The chain is all bit mishapen after the fun and games, but it appears the pin has been pulled out of the sideplate, although after some thought I wondered if the chain had siezed on that pin and the damage was caused by the pin 'rocking' instead of turning around the sprocket. Yes, it is a DID X-ring, which I was led to believe had an enormous breaking resistance. You have to use a soft link where the bike has a bracing arm triangulating the swinging arm, as there is no gap to slip an endless chain around.
I suspect I'm just inviting a lot of hassle if I pursue this, but at the same time I wouldn't like it to happen to someone else, in less lucky circumstances. I've used the consumer's ultimate weapon, by replacing it with another make of chain. I'll mail Ride and see what they say.
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As a veteran of well over 150k miles on bikes, I can never fathom out why a spring-loaded tensioner isn't part of the setup.
Ok, it won't prevent a breakage but it would stop that horrible flapping as the chain stretches and prevent it jumping off the sprockets (which has fortunately only happened once and then at lowish speed).
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I emailed the supplier today and they replied within the hour asking for a fax number to send me a claims form, they appear to be taking it very seriously.
Big thanks to Barry for supplying a good condition, used, swinging arm at a reasonable price.
Barry Jones Motorcycles
35, Naylor Street
Liverpool
0151 236 4300
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Good, keep us posted Doug.
I found an old RiDE mag that had Alan Dowds (I think!) replacing his fazer engine with one from a wrecker. The chain had been sent off to the importer, but he was getting fed up with waiting (6 months!!).
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No help to you but I'm glad of that old HD belt. You have to ask yourself - chain drive has been around for about 100 years, while motorcycle engine technology and power has increased exponentially. Primitive or what?
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The 'bike' I first rode had a belt - a mobylette (I was only 12, cost me 10 bob and ran it on a neighbours field) it never worked in the wet, all that happened was steam came off the belt ;-)
The chain on my current bike is about 2 times larger in each dimension than my last bike, but I will be examining it more often when lubing it (OK G, belt 1, chain 0 on that count)
Martin
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Ah, the Mobylette! My Dad bought one for his commute from Stanmore to the City (think 1956) when Stanmore was in Middlesex and a nice place to live. He used to look hilarious with his city bowler hat on and his neatly folded umbrella over his arm, pootling along at 25 mph. He then passed it to me when I was 16 and I used to ride it to Northwood daily. I never had the belt slip, but the plug used to oil every other day! The great thing was of course if the thing failed to proceed under its own power, you could just ride it home like a regular bike, albeit a bit like hard work.
He graduated to an NSU Quickly after that, a super little machine that was totally troublefree.
But we are OT. I never heard of a Harley belt breaking, they can tolerate stones and debris going right through them leaving a hole behind and still function, indeed the manual says don't worry about it, and I've heard of riders who have done 50k or more on them. Growlette's little Virago has a nice shaft drive which is foolproof but it adds to the weight and does affect the handling slightly I've noticed, with the torque effect.
I guess my point is all that BHP going through such a primitive transmission device like a chain when you think about it, it's amazing they don't break more often.
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Virago?
Chap who used to live over the road from me (a HUGE builder) got his "born again biker" head on and did a direct access. Went out and bought a gronze and gold (two nasty shades of metallic brown) Jap import Virago. Couldn't understand
why everytime he looked in his mirrors the ground was littered with people lying on their backs, legs in the air, clutching their stomachs like they were extras for "The Life of Brian" Welease Woderick scene.
Boy, did he look stooopid.
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Maybe they were the ones with the problem.
Virago 535S, blue and cream, nice little bike for a 5'1" 48kg Filipina. I'm working on migrating her to a Sportster (yes, yes, chain drive) but she needs more confidence yet.
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As you say, good bike for a 5'1" Filipina lady. Somewhat comical for a 6' 105kg builder with Arnie-sized biceps.
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Silly question, but was the chain well lubricated. Cousin didn't bother until the chain on his ZZR600 snapped and went straight through the fairing, just missing him.
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Silly question, but was the chain well lubricated?
Doug_R1 did mention "sealed o ring, gold coloured to prevent rust" in his original post.
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Dave, as you say Doug did mention that it was a sealed O-ring type chain, but as far as I know they still need regular lubrication. My chain lube specifically mentions O-ring chains in the list of uses on the side of the can.
Chris.
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Lots of oil, I use the aerosol clear lube from Motul. I think that Castrol is rated better but it dries green, which ruins the effect of the gold, so I lube it more often with the clear. Maybe a scottoiler is called for.
I'm sure I read that Superbike mag has had two belts snap on a Buell. I started on a Raleigh Ultramatic moped, which shared lots of parts with the Mobylette, but it was still chain drive, the belt was the variable gearing. If I remember right, it was a long time ago, it had a little sprung jockey wheel that kept the tension right.
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This one was caught just in time www.homepages.mcb.net/davet/brokelink.jpg
Chain had done about 3k miles
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Interesting about the Buell belts, so I called my Harley dealership pal in Tennessee. Says he's replaced a good few worn out or broken due to damage ones but he's never had a Buell in the shop with a snapped belt resulting from non wear and tear since they came out (1995 was it?) He says only gross abuse would cause that and claims magazine test riders often have (paid?) hidden agendas to rate or not rate specific marques and machines... He should know I guess.
I must know upwards of 50 or 60 local HD riders here and if someone had lost a belt you bet we'd have heard about it, especially here with all the debris on the road.
Your problem doesn't sound like a lube one to me. Faulty chain, has to be. Assume rear wheel alignment and chain adjustment was OK and no prior, as opposed to post-event (although you probably wouldn't have known about it) sprocket damage.
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FUnny you should say that, my little Honda trailie has just that.
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