Fix it or break for parts?

[JimmyGulp]

Howdy chaps, its been a while since I posted anything of worth on this here forum, but its time to ask for advice...

Some time late last year, I was on my way to a job, making reasonable pace on the M62 so as not to be late, when the chain decided it'd had enough and departed the bike (thankfully, without damaging anything), cue the nice AA man turning up and getting me to work on time.

I got a replacement chain sent and fitted it myself, as nothing else was damaged. Some short runs and everything looked hunky dory. Cue a job in Jan/Feb this year where upon I'm returning from Manchester at 3am, and the engine deposited all its oil across the back wheel and the inside lane of the M62 over Saddleworth moor

Another AA-alike man turns up an hour or so later, thaws me out and gets me home.

When the snow finally went, I get the bike out of the shed, attempt to work out where the oil had come from, take some bits off, put them back, drain old oil, replace with new, no obvious signs of disaster.

I got it running again, and then after a very short trip up hill (so I can free wheel back down when it dies again) realise its coming from the front sprocket, some forum searching later reveals that if its loose, oil will escape, so free it up, retighten, hurrah...

A couple of times of getting the engine warm to make sure its not escaping elsewhere, and a short run up the hill and it all sounds good. So, I decide to take it a little further, get out to Hipperholme, and it all just stops. Cue abandonment of bike, with plans to try and get it back another day.

Next day, I get back to the bike, manage to bump start it (Yorkshire is useful for hills), and get up to the back end of Shelf village, where it stops again. Leave it for a few hours, return with my brother who manages to start it again, but it sounds like crap and won't idle, manage to get it home very carefully, but I'm worried I've made it worse.

So, it sounds like the front end of the engine is wanting to depart the rest of the bike, what is likely to have broken / expanded / not like me, and is it something I could fix? Or should I say that 70k on a 99 curvy is enough and its time to break it for parts?

Thoughts, opinions, laughter on a postcard

Thanks chaps

[rictus01]

generally chains don't just let go, nor do SV's dump their oil; without reason, you don't explain why these things would happen (on the presumption the bike is well cared for ?) after "no obvious signs of disaster" as you put it (didn't find the cause), you presume it's all OK, which obviously isn't the case, bikes aren't know to fix themselves no matter how long you leave them...

there's no reason an SV lump shouldn't do 100k if cared for and generally are very reliable, if you can't find the fault (perhaps it's less than obvious) then either get someone else to diagnose it or swap the engine out.

[JimmyGulp]

Sorry, I should have included some more detail

The chain that broke was near the end of its life, and was next on the list of things to replace and sort out. I suspect I may have been a little harsh on the accelerator that morning which helped it snap a link.

The oil came out from the seal behind the front sprocket, which I suspect worked itself loose after the chain coming apart. Given that there was no other obvious place it could have come from, and the lack of oil leaking out after re-tightening the nut, I think I've managed to fix the leak.

Also, the 'no obvious signs of disaster' was my way of saying that no lumps of metal or shavings / etc came out when I drained the oil, nor anything loose / floating around when I took various covers off looking for anything broken

I do suspect I could have looked after my bike better over the years, but I've kept it (except this last occasion) with plenty of oil in, new chain as needed, and a wash every now and again, and for about 2 1/2 years, commuted almost daily between Bradford and York, and was an absolute pleasure to ride Just wish I could have done more pleasure riding than commuting

I'm also not particularly an expert on the inner workings of the engine, but assuming the front half lost its precious lubrication (I understand the rear half is a little more bathed in the stuff), whats the most likely thing to have overheated / warped / expanded, and I can start there

Cheers again