Chain just broke

[Rob S.]

Hey Rob...will you post a pic of the position of the rear wheel in the swing arm? Looking at the adjusters in your photo, chain was toast a few inches ago.

Twelve lines on the adjusters, first towards the front of the bike, twelfth towards the rear. Both adjusters are on #9.

You passed the eye test.

[GSX1000E]

Glad to hear that you did not get killed. Chains do not like to be stretched beyond their limits for extended periods of time before they break. Try for some slack with the next one.

[Rob S.]

When I bought it, there was so much slack I heard this loud clanking from the left rear. Look what that hulking 630 did to my beautiful swing arm.

[Rob S.]

Of the 12 marks on the adjusters, at which one would you say the chain is toast?

[dorkburger]

Rob,

Since everyone else has beaten you up about your chain, I'll just chip in and advise you to obtain some roadside assistance coverage

I can get a free tow (actually a flatbed ride) here with a AAA Plus membership, up to 100 miles. You won't always be 3 miles from home. Worth every penny

So true. When my stator cooked 200 miles from home, a guy in our group had AAA. I was towed the full 200 miles after some creative finageling by the towtruck driver.

I've always had my reservations about (clip) master links. Which is why I've never had one. I get the best chain I can afford and peen it (rivet type) over myself.

In all my years of street and offroad riding, Iive never lost a clip type masterlink.....I do carry a spare though.

[hjfisk]

Inall my riding years I have never broke a 630 chain, i have however broke 530's and 525's a few 520's.All I can say is that 630 must have been pretty trashed and had to be noisey. And I believe that the chain is in the replace zone of your marks about# 7. They also have a little replace sticker on the side of the adjuster itself

[Steve]

Of the 12 marks on the adjusters, at which one would you say the chain is toast?

That would depend on where it was when it was NEW.

It has been over 35 years since I have had the "pleasure" of riding a chain-driven bike and had to deal with chain maintenance, so I don't know how much they "stretch" during their life. Besides, everyone is saying how much better chains are nowadays and how little maintenance they really need, so whatever I remember about it has probably changed.

.

[GS1150Pilot]

I drag raced a GPz 750 Turbo and an FZ1 for years and never had a chain break. Proper maintenance, attention to detail, replacing things as they wear past tolerances, it all adds up to being able to rely on your bike.

[steveb922]

Other times they lock up until you get sideways, then let go for the biggest highside you can ever imagine.

See Barry Sheene, Daytona, 1975.

[tkent02]

An hour spent reading about chains, why and how they wear, why and how they fail, and what happens when they do will save you some grief in the future. You got lucky, your wheel stayed free to turn. Just like pulling in the clutch, you roll to a stop. Sometimes the chain jams against the case and your engine is ruined. Often they jam, lock up the wheel and your rear wheel skids until you stop moving. Other times they lock up until you get sideways, then let go for the biggest highside you can imagine. This is the one that kills more riders than any other mechanical malfunction. Don't push your luck on old chains. Don't mismatch them. Two new sprockets and a quality new chain, all at the same time. If you can't afford all three, don't get a motorcycle. Don't ignore it when they make noise or need too many adjustments. Lube it once in a while if you wish, all that effects is replacement intervals, but when it's done it's done. Replace the whole set. With modern chains it's very easy to do it right, they really should last a long long time between adjustments, getting 30,000 miles on a chain is common, without even pushing it on the far end.

Check chain wear by how well the chain fits the sprockets, and how symetrically the sprockets wear, the tight - loose - tight as the wheel goes around. If you can pull the chain away from the sprocket at the back, halfway around the rear sprocket, it's wearing. They wear faster and faster as the pin to pin distance of the chain (which increases with wear) no longer matches the tooth to tooth distance of the sprockets (which decreases with wear). Once this happens the engine forces are hitting one tooth at a time as each link comes off the rear sprocket, or as it goes on the front sprocket, instead of pulling evenly on all of the teeth in contact with the sprocket. Much more stress on any given point on the chain as it goes around, much more stress on each tooth in turn. At this point the wear drastically increases, it's time to start thinking about the next chain and sprockets. Then as the forces hit the teeth one at a time, the sprocket teeth bend over into hooks, the holes or valleys between teeth get out of round. This is when the tight loose tight thing gets going, adjustment becomes difficult, chain noise starts to get noticeable.
After that it's a fool's mission to run them any longer. You could perhaps get more miles with constant adjustment, but it can also break at any time.

Above all, don't run them too tight. Too tight puts literally tons of additional force on the chain, many times the normal load the chain was designed for, allows the chain to break at any time with no warning, or ruin a countershaft bearing or wheel bearing, as they are not designed for this additional stress.

[GSXR7ED]

Chain Driven

That would depend on where it was when it was NEW.

It has been over 35 years since I have had the "pleasure" of riding a chain-driven bike and had to deal with chain maintenance, so I don't know how much they "stretch" during their life. Besides, everyone is saying how much better chains are nowadays and how little maintenance they really need, so whatever I remember about it has probably changed.

.

It's really not that much of a hassle to maintain a chain driven bike. As a matter of fact, I learned quite a bit about the importance of certain characteristics to avoid...thanks to MrBill. Not everyone gets an opportunity to meet a GS owner/mentor like I have--his teaching method for me is great. My bike and me are benefiting from such instances as this weekend.




Ed

[mrbill5491]

Yeah ask Ed what I did once I got his old chain off. I about freaked! I got it off and said holy **** this thing is totally shot. I could literally make a U shape against the links. Weird thing is, I checked his sprockets and they didn't seem to have that much wear on them. No cups or sharp ends. So I slapped (of course cleaned and relubed) my old 630 (bout 3K miles on it) on his bike. This is temporary fix anyways once we get the nut broke loose off the front sprocket.

Ed was amazed in the difference in the chain when he test rode it.

As far as the clip master link is concerned, I had nothing but on my bike for the last 30 years. Never had one come off. When they are installed right and little dab of silicone spread over the top of the link for a bit of a safety feature they are good to go. I always carry a spare as well.

[tkent02]

When they are installed right and little dab of silicone spread over the top of the link for a bit of a safety feature they are good to go. I always carry a spare as well.

A bit of safety wire holding the clip on can't hurt, a blob of red RTV so it's easy to find the master to glance at the clip before a ride. Probably serious overkill, I haven't had one come off in decades, just hasn't happened since I quit running crappy chains on old sprockets. It just isn't a problem, but the two minutes spent to safety it seems easy enough.

For the Über paranoid, run an endless chain. It's probably time to grease the swingarm bearings anyway.

[mrbill5491]

A bit of safety wire holding the clip on can't hurt, a blob of red RTV so it's easy to find the master to glance at the clip before a ride. Probably serious overkill, I haven't had one come off in decades, just hasn't happened since I quit running crappy chains on old sprockets. It just isn't a problem, but the two minutes spent to safety it seems easy enough.

For the Über paranoid, run an endless chain. It's probably time to grease the swingarm bearings anyway.

Yup, no cutting corners with chains. I've seen the damage one can do when it lets go even at 70mph.

[GS1150Pilot]

Inall my riding years I have never broke a 630 chain, i have however broke 530's and 525's a few 520's.All I can say is that 630 must have been pretty trashed and had to be noisey. And I believe that the chain is in the replace zone of your marks about# 7. They also have a little replace sticker on the side of the adjuster itself

Modern 530s are just as strong as the old dinosaur 630s. Possibly stronger.