2014 YZ450F - cam chain and tensioner replacement intervals?

[GHILL28]

22 hours or so on a 2014 YZ450F.  Manual gives useless interval recommendations for certain things, like pistons, chains, tensioners.  "Replace the piston every time you run it up and down the driveway" basically.

 

What's a safe replacement interval for the chain and tensioner?  The chain itself is easy enough, and I don't mind the $20 cost for it.  Reading about people getting kinks in them by 60 hours or so.  Would sooner be better?  Every 40-50 hours?

 

The tensioner looks like a PITA behind the exhaust pipe.  When are people replacing those?

 

Thanks

[grayracer513]

I put them in annually.  I must say, however, that not one of my own has ever been worn very much at all beyond the length of a new chain, nor has one ever been stiff in the least.  I'm personally convinced it has something to do with lubrication and/or maintenance.  I could blame on me riding like an old man, but my son had the same bike I do, and he rode the crap out of his.  Same thing, chain always looked great.  Cheap insurance, anyway.  Besides, you don't really want to wait until they don't look great anymore.

[GHILL28]

Right, just wondering WHEN they typically start to not look great, at least in terms of hours. 

 

So every 50 hours or so for the chain would be a safe bet? 

 

How about the tensioner?

 

Edit:  Wtf is with my formatting?

Edited April 23, 2015 by GHILL28

[drtrcr400]

I've traditionally replaced mine at roughly the 100 hour mark which also works out to about a year for me. Even at that interval they still look and feel like new but it's cheap insurance. As far as the tensioner goes I will likely replace it at about 200 hours, I just haven't felt the need to replace it any sooner. I always run a good full synthetic motorcycle oil to.

[grayracer513]

 

Edit:  &%$#@! is with my formatting?

 

You're "right-justified".

 

But I can't really answer your other question unless I tell you how old the chains were that I've seen kink up, and then, there's no way to know when it started looking bad.  I've seen them bad with varying amounts of service time down, both more and less than my change-out interval, so I don't really see it being a time-in-service issue, entirely.  Maybe not even significantly.

 

The tensioner is another tough call.  At the price, I throw one on with every second cam chain.  But again, I haven't seen one ever cause a failure that I know of, and I could never see any worrisome conditions in any that I replaced on my own stuff. 

[MxSkater86]

I replace my cam chains about 30-40 hours. Im sure this is more then most people but its really easy to replace and a cheap insurance policy. And by that time I'm usually checking valves and all that so I might as well do it while I'm in there.

[Gunner354]

I replace my cam chains about 30-40 hours. Im sure this is more then most people but its really easy to replace and a cheap insurance policy. And by that time I'm usually checking valves and all that so I might as well do it while I'm in there.

Check valves? These aren't Honda's. Still have an 09 with over 300 hrs on original valve train without 1 adjustment. We use Redline oil which I contribute to incredible engine life!

[MxSkater86]

Check valves? These aren't Honda's. Still have an 09 with over 300 hrs on original valve train without 1 adjustment. We use Redline oil which I contribute to incredible engine life!

Doesn't mean I adjust them that often. I just check them that often because I ride the bike hard.