Couple weeks ago I started getting a bad clunking/chunking type sound on my '01 Roadstar, sounded like it was coming from the transmission/transfer case area, mainly under heavy acceleration. Mechanic took it for a spin last Friday and the dealership called this morning and said the good news is it's not the transmission (they did the recall work May of this year), but the bad news is that the primary chain is f'd. Grrr. I just bought the bike a couple months ago! Anyway... he said it's going to be $581 (half parts, half labor). He said the gears are okay.

My questions: does this repair require any specialized tools? In other words, is this something I can do myself with a service manual? Thanks for any advice! Sorry if I put this in the wrong forum... new to the group.

Welcome dude!

I don't have a clue about whether it's doable with a manual - but welcome!

Drago

Yes you can do this repair. Don't let them rip you off! Shop around and do your home work on the chain. You should be able to find a chain that is not made by yamaha that will fit and the cost will be 1/3rd the price. The most you would need is a gasket and gear oil. I would be willing to bet without even finding a price on that chain that you can do this yourself for less then $200
Danny

I agree ... a very simple replacement that can be done in an hour ... or less.

Doc

MTStar wrote:
My questions: does this repair require any specialized tools? In other words, is this something I can do myself with a service manual? Thanks for any advice! Sorry if I put this in the wrong forum... new to the group.

I haven't done it myself, but I just looked at the service book and I don't see any problem. If you are reasonably adept at mechanical stuff it should be a piece of cake. You will need a batch of metric tools; wrenches, sockets, allen wrenches, etc.

Clifford

Thanks guys!! I'll call the dealership now and tell 'em to bolt it back together. Any recommendations come to mind for online parts shopping (re: primary chain)? Thanks again!

My suggestion to you would be order the gasket for the primary. Take the bike home and pull the cover yourself. Remove the chain. You need to shop around your area and find out who sells chains for motorcycles. Most of the time the drive chain size is a common size and you just have to shorten the chain to the length you want and then put the master link back together. It's a simple job. I have not pulled the primary chain on a R* before but have on my harleys and I would be willing to bet the chain size is probably close. Lots of dirt bikes have drive chains so look for a motorcycle shop that sells parts.
Danny

P.S. report back where you found your chain and what your final cost was so that others can see this when they need the same type of repair.

Also check the manual section 5 page 91 it shows how to remove the chain.

first thing - the roadie DOESN´T have a primary chain! the primary drive is by gears.

there is a chain in the transfer case, as the other guys have said, but that lives in it´s own nice little oil bath, and personally i´ve never heard of one going south.

before you start diving in with the spanners, check the rear wheel bearings (ALL of them)as these have been known to cause a `clunk´when they start to fail.

if it´s that, it´s a doddle to fix and dead cheap.

Okay, finally got the parts from the dealership (10 days later!!) and got some work done over the weekend. Notes: 1, the two giant nuts are 36mm... make sure you have the socket before starting. I made three trips to the neighborhood NAPA to get the right one. Doh! 2. I had to rent an electric impact wrench to get the big drive nuts off.

The rest of the project went fairly well, did the rear brakes while the pipes were off and have to finish bleeding. However, when I went to put on the outside primary cover, I realized the dealership must given me the wrong gasket.(To clarify, the cover was already off when I picked it up from the dealership). Parts cost for chain and gaskets was about $280.

Went in today to check, and the parts guy couldn't find one in the system. Checking the manual doesn't show a gasket either. Does it need one? It was leaking gear oil after taking the bike for a test spin.

Thanks!!