Adjusting and Aligning your Secondary Drive

Alignment and adjustment of your secondary drive is a critical aspect of your motorcycle's maintenance schedule. In fact, it's something you can easily check on a regular basis, rather than during a big scheduled service at the dealership. The purpose of this motorcycle maintenance article is to make you familiar with what need to be done, so you will be comfortable doing it regularly.

This way you will be aware of any change in the condition of you drive belt or chain that requires your attention before you're stuck on the side of the road. The common misconception among motorcycle riders is that O-ring chains, and especially belts, are maintenance-free items. This is not true.

Although once bedded in and adjusted after their initial install, these components are pretty consistent; they still need to be checking and periodically adjusted.

The procedure for checking a motorcycle's secondary drive is similar in both belt and chain applications. Start by checking the tension as per the manual for your specific motorcycle. Then check the belt/chain alignment. Finish by tightening, with a torque wrench, the rear axle nut. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is.