I plan to replace chain and sprockets front and rear within the next week. I am staying with stock size gears front and rear just buying longer lasting aftermarket stuff that's all. Question is: I am pretty mechanically inclined but wanted to ask if you folks have any suggestions or special tools/techniques you suggest from doing this in the past? I figure someone may have done this with greaf that I may be saved from - plus the front sprocket looks like it may take some digging to get too ?? Thanks in advance - Quinn 2002 VFR
I am currently in the middle of a chain/sprocket replacement on my 4G right now. Since it's bad juju to re-use a chain, I took a grinder to mine to remove it. 45 seconds later, and it was off the bike. The front sprocket is not nearly as difficult to get to as one would imagine. I removed the mid-fairings and the belly pan, and then removed the speedo sensor and the clutch slave cylinder from the sprocket cover. Next, the sprocket cover comes off with 5(?) bolts, some are long and go into the crankcase. I carefully removed the plastic boss on the end of the nut that drives the speedo sensor. I clicked the bike into first gear (so the front sprocket would not spin) and removed the nut. The rear sprocket also is removed quite easily, you just need an Allen ket to hold the bolts in place while you remove the six nuts from them. The sprocket just comes off. Installation is reverse of removal, with one caveat - you will need to stake the master link. This requires a SPECIAL TOOL (read: $$$). My bike shop is willing to let me do the chain/sprocket install there (in the bed of a pickup)and "lend" me the tool in the parking lot, but they also rent it for $10 a day. Check your local shop and see if this is something you can do.
I just changed mine out to an RK chain last year. It wasn't too big of a deal. The biggest expense was buying the chain tool. (well not as expensive as the chain and sprockets, but close) Anyway, I figured once I had it, I'd never have to pay someone to do a chain again and since I have 4 bikes, I'll be using it again. I can't remember if I even did a how-to on that swap. I think I was in a hurry to fix it and go ride.
Thanks for the advise guys. I found the exact instructions from a VFR Honda manual I downloaded @ VFRD.com worth the wait. I am going to have it printed out now that I have it saved to my hardrive. As for the chain - thanks again and I got lucky on the tool - A riding buddy of mine has a moto shop and is lending me his. Happy riding fellas - spring is near!
