Help me out please :)
 

Hi everyone,

I�ve recently bought a 09 XTR, I barely know anything about bikes and want to know how to take care of it myself. I don�t want to be one of those guys that just regularly drops it off at the workshop or one of those guys that gets NRMA out for a fallen off chain. Which brings me to my next point, my whole drive system needs replacing, both sprockets and chain. It has been stretched as far as it can go and the chain fell off, leaving me without any mode of personal transport. I�m really keen to learn how to do it myself (by way of someone showing and helping me), I�m basically asking for someone to help me out this weekend. Please help me out guys :)


Regards,
Nick.

Hi Nick,

Welcome to the Forum.

North Cove ? Not sure which part of the world that is ??

Sorry mate, that was real slack of me, I'm in Sydney

:hello: and :welcome: to :660:

all that you need is in our Workshop Encyclopedia which can be purchased at this link: http://www.xt660.com/site/node/325

Hi Nick,
Welcome to the forum and to XT ownership!
After many years riding bikes most of us take for granted changing chain and sprockets.
However, I remember well my first bike whilst living in '80's London bedsit land with no tools, garage or mates with bikes. It took ages for me to build a reasonable set of tools.
Have a good read of the service manual and you will soon find that general maintenance is pretty straightfoward - just make sure you always use the right tool for the job and don't rush it.
Good luck and enjoy!
Rick

Well you are a bit far away from me for help but read these posts and you will be ok!!! Obviously you need a good set of tools and then plenty of patience, you can get all the info you need on here. Cheers, Simon

:hello: Hello and welcome camels.

You wouldn't go far wrong forking out for a Haynes manual, its very easy to follow for a C&S change, even for someone with little experience. The service manual is good for diagrams and steps, but it assumes quite a lot of prior experience and knowledge, it doesn't give "instructions" as such. The Haynes would be far easier to get on with initially.

However, I bet there's someone from NSW who pop along soon who can lend a hand...

Welcome mate.:sbike:

welcome to the forum mate. haynes and a decent toolkit is a good starting point.

Hi Camels and welcome

Have a wee peep here for later on in ownweship..(although not a chain change...you'll find various stuff relevant)



http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=18695









:)

Hi and welcome to the forum:occasion14:

The chain and sprocket change isnt too hard. As other have said make sure to get a good set of tools, take your time, take photos every time you take something off so you can remember what way it goes back on.

If no one gets in touch your local dealer should be able to allow you to sit in on the changing of the change and sprockets allowing you to make notes, ask questions and find out how its done and pitch in, meaning when you go to do it on your own next time you have tools and the no how how to do it

Elaboration
 

Hi everyone, thank you for all your responses.

I was just asked about the finer details of why I need to change the drive train, which has prompted me to elaborate to you all. The sprockets are both badly damaged and have torn into the chain. I recently stretched the chain out as far back as the rear axel would go. On Wednesday, I had just left Uni and was riding into the Macquarie Centre car park and the rear wheel locked up and I skidded to a halt (thankfully I was travelling at less than 20kmh). The chain had worked its way loose, came off and wrapped up the rear axel. I unsnagged the chain and rolled the bike into the car park, I then got NRMA to tow it back to my apartment garage where it now sits in the visitors parking.

I would love to get a Haynes guide and get to work in a well set up home workshop but one of the biggest issues is that I have no tools. I don�t even know which tools to get so I sort of want to see them in action and get a feel for what I want in each tool before I start buying up.

I�ve just moved to Sydney to study full-time and encountered a lot of costs associated with the move. I can�t afford to be buying tools which I may not need or find to not be suitable. I don�t even have the tool kit which would have come with a new bike. I know that sometimes you buy a tool then a month later realise that you wish you had bought the slightly different variation instead. So basically, the cheaper option is to just take it to a workshop and get someone else to do it all. (I�ve found that workshops don�t let me in to see what they are doing due to OHS/WHNS)

I�ve accepted that I won�t have the bike fixed this weekend.

So in a broader time frame, what do you all suggest?

Thank you,
Nick Kamols (Camels)

Camels, chain and sprockets is a simple job to do if you know what you are doing, you clearly do not know how to do it or even own the tools. Simple answer, get it to a local garage and get them to supply and fit.

Its a vital area of the bike. The chain falling off is a very serious thing and chances are you have not adjusted it properly either.

If I were local to you I would pop round with all my tools to show you but I am in the UK. Get it sorted mate.

Ride safe.

Solutions R Us
 

Further to today's conversation.

Minimum tools needed are going to be:

flat blade screw driver
14 mm ring spanner
5 mm Allen key
Chain breaker (one that can re pin as well)
socket (can't remember size) and torque wrench
22 and 24mm spanners to remove rear wheel
10mm spanners to adjust axle

Consumable list:
front sprocket
rear sprocket
chain and joiner link
2 man job, therefore at least one cold beer for mate.

If your that short of cash, I can lend you a new 14 tooth sprocket until you can pay for it or you can have my old 15 tooth unit that's still good but you'll have to get on a train to Granville tomorrow to collect. At least that way you'll only have to find the cash for a chain and rear sprocket and pay for install (at most $200).

BUT
By the sounds of it 32,000 km and deeply hooked sprockets and a chain stretched to ******y&back you really must replace the lot. On ebay you can buy a set for around $150 I suggest you do. Tools are going to be another issue all together and if I wasn't off to family court on Monday to try to get my girls for Christmas time I'd bring everything and lend a hand, I really would. Unfortunately your going to have to push it there.

Just remember: That what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

Only 2km, take water think positive.

Now the controversial comment.

Since the chain is no good, I'd be tempted to take out a pair of links, and that should get it back to adjustable length (one pair is 32mm) surprise surprise axle adjustment is 35mm. It will only cost about $50 - $80 to buy a chain breaker but get a good one (that re pins as well). Restrict your riding to bare minimum and easy on the go fast, your sprockets will eventually let the chain ride over the teeth and you definitely don't want that. You might get another month or two. It would be better not too.

But we've all be broke and I guess your going to have to sort it out somehow.

help is at hand
 

Nick, check over at ADVrider forum under the Australian regional forum. There are offers of help for you in Sydney. Thread title "help needed for NOOB in Sydney." Good luck...