Chain broke at low speed... please advise !!!

..... in all my experience I have never seen or heard of a chain snapping... always a improperly installed masterlink that came undone, usually a clip type, but sometimes a pressed rivet type

for a chain to be so weak that it snaps, you would have to know something wrong with it unless you only have half a brain, and in that case you shouldn't be riding a motocycle or even driving a cage, you would have to be so oblivioius that you would need constant supervision just to survive in life.

in other words, chains don't snap, masterlinks come undone, sometimes cause the chain is worn, sometimes cause the link was improperly installed

Not sure about that matey

I mean engineered components do suffer from wear and tear. If you had a tight spot in your chain for example and one of the links had been weakened then it could break. You may have lubed your chain religiously (as I did) and adjusted it regularly but had a weaker spot in one of the many rivets along the chain's length.

Similarly, a bolt could work its way loose without you being aware of it, because checking that part of your bike or car or whatever, wasn't part of your routine (or it was inaccessible, so you couldn't even if you wanted to).

Never say never ... it could happen to anyone, even you.

Cheers

Tony from Burnley

Thanks to all your replies.

I have tried to contact the dealer via phone and email but no response to give him the 'fit for purpose line'. I'll have a drive over tomorrow to see if he's still there !!!

Randy... people always tell me I have half a brain but to say a chain does not break..... well I'm an engineer by trade and believe me.. yes they do. You cannot garauntee the flow of metal throughout the whole chain, or any metal part for that matter, especially if it was a cheap one.

I cannot however say whether it was the chain or rivet when it 'came away from the bike' because I was in the third lane of a busy motorway !!! To make matters worse I cannot go to the spot where it came off and have a look for it at a quite time because there's loads of CCTV cameras around !!!!

Originally Posted by ash

Thanks to all your replies.

I have tried to contact the dealer via phone and email but no response to give him the 'fit for purpose line'. I'll have a drive over tomorrow to see if he's still there !!!

Randy... people always tell me I have half a brain but to say a chain does not break..... well I'm an engineer by trade and believe me.. yes they do. You cannot garauntee the flow of metal throughout the whole chain, or any metal part for that matter, especially if it was a cheap one.

I cannot however say whether it was the chain or rivet when it 'came away from the bike' because I was in the third lane of a busy motorway !!! To make matters worse I cannot go to the spot where it came off and have a look for it at a quite time because there's loads of CCTV cameras around !!!!

So your chain fell off? and you were unable to retreive it ?

I have lost a master link once...... the chain had about 25,000 miles on it, very worn and making noise, I already had a new chain waiting to go on at my next scheduled service, luckily when I lost it I was within a half mile of a bike shop. put a new masterlink in and I was able to ride, now I keep a couple spare masterlinks in my kit

the reason I say you have to have half abrain if you actually have one snap is that a chain that worn is going to be making noise, alot of it, you will also feel the binding affect your performance.... if your that oblivious that you can't tell something is wrong, you are going to be in trouble alot..

masterlinks will go without any warning..

if a bolt comes loose or a road hazard and jams your chain enuf to break it, then you will also have damage on your sprockets..... unless the chain is so worn ..... we are back to my first statement, noise & performance....

I've seen peeps riding bikes with chains so loose the chain fell off while leaning in a corner... I call that person one with half a brain....

what is a CCTV camera?

Security Camera. Closed Circuit TV

Originally Posted by BaggaZee

Security Camera. Closed Circuit TV

ON yer highways and I thought big brother has gone a bit too far here

Originally Posted by RandyO

..... in all my experience I have never seen or heard of a chain snapping...

I had the chain on my GPX600 snap on me about 9-10 years ago. As it turned out the swingarm bearings were knackered and this produced a little side to side movement which most likely put stress on the sideplates of the chain which was where it snapped. I was very lucky as I had been hammering along quite quickly just beforehand, slowed to turn into the village where i lived and when I went to power on, the engine revved to buggery but I went nowhere. It was then that I noticed my chain laying on the ground a few feet behind me. Could have been a lot worse!!!!!

Originally Posted by RandyO

ON yer highways and I thought big brother has gone a bit too far here

I think you misunderstand...........

...........they are there for monitoring traffic flows/jams and to help the Emerg Services locate broken-down vehicles both in carriageways and on the hard shoulder, and for pin-pointing accidents, etc. so that the roadside warnings can be activated.

You'd be amazed how many folks break down on the motorway (I mean the vehicles, not their drivers ) and not know exactly where they are.

so that the roadside warnings can be activated

Yep............unfortunately they are not switched back off again with the same "enthusiasm" once the hazard has cleared