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Hi from England, I realize that this is an old thread but I will chip in with my experience of the stock tensioner vs the ape manual unit vs the modded zx12 tensioner. The problem with the stock tensioner is that it can rattle and is difficult and time consuming to change. The manual tensioner cures the rattle and in my opinion is not too difficult to set. Also it is relatively cheap to buy. However I found it necessary to mess about with it to get it to fit and was not impressed with the quality. The modified zx 12 tensioner is the way to go in my experience because it can be fitted in five minutes and cures the rattle . Furthermore it is fit and forget. In addition one can periodically check how far it has extended without removing the tensioner and this gives a good idea cam chain stretch / wear if any. The down side is the cost of the zx12 tensioner plus it has to be modified by removing 125 thou or 1/8 of an inch from the mounting face . Once again a five minute job but you do need a lathe or milling machine. However after trying the ape manual I bought the 12 tensioner and modified it on my friends lathe and never looked back.........

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