Voge chain slack: the figures, adjustment and lubrication

A chain adjusted too tight causes more damage than one left slightly loose. Excess tension loads the gearbox output shaft bearing continuously, and the load rises further as the suspension compresses and the swingarm pivot, countershaft and rear axle move out of alignment. The manuals state both halves of the rule: a loose chain can leave the sprocket and lock the rear wheel, while a tight one shortens the chain's life and absorbs power.

The slack figures by model

Measured vertically at the middle of the lower run.

Model	Slack	Chain
DS900X	35 - 45 mm	525UXI, 122 links
DS800X Rally	35 - 45 mm	525SX2, 122 links
DS625X	20 - 30 mm	520, 114 links
DS525X	20 - 30 mm	520, 118 links
525R	20 - 30 mm	520, 118 links
525ACX	20 - 30 mm	520, 118 links
500DS	20 - 30 mm	520, 118 links
300 Rally	20 - 30 mm or 30 - 40 mm	520, 106 links
650DSX	20 - 30 mm or 45 - 55 mm	520, 116 links
300DS	10 - 20 mm	-
R125	10 - 20 mm	-
FR150	10 - 15 mm	124 links

Where the manuals disagree with themselves

Two models carry two different figures, and neither can be dismissed as a misprint.

The 650DSX. The English edition states 20-30 mm in the chain chapter. The French edition of the same motorcycle states 45-55 mm, with the same adjuster and axle torques alongside it. The gap is too large to be a rounding difference.

The 300 Rally. The procedure in the manual asks for 30-40 mm measured at the middle of the chain. The specification table in the same manual prints 20-30 mm. The French edition adds a third reading: its text asks for 10-20 mm, while its own illustration beside that text shows 30-40 mm.

Where the two disagree, the figure in the edition supplied with the motorcycle is the one to apply, and a dealer can confirm it against the frame number. Of the two errors available, the looser setting is the less destructive: an over-tight chain damages the output shaft bearing, which is an engine repair, whereas a slightly loose chain within a sensible margin wears the sprockets.

Measuring correctly

Measure at the tightest point. Chains do not wear evenly. The motorcycle is rolled forward in stages and the slack checked every 20 cm or so until the tightest position is found; the adjustment is then set at that point. A chain set to specification at its loosest point is over-tight everywhere else.

Observe the condition the manual states. The DS900X manual asks for the motorcycle upright on its stand, while the 300 Rally manual describes the measurement taken with the machine on its side stand. The reading differs between the two positions, so the figure in the table applies only to the position that manual specifies.

The measurement is taken at the middle of the lower run, without a rider aboard.

Adjusting

1. Loosen the rear axle nut.
2. Turn both adjusters by the same amount. Uneven adjusters put the rear wheel out of line, which wears the sprockets on one side and makes the motorcycle track crooked.
3. Align the scale marks on the adjuster plates with those on the swingarm, on both sides. The marks exist for this purpose and are more reliable than counting turns.
4. Recheck the slack, then tighten the axle nut to the figure below.
5. Recheck the slack once more. It generally changes slightly as the axle seats.

Model	Adjuster nut	Rear axle nut
DS900X	-	100 ± 7 Nm
DS800X Rally	18 ± 1.8 Nm	105 ± 7 Nm
DS625X	22 Nm	95 Nm
DS525X	22 Nm	95 Nm
650DSX	14 Nm	95 Nm
525R	14 Nm	95 Nm
525ACX	14 Nm	95 Nm
FR150	-	75 ± 7.5 Nm

Lubrication

The chain is lubricated warm, after a ride rather than before. Warm metal draws the lubricant between the plates; cold metal holds it on the surface, where the first few kilometres throw it off.

• Only a lubricant sold for O-ring or sealed chains is used. The manuals warn that lubricants containing solvents or additives attack the O-rings, and once the rings are damaged the grease sealed inside the pins escapes and the chain is finished.
• It is applied to the inner face of the lower run while the wheel is rolled, so that it reaches the sprocket teeth as well as the rollers.
• Surplus is wiped off after application. What remains on the outside of the plates collects grit.
• A few minutes are allowed before riding, otherwise most of it is flung onto the rear wheel.

Where no chain-specific lubricant is available, the 650DSX manual accepts SAE 90 gear oil of high viscosity as a substitute.

What the manuals prohibit

• A wire brush. It damages the O-rings directly.
• A pressure washer. Water is forced past the seals, and the grease behind them is lost.
• Volatile solvents, thinners and petrol among them. They destroy the seals.

Washing is done with water or a neutral cleaner, and the chain is dried immediately afterwards and then lubricated. A chain left wet rusts between the plates within a day.

Replacement is not a home procedure on these models

The chains fitted to this range are endless, with a riveted joining link and no split link. The manuals are explicit: a clip-type split link must not be fitted in place of the riveted one, and a poorly riveted joint separates in service. Replacement requires the correct riveting tool, and the sprockets are inspected and generally replaced with the chain, since a worn sprocket destroys a new chain quickly.

The maintenance plan itself expects replacement rather than indefinite adjustment: the chain is marked R at the fourth and seventh services.

Related pages

Chain sizes and link counts for the whole range are set out in Voge chain sizes and link counts, and the service at which the chain falls due in what Voge asks for at each service.