Checking Chain Tension; Correct Chain Tension; Chain Maintenance - KTM 85/105 SX Owner's Manual

MAINTENANCE WORK ON CHASSIS AND ENGINE
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Checking chain tension

Support the motorcycle on the center stand or side stand, respectively.
Switch transmission to neutral. Push the chain upwards from the end of the
chain sliding component until the upper part of the chain is tensioned.
The distance between the chain and the swing arm should be 5 - 6 cm. The
lower part of the chain should be tightened. Correct chain tension, if
necessary!
– If the chain is too tight the secondary transmission components (chain,
sprockets, bearings of the transmission and of the rear wheel) will be put
under additional strain that can, in addition to premature wear, also cause
chain breakage.
– If the chain is not tight enough it can slip off the sprockets and block the
rear wheel or damage the engine.
– In both cases the rider is very likely to lose control of the motorcycle.

Correct chain tension

Loosen collar nut [1], loosen lock nuts [2], and turn right and left adjusting
screws [3] equally far. Tighten lock nuts.
Before tightening the collar nut, verify that the chain adjusters [4] are sitting
close to the adjusting screws and that the rear wheel has been aligned with
the front wheel.
Tighten collar nut [1] to 80 Nm (60 ft.lb).
– If you don't happen to have a torque wrench at hand, make sure you have
the tightening torque corrected by a KTM dealer as soon as possible. A
loose axle may lead to an unstable driving behavior of your motorcycle.
– Tighten the collar nut with the required torque.
NOTE:
The large adjusting range of the chain adjusters (32mm) allows you to use
different secondary ratios in combination with the same chain length. The
chain adjusters [4] can be rotated by 180°.
Always mount the chain tensioner equally aligned.

Chain maintenance

For long chain life, good maintenance is very important. The chain should be
cleaned in fireproof solvent regularly and afterwards treated with hot grease
or chain spray (Motorex Chainlube 622).
No lubrication is allowed to reach the rear tire or the brake disks, otherwise
the road adherence and the rear wheel braking effects would be strongly reduced
and the motorcycle could easily lose control.
When mounting the chain masterlink clip, the closed side of the
masterlink clip must point in running direction.
Also check sprockets and chain guides for wear, and replace if necessary.
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