Chain slack adjustment
Hey everyone,
I was adjusting the chain on my 2025 Ninja 650, and I noticed that the alignment marks on the left and right sides of the swingarm don’t match after tightening the rear axle nut.
Before torquing the axle nut, I can get both marks to line up perfectly. However, when I tighten the nut, the marks shift and no longer match.
I also noticed that the small metal alignment indicators have a little bit of free play and can be moved by hand when the bolt is loose.
I tried using the screwdriver against the rear sprocket trick to prevent the wheel from shifting while tightening the axle nut, but I’m still having this issue.
I also measured the distance from the swingarm pivot axle to the rear wheel axle on both sides using a tape measure, and the measurements match.
Should I trust the measurements over the factory alignment marks? Is the free play in the metal indicators normal, or am I doing something wrong?
Has anyone experienced this on their Ninja 650?