OK, here's a somewhat rueful post-mortem on this discussion. Let me just say up front that in yet another instance, if I had just taken Dave McMunn's advice and not insisted on figuring it out the hard way my life would have been better.NilsMenten wrote:Thanks a bunch Dave. I was going to order it to length but now I've got a 120-link chain inbound, and a borrowed chain tool. I'll put the axle in the center of the adjustment and that should make it a no-brainer. I'll confirm what I use.daves79x wrote:Nils:
I counted the chain pins on the '80 I have here. I get 104. It has the 1100F swingarm and stock '80 gearing (18/42). With a new chain this put the adjusters near the middle of the range. Maybe Don can count his to be sure, but I counted twice and thats what I get.
Dave
BTW Service Honda accepted my order for a new chrome OEM chain case for ~$100, so it appears that the stock CR1100F chain case is is indeed still available form Honda. Bonus! I think I will like a little chrome back there.
N.
When my chain arrived, I set the axle in the center of the adjustment range of the 1100F swingarm and sized the chain to fit. 106 links, and not the 104 that Dave suggested. This sounds rational, right, center of the adjustment range? No, if anything, I should have run the axle nearly as far forward as possible and then sized the chain. Chain's gonna stretch a little over its life right? and besides, it would be closer to the as-designed wheelbase. Here's what happens when you put it in the middle of its adjustment range on the 1100F swingarm, with stock wheels and tires:
(sorry for the dingy camera phone pic)
If you do this mod and keep the stock wheels, 104 is probably the perfect number of links on your 530 chain. Position the axle closer to the front of the adjustment range, so the wheel's travel through the suspension arc does not let it contact your newly restored fender, trashing it.
I'm gonna pull out the jigsaw and see if I can bob this fender cleanly, as I have nothing to lose at this point. I'll post the results for your entertainment at worst. I may also take Dave's advice, belatedly, and shorten that chain to 104 links as soon as I can get a new master link.
N.