Chain fell off

[marty]

holy shit - 140km/h on the tauranga expressway, after just descending the kaimais at warp factor (can't let the bike get too cold now), slowing for the lights at elizabeth st then BANG!!!!!!! chain flicked off. luckily fell inside the chain ring, and jumped off the drive sprocket, so wasn't damaged. big ups to gail and gary at bayride for picking me and my bike up and getting me running again.
maybe it's time to re-check those tensions, seeming how summer seems to be on us........

[twistymover]

You are still in one piece, which is good. I guess it could have been worse. What do you think was the cause? I ask this because I've always worried about that happening to me.

[Sheep Dags]

same happened to me on the waipu straight just as i pull out to pass a car. fuckin shat myself, thought i had fucked the gearbox or something. told afterwards how serious a chain falling off can be, didn't really realise it can lock up and send you flying. oh well all tightened up now so yea, all good

[Hoon]

Chains usually fall off from being too lose (this does not mean race out to the garage and overtighten your chain!!).

Master links can come off too.  This almost happened to me the last race weekend when my spring clip went AWOL and as I was pushing my bike up to scrutineering my girlfriend heard something drop and it was the cover plate falling off the master link! 

So from now until the rest of my life I will lockwire the spring clip on every road or race bike I ever own.

 

[Racey Rider]

Originally posted by HO-Hoon
So from now until the rest of my life I will lockwire the spring clip on every road or race bike I ever own.
 

Can you explain how you do that?
Or can someone post a pic of it?
Do you run the wire around that side of the link, so that the wire rub's against the sprockets as it goings round? Or what?

[marty]

lucky all right - only in jeans and leather jacket. it went bang on the s bends just before the lights - i was splitting the waiting traffic down the left turn lane. i thought the box had shat itself.

lesson 1. use a good lube (goes for more than bike chains that one does......)

lesson 2. be just a little paraniod about the chain tension

lesson 3. don't be scared to ride hard again

lesson 4. new chain and spockets $233. ouch

lesson 5. scott oiler $240.

[PZR]

Glad that it was not too bad for you Marty. Arent those chains expensive. I have seen people buy non o ring chain as its heaps cheaper. It does not last quite as long and you have to pay more attention to lubrication but you can buy a chain for $30.00 to $40.00. So you can buy 3 or 4 for the same price as one fancy o ring or the more expensive x ring chains. Standard chain is what everyone used once. Just a thought

I was on my (previous) GPZ on the Coromandel loop last year when my front sprocket came off. It swaged itself to the swing arm and locked the back wheel up. Luckily I was only doing about 70kmh on a slow right hander but I think I highsided one way and the bike another. I landed on my side and arse and was bruised but ok but the bike was a right off. It went upside down and landed on the instruments after digging a 2" deep hole in the seal with the muffler
It happened so quick I had no idea until after I got up again.
One second, having a ball on a beautiful sunny Sunday
Next second, thinking Oh shit where is the bike and where is the car I just passed
Lesson 1. GPZ's apparently lost the front sprocket on a regular basis in the early days
Lesson 2.Check front sprocket regularly
Lesson 3. Check everything regularly
Lesson 4. Buy another bike and get out there again

[Coldkiwi]

If put on properly and in the right direction, the master clip shouldn't ever come off. if they did, company's like DID and RK wouldn't sell them.

if you have a riveted link then it should never snap

if the chain comes off and hasn't broken, its because you haven't been looking after it! (no blaming the tools now)

If you get big differences between tight and loose spots on your chain  when you roll the wheel and adjust it to the tightest spot like you're supposed to but the looseest spot is still looking suspect, DON'T over tighten it to take up the slack. This will result in your chain getting a right rogering each time it rolls through the tight spot which will now be almost rigid with no slack when you sit on it. That'll really bugger it then...

only solution is to replace chain (and sprockets) unfortunately. I personally rate the o-rings over standards because they are so less maintenance intensive as well as providing similar value for money. I 've tried both and won't contemplate a standard (besides, it sucks more of your power)

my 2 cents... anyone with more mechanic experience, please feel free to correct any of that if I've got it squewed. :)

 

 

[riffer]

Why prompts a question from me:

I have an O-ring chain on my fizzer - I'm oiling it every Saturday morning, cleaning it every second Saturday.

Am I being too anal about this?

Could I get away with less maintenance?

I'm doing 80-100 kms a day between Upper Hutt and Wellington, mostly SH2 (boring) once a week over Haywards to work, and a bit of a fang in the weekend to keep those tyres from going flat in the middle.

Say about 550-700 kms a week.

What do you guys reckon?

[Firefight]

if the chain comes off and hasn't broken, its because you haven't been looking after it! (no blaming the tools now)


only solution is to replace chain (and sprockets) unfortunately. I personally rate the o-rings over standards because they are so less maintenance intensive as well as providing similar value for money. I 've tried both and won't contemplate a standard (besides, it sucks more of your power)

Yeah same CK, I'd say that the o ring jobbies are the way to go,

also recommend , the "Scott Oiler", had one fitted to off road bikes, and made the dealer fit one to the R6, .just make sure you keep an eye on the drip rate & depending on were you fit the resvior (Oil holder thing), the setting knob is prone to bumps and vibration, can re set itself, bit if sticky medical tape will hold it in right place..


firefight.:cool:

[MikeL]

Originally posted by celticno6
I'm oiling it every Saturday morning, cleaning it every second Saturday.

Am I being too anal about this?



What's wrong with being anal (provided you use the right lube? :p )

Seriously, though... A lube after 700 km/once a week doesn't seem excessive to me. After all how long does it take? If it keeps the chain on the sprockets instead of on the ground it will save you money. If it keeps the chain on the sprockets instead of through the rear wheel it could save your life.

I have to admit to being a bit paranoid about chain maintenance, but the thought of it coming off at highway speeds...

[k14]

Yeah i know exactly what happens when a chain comes off doing around 60kph leant right over going round a corner.

I was following my mate up the port hills a few months ago. His chain jumped off the sprocket and wedged between the sprocket and the swing arm. He got highsided into the other lane. Lucky there wasnt any cars coming. He got a pretty bad concusion and a broken collar bone, but it could have been alot worse.

The next week i went out and bought a new chain and set of sprockets. Only got a normal chain and i have to tighten it every 200kms or so, might have to drop a link soon.

So just remember, always tighten your chain. Or get a BMW :niceone:

P.S. Just wondering, when you clean your chain, should you wipe all the crap off the sprockets aswell and then put some more grease on them, or just leave them as they are?

[Timber020]

Chain can come off and wrap around the counter spocket, blowing hunks off your engine case and doing LOTS of damage to engine and/or gearbox if its under serious load, not to mention what it can do to your foot.

[georgedubyabush]

I just got a new oring the other day with new tyres due to a bad tight spot. Huge difference to the level of smoothness on the road.

I seem to have shit luck with those damn clips. The last two times I've got new tyres, both times the tyreman has noticed my missing masterlink clip off of my chain, the second time cycletreads lockwired a new one on for me too... And I DO maintain it and check it, it just decides to make me look stupid whenever I'm in a bike shop.:o

I guess I'm pretty lucky the open link decided to stay put on both occasions. Riveted link now.

[Racey Rider]

Originally posted by Firefight
I 've tried both and won't contemplate a standard (besides, it sucks more of your power)

I was told by a bike shop the o-ring chain saps more power than a non 0-ring chain.
Most bikes won't feel it, but when racing a small bike, (Rg150), you want the lesser friction created from a non o-ring chain.

Still waiting for someone too tell me how to lockwire a chain link!

[Motoracer]

Yup thats definetly true (about the o-ring chain sucking power). I spent 2 and a half hours working on my chain for the TZR last night. I scrubbed off all the crap from it with kerosean and a tooth brush (twice), then adjusted the chain to its perfect tention, then checked the wheel alignment, then I lubed it with some fancy chain oil with a paint brush (just to make sure the lube was well spread). It was 11:00 PM when I finished working on it :o

Can't wait till I take it out on a ride on Sunday :2thumbsup

[marty]

well i reckon i've just figured out why the chain came off the front sprocket so cleanly. the tool kit, usually housed in the rear cowl with a retainer strap, well the rubber broke. the tool kit vibrated open, and one of the allen keys (i know this cause 1 is missing...) has rattled forward inside the cowling, and must have dropped onto the chain. i found another allen key hovering around the battery ready to make some fireworks fun. a tinnie rattle which i thought was the kick stand, turned out tot be the reversible srewdriver shaft sitting end on against the back of the engine, ready to cause me all sorts of grief.
i got scared, and pulled the bike to bits looking for other tools, but couldn't find any.

lesson 5. (read 1st post for 1-4) don't take ANYTHING for granted

[Andrew]

It was embarrasing for me when my chain came off on the Coromandel ride. :o

My solution was to spend at bit of cash and replace chain and sprockets. Simple but sweet, I'm a happy chappy for doing it. :)

[wkid_one]

What you have to remember is when you check the chain tension - 30-50mm - also check the looseness by seeing if you can pull the chain off the rear sprocket.  This is what will cause the chain to spit off.  Just pull on the chain where it runs over the sprocket  - if you can start to see the teeth of the rear spocket - change it, regardless of how much adjustment you have left

[Dave]

I've never heard of lockwiring a chain link, I was looking at it after reading your post and i don't think its possible.
if the retaining clip is on theres nothing left to wrap the lock wire around, and the pins are hardened so that rules out drilling through it for the wire.
Heres what i do.
1.New retaining clip

2.fitted in the right direction (has anyone shown you this?)

3.use orange silicone sealant and cover the clip in it,this stops the clip from being able to move at all and also you can check it at a glance before you go out.(this will become habit)

[Hoon]

Greg Sharpe told me to lockwire and silicon the master link after I told him what happened (I didn't have any silicon at the time).

I'm consider myself pretty careful when putting the chain back on.  I make sure the clip is facing the right way, I also make sure to use the minimum amount of force to get the clip off and on so it doesn't get bent uneccessarily and finally I also check that the clip is properly seated in the pin groves.  I always thought this was good enough so it was quite a shock to my confidence when my master link was missing the next day (I last checked it midday after putting my slick back on and then did another 3 sessions before going home).

After thinking about it a bit more I'm beginning to think the clip didn't come loose from normal road wear but must've got nudged loose by something at the perfect angle, could've been the paddock stand or maybe a toolbox banging into it while in the van that morning.  Whatever it was it is something that could easily happen again regardless of how careful I might be or whatever precautions I may take.

So yeah lockwire is just a bit more added insurance.  It might be a bit overkill but it helps me sleep better at night and is one less thing I have to worry about when I'm out on the track.  I'll invest in some orange silicon too!  Making the link easier to sight and quicker to check will mean I can do it more often like you say!

 

 

[Hoon]

Originally posted by Dave
I've never heard of lockwiring a chain link, I was looking at it after reading your post and i don't think its possible.

Yeah I just poked the wire up the middle (where the sprocket tooth goes) and twisted away.  I honestly didn't think about how it would hold up but its still there so I guess there must be room for it.  I'll keep a close eye on it (and my sprocket teeth too)!!