Moving (playing) front chain sprocket

[Tonyco]

Hi all,
I listen to your voices and here it is what comes.
Saturday I remove front and rear wheel to change tires. I open the front sprocket cover and remove the chain completely from the front sprocket. I check again for movement of the sprocket in and out and also front to back. I notice slightly moving front and back so I suggest that splines are not good. I remove the front sprocket and find that splines are full of rust, on sprocket and on shaft. I have had the same situation on my previous bike final drive (Honda ST1100). So I check the splines on the sprocket for wearing, no signs, I think I have just shoot the moment for dismount. I grease well splines on shaft and sprocket over the rust with MOS grease (I do the same work on final drive on ST1100 and no problem after that). I put it back and tighten the bolt with 54 Nm force, I put first gear and after that tighten the bolt.  I am not use tread glue I hope it will not unscrew itself. I clean well but without solvent everything around and remove axel to the clutch, it was clean and lubricated but I clean it with cloth and lubricate it again with grease and put it back on place. The clutch is very easy to operate but I do this maintenance. But wheels on place and adjust the slack of 4 cm. I move the bike front and back and check slack on few places, didn't find difference. The chain and sprockets are original one that comes out with the bike from factory, it is RK chain. I check on the rear sprocket when I pull the chain if there is light between chain and sprocket, not a single blink, it is far away from seeing light there. I thing the chain an sprockets are in perfect shape after 24850 km may be because of constant use of electronic Scottoiler fitted from the beginning of bikes life. The problem with rust on splines on front sprocket may be comes because they can not be lubed and after grease disappear it get rust. On my previous ST1100 I grease splines on final drive every 15 000 km with the same grease I use here on Varadero and no problem grease stay in place for 15 000 km, but there was O-rings that preventing the grease for come out, on Varadero there is no O-rings. After I put the bike on wheels I put on first gear again and chain stretched and again check that front sprocket bolt is tighten to 54 Nm force.   

[Madero]

Thanks for the update Tonyco! Good to hear that you have found the origin of your problem and was able to solve that. With your new Anakees you are now ready for your trip to Russia!
Have a nice trip, keep us informed and bring your Varadero back home safe!
 

[Tonyco]

I forgot to mansion that after I grease splines well on front sprocket in and out moving is still there but as we found it is normal, but front and back movement disappear after grease well the splines, that means it is very very little gap in the splines that is now sealed with grease and no movement in splines anymore.
We start our two weeks trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg on 14.06, I will do some test rides here in Bulgaria before that to be sure everything with the bike is OK.
I was riding a lot ST1100 before Varadero and forgot the problems with chain, before ST1100 I have VF750F with chain but than 54 000 km on ST1100 and it is very easy to forgot chain problems . I hope some day to buy Crosstourer and again to forgot chain problems .

[maverick1408]

Hi Tonyco, be very happy and don't be aware of your sprocket.
In my biker life time I have changed many many chains, front and rear sprockets, and I did many and also difficult maintenance on my bikes.

The little in and out play like front rear play are completely correct.

The only thing you must do is to use white petroleum cleanning the chain and front and rear sprockets. This cannot damage O-rings.

[Tonyco]

Thanks for reply.
I think now it is OK. I use Electronic Scottoiler and the chains and sprockets are very clean all the time.
Tomorrow I start the big trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg I hope the bike will last 6000 km .
Best regards.

[Tonyco]

Hello,
I am not open new tread because it is related to the same tread.
The original chain kit reach 39 000 km. From the beginning I use electronic scottoiler  and I am very happy with it. The chain never needs to be adjusted and still in green and new marks, also it is in perfect condition no uneven stretch.  I check the front sprocket and clean dirt around it, clean and lube the clutch pin, but I notice a little wear of the teeth and slightly angled to one direction. The rear sprocket looks good. I have a pictures here:





I have a picture before 15 000 km.



Here it is the rear sprocket:



What do you think ? Do I need to change the front sprocket ?
Or I need to change everything chain and two sprockets ?
I consider to purchase original front sprocket from local Honda dealer ?

[Two Plugs]

Well... to me both front sprocket and chain look in excellent shape.
The 'teeth' of the sprocket are still 'stumpy', not sharp pointed like 'sharkteeth'. From my modest point of view no reason for a change (not even close).

How's the freeplay of the chain? If it is still about 3-4 centimeters (see the sticker on the left fork of the swing), its still ok.

[Tonyco]

Yes, the free play is exactly like it should be I check it regularly. I notice that the chain does not stretch even after 15000 km, and the free play is exactly the same like it was. I wonder if this is because of good lube by electronic scottoiler. First two pictures of front sprocket are from yesterday, third was made 15 000 km ago, there is slightly wear of the teeth but still in good shape. What I wounder about is that the teeth on front sprocket are slightly sloping to one side, may be because of not evenly wear. The sloping as you see on the picture is to the opposite direction of the spinning which is strange because more pressure is applied when you pull the throttle not when you use engine break. Because everything is like it goes out from the store and the bike is 39 000 km I wonder if I need to change something on chain, and front sprocket is the part that is wearing faster than the other components. The chain is in NEW label on the swing arm, so I suppose that it will need change when it is stretch enough and go to REPLACE label. Also can be a problem for the chain when the front sprocket is with little sloping teeth ? 

[zebulon]

Had made more then 60 000 km with the chain of my last Varadero. Using a cameleon oiler . So I think absolutely no problem with your 39 000 

[Jasper]

Looks good  but as you say the front sprocket is showing early signs of "hooking"...nothing serious at this time.
Never tried it, but you could flip the front sprocket? Has anyone done this?
Also, a check for chain stretch, is to try and pull the links away from the rear sprocket. It should be a fairly tight fit but some slack would be expected after 39k kms!
Another clue for a worn chain is when you find small pieces of the x-ring oil seals in all the gunge.....but this is getting serious! Sounds as if yours has been well lubed.
Many folks suggest not to "clean" the Chain and never use a brush and gasoline etc to clean it

@tonyco, I just read your 2014 post above and you are doing everything right

[Tonyco]

Thanks,
I go for a first ride this year 526 km yesterday and the bike running smooth as always.
So you suggest to leave this front sprocket till it sharpen the teeth ?

[Stewart Barker]

Thanks,
I go for a first ride this year 526 km yesterday and the bike running smooth as always.
So you suggest to leave this front sprocket till it sharpen the teeth ?

Yep. Got 40.000km from a set with manual lube (spray can). Could have done even more, but it was just before setting off to Norway (VCIM16) so I replaced the set before leaving as precaution. Lubing the chain doesn't affect the way how it is 'stretched'. It cleans the chain from dirt and dust, avoiding / preventing excessive wear.

[Jasper]

You probably have a few thousand kms to go!
Another check is the amount of side play on the Chain itself