2016 T120 Bonneville Stretched Chain

How much can you pull it off the rear sprocket at its furthest rearward point? That’s the main test

 

Remove a link or Two (as it seems as suggested made bigger than it should be )

 

Let’s go back to first principles. Chains do not stretch - they wear......and so do the sprockets. Modern chains with O rings have lubricant sealed into each link. They last pretty well until rain and grit destroy the o ring and the internal pin and rollers lose their lubrication. The erosion of the outer face of the roller and the sprocket is what spray lubricants mostly address.
Tigcraft is spot on. A chain in reasonable condition will pull minimally off the sprocket it sits on, maybe a couple of mm.
The adjustment available is a function of the sprocket to sprocket distance and the length of of a chain within its wear limits. Fit a chain 1 or 2 links too long when new and you will soon run out of adjustment.

So: if your chain is tight on the sprocket remove a link or two having measured what length you need with the rear wheel snugged forwards (and aligned) on the adjusters.
If your chain is rattly on the sprocket both chain and sprockets need replacement.

Given the prevalence of these stories I suspect slightly overlong chains are being fitted. Most punters will shrug and pay the franchised dealer for an early replacement.

I must remember to check how much adjustment is taken up on new bikes in the showroom.

 

Yes...im on a street twin...at my 5km service they said the same.....very easy riding???

 

Keep me updated with any developments mate.

 

£300 is bloody expensive
I did my chain on my Speed Triple yesterday and cost me hell of a lot less
£33 for the chain DID chrome look ZVMX 530/106 links (Mispriced on Amazon - usually £100+)
£20 chain breaker/riveter tool
To split the chain and rivet the new one in took me 45 mins tops, an experienced mechanic would be 30 mins

For a garage to do the chain I wouldn't expect to pay more then £200 tops

Look an YouTube on how to split and replace your own chain
Search on Amazon using the part number rather than bike and sort by cheapest
= profit

But as said, no chain should need replacing under 10k miles, they must be made of cheese!

 

That seems to be the case.....??i live in thailand and thought we were lost in translation .....up till now.

 

Greetings,

You could ramp up your arguments.
I always find the mere mention of trading standards,brand damage,social media,health and safety and product recall shakes the tree.(this worked recently with a single email to Poundland over a non stick pan that left laminated paint/covering in my food!! Small beer I know but they answered in minutes!!)
From what more informed colleagues say,it is not “fit for purpose” and represents a potential unexpected hazard to rider and road users or public in the event of possible failure.
They owe you a “duty of care” and therefore a prompt response and clarity is needed for you,dealerships and the riding community.

The other option is to renew the chain, and then sue triumph for the cost in the small claims, it would be interesting to see how quickly they paid out rather than have that one drugs through the courts (One of my professional colleagues recently did this with direct line who would not pay out on insurance claim-he won hands down)
Are you out of warranty?

Thanks for sharing your experience for us to know about.

Regardo,
Martin

 

Hi again,

The other point to add then is:
Are they seriously suggesting your chain has deteriorated that much since May!? Given what contributors have said,about how long it should last,that is clearly nonsense,as your mileage from May to now took it over the edge-that is a serious fault in that case,or rubbish service check..or BS...also consider get second professional engineer opinion on chain (either a dealer or specialist-this may also give you more evidence to action Triumph sorting it out..
Regardo,
Martin

 

I got to 8800 miles on my T120 before I ran out of adjustment. The truth is there wasn't that much adjustment left when I bought the bike new. I mentioned this to the salesman when I bought the bike and that I wouldn't be able to get the full life out of the chain and he told me to complain when I reached this point. However, as the rear tyre on mine required replacing I decided to fit a larger sprocket on the back to solve two issues. Firstly the adjustment issue and secondly, the T120 is massively over geared. If it could pull max 6750 rpm in top, it would be going at 158mph. The Thruxton R gearing in comparison 'ONLY' goes 136mph in top at 7200 rpm. Figure that one out.
I've gone up 3 teeth from 37T to 40T and have now got a reasonable amount of chain adjustment left and there is a stepped change in the way the bike rides and accelerates. I would highly recommend it.
The 40T sprocket was bought of ebay for around £37, just search for ESJOT 92-29038-40.
Hope this helps
Jim