My AA Experience.

I had just pulled onto the A406 from a sliproad and was accelarating upto traffic speed when I lost drive. I frantically stepped through the gear box, thinking I'd hit a false neutral, but no drive was to be found.
I pulled up on the side of the road and looked down to discover my chain had snapped and flown clean off! Damaging the rear, left indicator in the process.
I do have a scottoiler, although last week I noticed some surface rust on the chain as I was approaching the bike. Upon closer inspection the dispenser for the scottoiler had swivelled around so that it was facing away from the sprocket. I corrected it but that period without oil (a week at most as I washed the bike the previous weekend) seems to have sounded the death knell for the chain.

I called The AA and they recovered me within 20 minutes!

Excellent first experience.

So anyway I can't complain too much. The bike has done 13,000+ miles and was still on the original chain and sprockets. It hadn't needed adjustment and the bike had a major service in December. So it it would seem that 1 winter week of daily usage in London without oil was enough to knacker it.

I plan to order replacement chain and sprokets off the internet and then have a dealer fit them. Anyone care to recommend a good place to buy? I want a nice gold chain.

Specifications: D.I.D. 525V8, 108 links.

Anyone know the details for the sprockets? I plan on keeping them standard so I could just count the teeth in the morning.

Also how do you think the dealer will feel if i phone up and say i have the parts and I just want him to fit them? Surely no more then 1 hours labour for a competant mechanic?

I may have a bash at getting the sprockets off myself. I have heard horror stories about the difficulties of getting the engine sprocket nut off so it'll be a half hearted attempt.

Not sure if i want to buy a riveting tool and do the chain myself. I'm one of those people who need to see something done once before attempting it myself so may leave this one to the dealer.

M & P Direct have a gold x-ring DID chain for £86 with the EK equivalent chain for £58 I think the EK chain must be O-ring...

Busters have a Chain & Sproket Kit incl. DID Gold X-Ring for £104.50

Bit of a price disparity there which may be down to brand name. Thing is, I ride my bike hard and so am reluctant to skimp on things like this...

I'll order tomorrow evening after hopefully getting some more feedback.

[Viney]

Sorry to hear about you chain. A couple of things. You wont be able to get the front sprocket off without a chain being attached to it unless you have airtools, then its still dificult. Rear sprocket is easy to do. Make sure that the chain kit you get is correct for the model you hvae. The 'S' kit is shorter then the naked, and the rear sprockets are different. Also make sure that it comes witha split link. This will enable you to ride the bike to your dealer and get them to rivet the chain for you.

To fit the front sproket you need to remove the clutch cable assembly as well which is easy. If you do decide to do the fornt once you have fitted the chain, then you will need a breaker bar, a 30mm(i think) socket, a heavy duty plank of wood. Put the wood through the back wheel so that it rests under the swing arm on both sides, this stops the wheel from spinning, then tap the retaining washer flat by the sprocket nut, then undo the nut....!!!

Personaly after all the hassle and for the sake of saving £20-30 id take it to an indepent garage and get them to do it.

13k and no adjustments ?
sure you were checking it right ?
my chain lasted 20k

fitting the chain is a piece of cake, the tools sound alot harder than they actually are (honest)
but the front sprocket is gonna be a bugger.


nice choice on the gold BTW - very nice looking

I recently changed the front and rear sprocket along with the chain and found no problem at all.

If you are ordering all three at the same time then you can use the new chain to keep the front sprocket stationary. All you need to do is drag the chain over the rear sprocket and then over the front sprocket. That should keep the front sprocket from moving (with bike in gear). If when undoing the front sprocket you find that it is trying to move the bike forward then wheel the bike front first with the the front tyre touching the wall. That way you are using the whole bike as leverage.

You will need a torque wrench and a breaker bar. with the correct size sockets. When you get the new chain it should (or probably) be open ended and come with a split link. Fit the chain with the split link and then ride your bike to the bike garage with split link in pocket. They should change the link for something like a fiver.

Best of luck with it. If you can do the job yourself, your looking at saving £30 - £40.

Originally Posted by bikageboy

13k and no adjustments ?
sure you were checking it right ?
my chain lasted 20k

fitting the chain is a piece of cake, the tools sound alot harder than they actually are (honest)
but the front sprocket is gonna be a bugger.


nice choice on the gold BTW - very nice looking

I can well believe it!!

I went nearly 10k without requiring adjustment!!

Of course, it may have been done at services and it most likely would have been done at tyre changes (of which I had had 2).

I was surprised at just how immaculate my chain and sprockets were!!

I find it hard to believe that the chain snapped because the scottoiler was not in the right position for a week.

I should think that the chain has been damaged for some time and the rust was the warning you should have heeded.

covering metal fatigue with grease and paint doesnt stop metal fatigue. It has already happened!

Not having a go at you, just trying to suggest that the damage was already done in my ham fisted way

Just wanted to clarify about the chain links. I'm buying a D.I.D. X-ring gold 525, 108 links.

Do most new chains arive with a clip-type link to allow you to ride the bike. This will then be replaced with a rivet link by the dealer. Will the replacement rivet-link also be supplied? or will I need to buy this from the dealer?

If the chain turns up endless I'm ****ed as I'll have to either

-purchase a tool to break it, fit it and ride to the dealer for him to break it, do the sprockets and then refit a rivet link.

-or push the bike to the dealers so he can break it, fit sprockets, and fit chain with new rivet link.

99.9 % of the time the chain will arrive open.

If you are not changing the sprocket sizes then the chain that you have mentioned will be the correct one.

Not sure about the split link being provided with the chain. I am sure that it does but wouldn't swear it.

When you do take the chain to have the rivet link put on, get him to give you the split link back, then you know that the next time you need to change the chain, you WILL have the a split link to put the chain on the bike. Might also be an idea to keep the link under the seat for a "just in case" time.

If the chain does arrive endless, the otherway to get round this problem is to undo the swing arm from the chasis. It's really not that technical. Just a pain the ass

yeah, bigape had a good suggestion there, use the new chain when fitting the sprockets.
a friend of mine just uses a g-clamp when fitting chains . . . he's been ok so far.

i wouldnt do it personally tho.

i didnt get a split link with my chain (the screw temporary thing), but i only paid 50 quid for the did chain and sprockets.

the spockets always look imacculate when you change the chain.


btw, you will need to take your rear wheel off when changing the rear sprocket. while you have it off . . . might be worth giving it a good clean in the bath, regreasing your bearings and checking your cush drive rubbers (the rubber bits behind the sprocket)