Pay attention to your chain

[blue72beetle]

The other I was on the highway doing around 75 and felt a bang. The engine immediately quit, and I coasted to the side of the road. My chain broke. I'm lucky it didn't get under the tire. It hadn't been giving me any indication anything was wrong, I lube it every day I ride, and adjusted it when needed. I knew it had some miles on it, but when I got home and checked my records, I was surprised. It actually had 19,000 miles on it.

It shattered the clutch pushrod, broke the side sprocket cover, the chain whipped up and bent my license plate, bent the chain guard, and broke the underseat plastic. It broke the magneto cover where it shielded the wires, but luckily it didn't put any holes in the case. It did smash the magneto wires, I'm going to try to repair the wires, they're attached to the stator and a new one is $250. The wires are smashed right where they enter the rubber plug, so it's going to be tough.

I think I'll pay more attention next time and just replace the chain at 15,000 miles.

[durk]

@blue72beetle did your sprocket cover have any type of metal case saver incorporated with it? Sorry to see all the damage your chain caused. I know I have pushed my luck with chains in the past, based on your experience here I don't plan to do that anymore. 

[Helmutt]

Glad to hear it didn't tear your left leg apart, and lucky it didn't do more damage than it did at that speed.   I typically don't push chains beyond 10k miles, once I adjust them a few times, the sprockets show wear, and it all starts looking dingy - I swap it all out

[2talltim]

My TL had a 38k mile stock chain on it before i replaced it. And only replaced it for a gold one that looked better not because it needed it

[max power]

Wow!  I've got almost 12k on my stocker and hadn't given it a thought.  

Now im scurred!

glad it wasn't worse.

[marlboro man]

I got the original chain on my f4l 23k on it cleaned it once a year with kerosine & used chain wax since  it had 3000 miles on its time to replace it last gap trip it  got out of adjustment faster than normal

[motocat12]

brand? size? did it break at the link or rivet or random? I thought side plates more likely to break than the pin. Are you sure you didn't drop a diamond that got caught in the sprocket teeth?

I have  up to 30k mi on my Tsubaki (  18 k on it when I bought it.)

has some stiff links/ tight spots threw the quicklink clip once, and is on my list of needs.

 

[whaler]

The tell tale sign is all over your bike! The outside of the chain can look great, but the light coating of rust dust on everything means the chain is done. Glad you did not go down... sucks about the damage, but that can be replaced.

If you ever see a light rust color all over your swingarm or rear rim, replace the chain or this will happen.

[Wolfman1]

As stated above the rust dust all over is the telltale sign your chain is done.  If you wipe your rear wheel and see any rust dust, regardless of mileage it's time to replace your chain.  Another sign is the chain will kink and you can't get the kink out with lube, as well as a clunky feel in the chain.  A third sign is a shit ton of chain noise, unfortunately you may not hear, but another experienced rider behind you will.  I have seen and experience all of these at different mileage with my chain and other riders.

Sorry about the damage and glad you are safe!

[thompsonian]

This is why I have a shaft drive...glad you didn't get hurt

[TimTheAzn]

19 minutes ago, Danimal said:

trust me, whether you think you needed it or not, at 38K you needed it.

 

Glad you're ok Andy

This is coming from someone that had the front sprocket on the sv torqued to 5ft pounds.... ?

[TimTheAzn]

43 minutes ago, Danimal said:

Didn't come loose did it?

And how much do you ride Tojo?

Surprised it didn't. Lucky that the lock was on it. I bent that back and put a breaker bar on it and looked at it and it started to turn, literally took the wrench and was able to take that nut off like I was using a screw driver lol. But no, it did not come loose. How much I ride has nothing to do with the fact you were trying to kill me ?

Edited June 19, 2017 by TimTheAzn

[ricer1]

23 hours ago, whaler said:

The tell tale sign is all over your bike! The outside of the chain can look great, but the light coating of rust dust on everything means the chain is done. Glad you did not go down... sucks about the damage, but that can be replaced.

If you ever see a light rust color all over your swingarm or rear rim, replace the chain or this will happen.

Or, someone can get so annoyed that they end up telling a certain Jack A$$: "Get a new f'in chain because I'm tired of hearing the damn thing grind and I'll put it on!".... so I did and Whaler put it on at 12K miles. 

[ReconRat]

Or be crazy like me, take a link out when it's stretched too far, and continue using it. Till that day I found one link pin broken on one side and ready to let go. oops... Not recommended. I do recommend rolling the chain around a few times and take a close look after lubing it. Never know what you will find.

[2talltim]

4 hours ago, TimTheAzn said:

This is coming from someone that had the front sprocket on the sv torqued to 5ft pounds.... ?

 

3 hours ago, Danimal said:

Didn't come loose did it?

And how much do you ride Tojo?

 

2 hours ago, TimTheAzn said:

Surprised it didn't. Lucky that the lock was on it. I bent that back and put a breaker bar on it and looked at it and it started to turn, literally took the wrench and was able to take that nut off like I was using a screw driver lol. But no, it did not come loose. How much I ride has nothing to do with the fact you were trying to kill me ?

This is the exact reason I prefer not to sell stuff to people I know personally. I usually disclose everything I know about a item but when things unexpectedly happen you hear about it and are made to feel bad.

I know your probably just giving dan a ribbing I'm sure he feels bad when you say things about old blue like this

[TimTheAzn]

I'm just giving Dan shit. If I were a truly responsible motorcyclist, I would have/ should have gone over that stuff the day I got it to see what the status was. Instead I immediately rode from his house to columbus, and then put down 400 fun miles with Paul and Nivin the day after. #noragrets

I really do enjoy the bike. @Danimal

[motocat12]

Anyone with a quick link take the chain off to soak it?

I have a trip next weekend(shorter than the Orificial Septic Ride) Probably won't get a chance to replace chain.

[Tonik]

12 minutes ago, motocat12 said:

Anyone with a quick link take the chain off to soak it?

I have a trip next weekend(shorter than the Orificial Septic Ride) Probably won't get a chance to replace chain.

Just blast the hell out it with wd 40 if you feel the need to clean it. No wd 40 does not hurt o rings 

I wouldn't risk f'ing up the link just before a trip.

[durk]

What Tonik said. I pulled a clip type link before my first trip to the Tail and midway through the clip was missing. I pulled it for the same reason, to soak it in kerosene to clean it. I did some hillbilly engineering once I noticed it missing at a hotel and finished the trip. I would not recommend it. 

I probably made that same Twist link 4-5 times on that trip. I kept losing it. 

[Tonik]

^ You got balls man, I would never have been able to ride it like that.

[jschaf]

Rivits are better.  Never felt the need to remove a chain that wasn't being replaced.

[motocat12]

My clip was already missing one cleaning. being worn may have helped keep the plate  in a groove.

 And of course you haveta buy a whole new link can't sell the clips separate.  

Edited June 19, 2017 by motocat12

[durk]

2 hours ago, Tonik said:

You got balls man, I would never have been able to ride it like that.

I started off cautious the next day, but after a stop or 2 it was still there and then I rode it normal. My thoughts when I did lose my engineered clip were, it held this far.  So, that made it safe to ride it like I stole it again once I replaced it right. It never seemed to separate at all. You call it balls others probably call it stupid. Thankfully I had no issues and replaced the master as soon as I got home and threw an extra under the seat. 

2 hours ago, jschaf said:

Rivits are better.  Never felt the need to remove a chain that wasn't being replaced.

I would agree that rivets are better.  That was all I could find when I purchased a new chain for the 1000. I definitely feel it is more secure. We won't talk about the fact that I pushed my luck once again taking the OEM chain to 27,000 miles before replacing it. 

[whaler]

14 hours ago, durk said:

What Tonik said. I pulled a clip type link before my first trip to the Tail and midway through the clip was missing. I pulled it for the same reason, to soak it in kerosene to clean it. I did some hillbilly engineering once I noticed it missing at a hotel and finished the trip. I would not recommend it. 

I probably made that same Twist link 4-5 times on that trip. I kept losing it. 

Never use a clip type master link on a street bike over 250cc! I have seen to many clips fail on the street. Purchase the proper rivet tool. Many have lost bikes, skin, and life when a chain comes undone.

[ReconRat]

17 hours ago, durk said:

@durk

Just wanted to mention that good hardware stores often have links and half links available. Or out of stock, lol. Used to always carry them, back-in-the-day for broken chains, and still put a few in my toolkit even though I use riveted chain.