, go with loose.