How do I tighten my drive chain? Pics help.

[EvenmoreXS]

Thanks for the knowledge Gary. I've been looking for the foaming spray stuff. I got the chain tightening part down. Wish I had a better selection of cleaners and lubes, not to mention parts locally. The local yamaha dealer shut down 8 weeks ago to change the sign on the street. Still not open. Fuckers. Get your shit straight, open you doors, and sell to the public. This whole I have to have the perfect store bullshit is stupid, not to mention, currently, im spending my money elsewhere. Not even locally. I try to by stuff from locally owned companies as often as I can. Help the little guy, right. I dont want to buy lube at Walmart. I want to buy it from Earl, or Steve, or Hugh. Hope you understand. This isnt the whole problem, but it could be part of the solution. I'm rambling. I'll just buy a manual and order everything from north Korea. Problem solved.......or is it?

 

[BZNrider]

WRT keeping the axle straight..

My theory is that making the space between the tire and the swing arm even on both sides is a much better estimate of if the rear axle is straight than trying to measure the distance from the zerks to the the axle.

My theory also assumes that my (spoked) wheel is dished correctly which i have never checked...

 

[EvenmoreXS]

Makes sense in theory, but the other things have to be right too for that to be accurate. For instance, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[gggGary]

Nope the gun is always loaded, what could go wrong?

Doing business with the little guy is a noble goal. But there often is a reason he is a little guy. Business is by nature a popularity contest.

 

[jd750ace]

Amen Gary. If you are awesome, they will come. If you are mediocore, you will fail. Plain and simple. I figure a bike shop has about the same shot at success as a pizza joint. You can get the same basic thing lots of other places. You have to provide one that is better, at a competitive price, and with a SMILE!

 

[5twins]

Even though the shops around here carry various chain lubes, I've never run across the Kal-Gard stuff. I've always had to mail order it. Most of the bike makers have their own brand. Someone makes it for them and they just "brand" it with their name. I have a small can of Suzuki brand chain lube I got to carry with me on trips.

 

[EvenmoreXS]

Amen Gary. If you are awesome, they will come. If you are mediocore, you will fail. Plain and simple. I figure a bike shop has about the same shot at success as a pizza joint. You can get the same basic thing lots of other places. You have to provide one that is better, at a competitive price, and with a SMILE!

I completely agree with that Idea. With that being said, even though the big boys survive for a reason, usually because they get the same products as the little guy for less than half the cost of the little guy, increasing their profit margin far above what the little guy can make no matter how awesome they are. I will still do my best, and pay a little extra if necessary, to give the little guy a chance to prove their awesomeness. Put a little food on the table for them. If they suck, obviously, move on. But I give them a chance. In my experience, the little guy is just a knowledgeable, and lots of times more so, than the big boys. And they usually remember me, my name, ask how im doing, ...develop a relationship. I would bet that the guy who owns the bicycle shop and works on them and rides them every day would be better equiped to be awesome than the 17 year old retard Walmart pays $7.25 an hour to put together their Huffy's in the back of the store. But, they dont usually have billions of dollars to buy huge volumes of inventory to sell us the same product at a more competetive price. If apples are apples, Im gonna get mine at the farmers market. The problem is its not a level playing field. That guy that ownes the pizza joint you mentioned HAS to sell his same product for more unless he uses super cheap materials, ingredients, to produce it lowering the quality of the product to where its not as good. Its likely that its not his fault. Having been in the restaurant business and ran more than one commercial kitchen, Ive seen EXCELLENT restaurants with great chefs and great people go under for this exact reason. None of mine luckily. But, People will fill up on $5 value meals before going and spending $12 on an entree at a restaurant because its cheaper. Not because its better. Yes, little guys can become big guys, but is becoming increasingly harder to compete.