Bike chain in middle of M3

I saw a (and ran over !) a bike chain in the middle of the M3 this
morning and the bike was parked on the hard shoulder. Was he lucky or
are they designed to fall off safely ? I was wandering if most people
in this group replace their own chains or is it better to get it done
? Surely it must be possible that the chain could get caught in the
wheel or somthing..


Simon

 

Paging Dave "Rock and Roll" Swindell

 

If it breaks, and you're *very* lucky, it can come off without doing any
damage.

More usually, the loose end whips round the front sprocket and destroys
stuff on its way through. Occasionally even the crankcases.

It's easy to do, if you know how to do it. If you're not sure, get
someone else to do it, or show you how to do it.

Not so likely, given that the chain can only flex in one dimension.

 

Did on my 996, £4000 of new cases, replacing the bent crank etc. Fortunately
it was a new bike so not my problem. They had a faulty batch of chains in
1999 I later heard.

 

I seem to remember at Pembrey once, seeing a chain rip through the seat
unit. Ouch!

 

Yes, he was very lucky.

Worst case scenario is it can lock up the rear wheel, my mates flailed
around a bit before taking his foot off.

As with all spannering on the critical bits if you're not confidant then
don't do it, leave it to an experienced mechanic that you know and/or trust.
More importantly, to one who has good liability insurance !

 

SimonP says...

I have broken a chain which spat out of the back of a ZZR1100 without
damaging anything at all. I was accelerating hard in 2nd from a junction
when it went. It was back on the road the next day for the cost of a
chain and sprockets.

When the chain snapped on my CB250RS it locked the back wheel by
wrapping itself around the rear wheel spindle and jamming against the
swing arm. I was back on the road within 20 minutes because it happened
directly outside Hein Gericke in Slough, who had a replacement chain in
stock. That bike's still got the same set of sprockets on it.

I have seen some horrors in my time though when I was working for a
chain importer. Things like a Divvy 600 with completely obliterated rear
bodywork and a topbox almost cut in half from where a broken chain was
slashing away at it. The rider suffered massive bruising to his left
side and leg and required a new helmet because he looked over his left
shoulder to see what the racket was. They wrote the bike off, our insco
coughed up.

 

Wasn't that the err ... rather warm - chain that we put back on again?

 

And nothing. I don't have a problem with that - and you were the
schmuck about to ride it. It wasn't fucked, it just let go - it was a
little gritty and I did feel the need to lube it a bit - but apart
from that, no problem.

 

Yes? He of the dropped chain obviously didn't know the answer, but all
you wise, prudent, omniscient UKRMers do, don't you

--
Dave OSOS#24 Remove my gerbil for email replies

Yamaha XJ900S & Wessex sidecar, the sexy one
Yamaha XJ900F & Watsonian Monaco, the comfortable one

http://dswindell.members.beeb.net

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Lozzo

<AOL> in all respects. Within a week or so of yours IIRC.

Fucking good bikes, these ZZR11s.

 

I dealt with a fatal on the M3 [1] about two years ago which was
purely down to the chain snapping [2]. It wrapped between the wheel
and the swinging arm, locked up the rear and spat the rider off onto
his head - he died of massive head injuries despite our best attempts
to revive him.

[1] Junction 1 towards 2
[2] - To be fair it was entirely down to bad maintenance - I dont
reckon the chain had ever been lubricated or adjusted and full
examination didnt show any manufacturing defect. Also turned out the
rider (CB500) had never passed a test and was commuting 150 miles
round trip a day.

 

Dave Swindell says...

Yep, they bring their chains round to Pixie Central for me to fit.

 

JP wrote:

I remember you mentioning that. Was it really 2 years ago? A divvy,
wasn't it?

Bloody hell, time flies....

 

And so does my memory - you`re right - it was a divvy, not a CB

 

Do you do call outs?

 

Lady Nina says...

emailed

 

<snort>
I can imagine...