Well, perhaps not an error so much as an incomplete translation.
The first thing I noticed after I purchased a slightly used 2009 Monster 696 was that the chain seemed to be too slack. The bike didn't come with a manual so (thanks to this forum) I located and downloaded both the Monster 696 Owners Manual and the digital version of what passes for a Monster 696 Shop Manual (kinda' thin).
They both address setting the chain tension. In addition I searched around on the Internet and was surprised to see how many different opinions (some good and some not so good) there are about measuring and properly setting the chain tension. These range from "don't worry about it" to "just eye-ball it" to "First buy a $5000 laser". I found more than a few misunderstandings.
The English version of the owners manual and both the "British" and "American" versions of the shop manual say much the same thing. That is roll the bike to find any potential tight spots, pull down on the chain with your finger, and measure the distance from the center of a chain link pin to a point on the swing arm halfway between the two sprockets.
OK, but what about that finger pull?
When I got to adjusting my chain the first thing I wondered about is whether of not I'm supposed to keep pulling with my finger while I measure or should I release the chain and then measure. No hint from anything I could find in English.
A year ago I moved to Italy and I'm all too familiar with bad translations so I checked the Italian version of the digital shop manual.
Sure enough, the Italian version is identical to the English versions with the addition of one important phrase. In Italian it instructs you to RELEASE YOUR FINGER PULL AND THEN MEASURE THE CHAIN SLACK. Ah ha! The truth comes out.
This reminds me of my recent Italian drivers license test where the English version says "..... broken white stripe..." and in Italian it says "...striscia bianca continua..." which means CONTINUOUS; big difference.
If you're not all that interested in mechanics in general or your bike in particular this might seem like trivia. But to to me this was a comforting piece of information. I hope it helps someone else.
By the way, the socket which fits my rear axle nut measures exactly 47mm in height so it's a very handy gauge; much better than a tape measure. Check yours.
The first thing I noticed after I purchased a slightly used 2009 Monster 696 was that the chain seemed to be too slack. The bike didn't come with a manual so (thanks to this forum) I located and downloaded both the Monster 696 Owners Manual and the digital version of what passes for a Monster 696 Shop Manual (kinda' thin).
They both address setting the chain tension. In addition I searched around on the Internet and was surprised to see how many different opinions (some good and some not so good) there are about measuring and properly setting the chain tension. These range from "don't worry about it" to "just eye-ball it" to "First buy a $5000 laser". I found more than a few misunderstandings.
The English version of the owners manual and both the "British" and "American" versions of the shop manual say much the same thing. That is roll the bike to find any potential tight spots, pull down on the chain with your finger, and measure the distance from the center of a chain link pin to a point on the swing arm halfway between the two sprockets.
OK, but what about that finger pull?
When I got to adjusting my chain the first thing I wondered about is whether of not I'm supposed to keep pulling with my finger while I measure or should I release the chain and then measure. No hint from anything I could find in English.
A year ago I moved to Italy and I'm all too familiar with bad translations so I checked the Italian version of the digital shop manual.
Sure enough, the Italian version is identical to the English versions with the addition of one important phrase. In Italian it instructs you to RELEASE YOUR FINGER PULL AND THEN MEASURE THE CHAIN SLACK. Ah ha! The truth comes out.
This reminds me of my recent Italian drivers license test where the English version says "..... broken white stripe..." and in Italian it says "...striscia bianca continua..." which means CONTINUOUS; big difference.
If you're not all that interested in mechanics in general or your bike in particular this might seem like trivia. But to to me this was a comforting piece of information. I hope it helps someone else.
By the way, the socket which fits my rear axle nut measures exactly 47mm in height so it's a very handy gauge; much better than a tape measure. Check yours.
