Tensioner replaced - Amazing

[RedTRex]

My new to me 1150rs, 28k miles. Learned about left cam chain tensioner while reading here, realized mine was still original. Ordered replacement from Rubber Chicken Racing. Took about 30 min to R&R and I am amazed how much smoother and more powerful she is..... less noise too.

[lkchris]

It cannot physically be "smoother and more powerful."

 

It will be less noisy.

 

It's a good upgrade for sure.

[4wheeldog]

It cannot physically be "smoother and more powerful."

 

It will be less noisy.

 

It's a good upgrade for sure.

 

Actually........I had the same experience as the OP when I replaced mine years ago. I did not expect it, and had to think about it a bit to come up with the likely explanation......Which is, that with the old tensioner, the cam timing was subject to a small amount of "Float", under all circumstances. Mine runs better hot, and is not subject to the same occasional single large knock when throttle is applied to get the beast moving.

 

There is more reason to replace the original tensioner than just the noise involved.

[danevans]

Are both sides normally done? I would think it would be the sensible thing to do.

[4wheeldog]

Are both sides normally done? I would think it would be the sensible thing to do.

 

No, they are not. The right side does not lose its oil, so the tension is much more consistent. I did consider changing it, when the left side had so much of an effect, but all the odd behavior was gone, so there did not seem to be any reason to do it.

[RedTRex]

It cannot physically be "smoother and more powerful."

 

It will be less noisy.

 

It's a good upgrade for sure.

 

Not more so than original stock configuration of course but compared to the way it was running it does feel a whole lot smoother and more powerful.

 

.... off to mount my new Stebel horn

[longbch]

I experience the same thing when I replaced the left tensioner this summer on my '99 RT. The bike seemed to run smoother and shifted easier. I wasn't expecting that.

 

I mentioned this on our club's Yahoo group, and another person said they noticed the same thing with their bike.

 

The biggest change that I noticed this year was that the bike is running now a lot smoother since I did my own valve adjustment and sync, and not the dealer.

[mikeR1100R]

I don't know about smoother running but I do know that my bike no longer sounds as if the motor is coming apart when I start it after I replaced the LH cam chain tensioner.