what do you guys think of Ape Cam Chain Tensioners?? Solution to a problem that doesn't exist or should be put on every sportbike motor that is gonna be raced (in particular 03 - 05 R6 motors)?? - ve
Mixed opinion. I run stock tensioners on my SVs and never have a problem. Stock F4 tensioners were junk. Depends on the bike.
I ran a lot of APE stuff on my drag bikes years ago. They have been around for a while. Their tensioners are great. Have one on my R6, my cbr600rr and 1000rr.
We put manual tensioners on every motor we build. We even make our own tensioners for GSX-R/Hayabusa stuff.
Saw something really strange at the track last wknd. A guy had an Orient Express tensioner that evidently the male threads in one area of the bolt would not hold/were stripped. You could move the bolt fore or aft and start threading away, so it was kind of aparrent that the female threads were OK. Really weird. I have the exact tensioner on my engine, and a QMS / Jimmy Chance tensioner on a spare engine. The QMS unit has much more robust/coarser thread pitch on a larger OD bolt than the Orient Express unit, which has a very fine thread pitch on a smaller OD bolt.
Tokyo Mods make a work of art tensioner for the 250/450 singles...wish they would make on for the 600s. Tdub
i'm very happy with my APE tensioner on the 600rr. noticeable improvement in consistency over the stock unit. i go finger tight and then a quarter turn back. would be interested to hear how KWS tunes theirs?
Gotcha! If you don't mind me asking, what's your tuning reference on them..."turn it until the noise goes away and then back off a little" or something more scientific? How often do you have to adjust it? Thanks, VE
