Chain Keeps Falling Off

[mazd2]

The chain on my bike is often loose after a long ride (300km+) and I've removed a couple of chinks from the chain a couple of times. Its loose now again and falling off all the time, so I'm wondering if I should continue removing another chink or get new chain and sprockets for it?

[neverdie]

This may sound like a stupid question, but you are also adjusting the chain as you go, arnt you.....not just waiting for it to get really lose then knocking a link out.

Really cheap chains tend to stretch alot. I would buy a good quality chain & of course replace the front and rear sprokets, then adjust the chain. You will find a good quality chain may stretch a little at first but not too much after that.

Its a dangerous situation to have your chain loose enuf to actually come off. My current chain has over 12000km on it & I have NEVER removed a link.

What bike is it?

I didnt even notice that he had written CHINKS! ohhh croood sumwun plese get me outa his chan!

Edited February 4, 2009 by neverdie

[BigBikeBKK]

The chain on my bike is often loose after a long ride (300km+) and I've removed a couple of chinks from the chain a couple of times. Its loose now again and falling off all the time, so I'm wondering if I should continue removing another chink or get new chain and sprockets for it?

LMAO! OMG that's a good one!

How pray tell did you get chinks in your chain? Blast through Yowarat during rush hour and get 'em caught up in your drivetrain? Didn't anyone tell you that chinks and chains don't mix?

[Lickey]

Mazd2, for good chain life, make sure it is adujsted properly, that is, about 1inch 26mm up and down movement with 2 on the bike, chain/wheel alignment is very important too, there should be marks on the frame near the spindle, these should be equal both sides,

And chain lubrication, you can buy exspensive spray on stuff that sticks on well, so does everything else, road dust ect, i clean my chain with red diesel, then paint on heavy duty transmisson oil, once a week,

You will only need new sprockets if the teeth are "hooked", that is if the teeth are not straight at the top, slightly bent over,

Hope this helps, Cheers, Lickey..

[LivinLOS]

Sure adjust.. But if a chain is getting to the point where its going all noodle on you, replace it !!

And dont use the crappy Thai ones for cheap money, double up and at least get a japan cheap one or better a quality one. Chains are an area not to cheap out if you ride much (I was clueless as to how bad they were and a Thai mechanic put a Thai pattern chain and sprocket on a baby blade 400 I had.. Total POS that stretched more than some old woolen socks)..

[mazd2]

neverdie, by 'adjusting' do you mean retensioning? I'm wondering if I should retension or remove a 'chink' (I do love that word chink, so I'll keep pumping it out for everyone who likes it!).

The bike is nothing to get any of you boys excited. It's a 125 cruiser, a 'small' thumper, if there is such a thing! And I want to get my small thumper thumping again. I think its a thai chain on it at the moment.

About replacing the sprockets front and back, some say you should replace these whenever chain is replaced, not when they start to show wear and tear, so I don't know.

[neverdie]

neverdie, by 'adjusting' do you mean retensioning? I'm wondering if I should retension or remove a 'chink' (I do love that word chink, so I'll keep pumping it out for everyone who likes it!).

The bike is nothing to get any of you boys excited. It's a 125 cruiser, a 'small' thumper, if there is such a thing! And I want to get my small thumper thumping again. I think its a thai chain on it at the moment.

About replacing the sprockets front and back, some say you should replace these whenever chain is replaced, not when they start to show wear and tear, so I don't know.

Mzda2,

I am from the old school that says you should replace your sprokets everytime you replace the chain. Reason for that is simply, sprokets are constantly changing ESPECIALLY with a crap chain like the one you seem to be running, so when you put a worn sproket with a new chain TIS NO GOOD....it just accelerates the wear on the new chain......its hard for the untrained eye to look at a sproket & see if its in tip top shape & I would suspect with such a LOOSE CHAIN your sprokets will be a little dodgy. I understand why Lickey told you what he did, I dont have a problem with that.

AS FOR YOUR CHAIN ADJUSTMENT, at your back wheel next to the wheel nut (& bot) both sides of the swingarm is an adjustment length indicator....they will be little ridged marks or numbers. You need to loosen the bikes wheel nut then turn the little nuts at the rear of the swingarm, WHICH in turn forces the rear wheel backwards (providing ur turning the nuts the right direction). IM A LITTLE NERVOUS HERE, is there somewhere you can go to get someone to show you how to ADJUST THE CHAIN without killing anymore CHINKS?

It really sounds to me as if you need TO BUY A NEW CHAIN, do what livinlos said and buy a JAP one....dont buy thai jobbies, they are really poor quality.

Make no mistake about this, you are running a dangerous situation there IF YOUR CHAIN COMES OFF AT 80KM/H & Causes the rear wheel to be locked up, you may find yourself under a taxi or something.

Do you know what i mean about chain adjustment?

[PeaceBlondie]

In the West, we usually advise to only change sprockets when they show the hooked-tooth wear, as mentioned. It would not hurt to get a completely new, high quality set and maintain the links, the chinks, the clunks, etc.

[mazd2]

Ya that's what I thought and read everywhere on net (inc famous dan @ dansmc), safer to replace chain and sprockets than to remove chinks.. But then I went down to the mechanic and he says 'no problem, no need for new chain, we just make it shorter', so I don't know. Where on the chain and sprockets can I find the sizes in order to know which one to buy at bike shop? What kind of money am I looking at for all this hardware, jap style?

Is it certain so that it is the chain stretching, and its not the back wheel moving forward, when I do these longer rides (when the chain gets loose)?

Edited February 5, 2009 by mazd2

[JimsKnight]

Replace the chain, you don't want chainlock, as neverdie said....

[thaicbr]

Mate just take it to the shop (maybe a different shop)point at the bloody chain and say NEW,NEW then say NEW sterrrrr (sprocket) it will cost ya like 500baht max on a 125 don't worry to much about brand. BUT you should lubricate the chain regularly . what bike is it anyway.

Allan

ps if you use correct 'expensive' chain lube (200b+) once a week it will make the chain quieter and last a lot longer.

Edited February 5, 2009 by thaicbr

[Vato]

if your using Sonax lubricant stop using it, the formulation is similiar to WD-40 in the west...it will cause your chain to stretch do to heat....use veloil chainlube or a lubricant dedicated for chain lubrication.

dont store it under your seat...i just got a can stolen from me that i kept under my seat...here at my own condo in the parking garage, with the security guard 20 paces away.

[mazd2]

if your using Sonax lubricant stop using it, the formulation is similiar to WD-40 in the west...it will cause your chain to stretch do to heat....use veloil chainlube or a lubricant dedicated for chain lubrication.

dont store it under your seat...i just got a can stolen from me that i kept under my seat...here at my own condo in the parking garage, with the security guard 20 paces away.

I've just be using any kind of oil I could get my hands on when passing the puncture repairs guys at street corner. Hmmm, might have something to do with chain stretching when on long rides. Theres no space under my seat anyways, just carbo and rear wheel.

[mazd2]

Make no mistake about this, you are running a dangerous situation there IF YOUR CHAIN COMES OFF AT 80KM/H & Causes the rear wheel to be locked up, you may find yourself under a taxi or something.

I knocked the ton out of her at the weekend, and nothing happened. But the chain stretched though as already stated, not to breaking point, luckily enough.

The chain did break a few months ago, jammed up the rear wheel on me, but I was going uphill not downhill so just skidded to a halt. That was when the chain was hanging off and falling off all the time. After that they took out a chink.

I know it sounds insane, but when I go on long trips, I don't hit 100 right from the off, but gradually built it up, so that if the chain or something else breaks it gets a chance to do so at lower speeds first. I gradually build up my speed over the first few hours before I max the engine out. This for me reduces the overall risk of going fast. But I'm still a newbie with lots to learn and wanted to get other more-experienced peoples opinions, instead of the few I've heard already.

I think also it might be the people renting the bike to me don't want to spend the cash on new gear, and they might be dishing me the b/s about the mechanic saying no need for new chain, because it's them who are dealing with mechanic, not me.

Edited February 5, 2009 by mazd2

[Travelmate]

Crazy! Completely crazy!

[neverdie]

Yes I agree with travelmate....ABSOLUTE CRAZY & we wonder why so many people die on motorcycles in the land of shokiness.

Mzda2, your doing fine, I didnt realise that someone else was doing the adjusting, I never thought the wheel was moving forward, I was just hoping that someone was adjusting it rearwards, as required.

I dunno about a jap price on a chain, i cannot remember what mine cost me, its probably about double the price of a thai one, I didnt realise it wasnt ur bike & that you wernt the one doing the adjustments.

Honestly this is really dangerous, the chain, if as loose as you describe does come off when ur going along could result in a really aweful accident, I hope that doenst happen to you.

It may be time to forget about the CHINK in ur chain & do what the others say, if your keeping the bike on hire for long term....GOTO a fresh mechanic, get a quote for at least a NEW JAP CHAIN & have it fitted and tensioned correctly. Within a few hundred Km after fitting the new chain it will need to be retensioned because all new chains give a bit.

Best of luck.

[mazd2]

Is it possible that the back wheel is slipping forward, or definitely the chain expanding?

[Gary A]

Whenever you remove links from a chain, you change the pitch. In other words it no longer matches the sprockets. I'm not one who says to always replace the chain AND sprockets, but if the drive sprocket and/or the wheel sprocket teeth are sharp on the teeth tips, you need to change them. "O" ring chains are quite good, but you still need to lubricate them occasionally.

You can take the chain off, lay it flat on the floor and check how much it is stretched. If it shows much more than a half inch of end to end movement, it is time to replace it. If your chain is NOT an "O" ring type, you can take a pan of chassis grease and heat it on a stove. When it is totally liquefied, put the chain in the melted grease, agitate and actually cook if for a while. Turn off the heat and when the greases start to solidify, take the chain out. When it is cool, wipe off the excess grease and re install the chain on your bike. The solidified grease will not fling off the chain like oil will.

[thaicbr]

MAZD2 is it possible that you are an idiot. you are renting a bike which you admit is in shoddy condition yet you have not returned it and either got another one or gone to a different shop to rent, i would say that YES you are an IDIOT. I would also say you are beginning to sound like a Troll.

[12DrinkMore]

Whenever you remove links from a chain, you change the pitch. In other words it no longer matches the sprockets.

I've been thinking about that.

Surely the match between the teeth on the sprockets and the links is determined by the distance between two teeth which should equal the distance between two holes in the chain? Now if the chain has stretched this will no longer be a perfect fit and the chain will not sit correctly as it goes around the sprockets, causing extra wear.

I can't see that removing a link from a chain will affect anything other than to make it tighter.

[mazd2]

MAZD2 is it possible that you are an idiot. you are renting a bike which you admit is in shoddy condition yet you have not returned it and either got another one or gone to a different shop to rent, i would say that YES you are an IDIOT. I would also say you are beginning to sound like a Troll.

I'll just say that there are some things you do not know, so MR. THAICBR please fuc_k off to some other thread, and take your shitty attitude with you too.

[johngooding]

I can't see that removing a link from a chain will affect anything other than to make it tighter.

Sure it should make it tighter, but they are probably doing it because they have run out of adjustment due to chain stretch, and removing the link is the only way to tighten the chain.

[Gary A]

Whenever you remove links from a chain, you change the pitch. In other words it no longer matches the sprockets.

I've been thinking about that.

Surely the match between the teeth on the sprockets and the links is determined by the distance between two teeth which should equal the distance between two holes in the chain? Now if the chain has stretched this will no longer be a perfect fit and the chain will not sit correctly as it goes around the sprockets, causing extra wear.

I can't see that removing a link from a chain will affect anything other than to make it tighter.

Certainly the distance between the teeth on the sprockets have not changed. The distance between the rollers on the chain HAS changed. Taking links out will not make the mismatch any worse but if you are out of adjustment as far as the wheel axle, it means the chain is worn out. It was misleading for me to say the pitch has changed by taking links out. The pitch has already changed from the wear on the pins and rollers.

[neverdie]

Whenever you remove links from a chain, you change the pitch. In other words it no longer matches the sprockets.

I've been thinking about that.

Surely the match between the teeth on the sprockets and the links is determined by the distance between two teeth which should equal the distance between two holes in the chain? Now if the chain has stretched this will no longer be a perfect fit and the chain will not sit correctly as it goes around the sprockets, causing extra wear.

I can't see that removing a link from a chain will affect anything other than to make it tighter.

Certainly the distance between the teeth on the sprockets have not changed. The distance between the rollers on the chain HAS changed. Taking links out will not make the mismatch any worse but if you are out of adjustment as far as the wheel axle, it means the chain is worn out. It was misleading for me to say the pitch has changed by taking links out. The pitch has already changed from the wear on the pins and rollers.

There is some truth in what GaryA is talking about, I recall reading about this, BUT I can't recall how it goes . Also, I know when playing with gearing, if you go onto some of the gearing calculators the include information on how many links the standard chain has....it is involved in some calculations.

I think we can all agree on one thing here....SOUNDS LIKE MAZD2 chain is FARKED to say the least.

Thankyou for being so entertaining thaicbr, BUT in this case I think MAZD2 has already explained he is a newby, if he lived near here I would be inclinded to ride to his location to see what was going on myself. I don't think hes trolling (i could be wrong) BUT he certainly is new to this & has come to us with his hat in hand asking for help. I hope he follows some advice here, may save his life.

YOU TOO SHOULD NOW KISS AND MAKE UP!!! Don't upset uncle neverdie....you'll make his face twitch faster

MAZD2, You didnt happen to be driving a pickup the other night when a motorcycle slammed into the back of it....were you??

[thaicbr]

Mazd2. oooohhhhhhh who's the narky one then. no need to be rude mate. BUT consider this you come on here asking questions that get answered then you tell us that you are not even doing or getting the work done but the RENTAL shop is. then you go on about riding the bike at 100kmh when you know its dangerous. and you still haven't A: got a different better condition bike from the RENTAL company or B: given them the bike back and rented a better one somewhere else 0R c: if you are intent on keeping it fixed it yourself........ 'I'll just say that there are some things you do not know' so enlighten me what don't i know.

Allan

[mazd2]

Mazd2. oooohhhhhhh who's the narky one then. no need to be rude mate. BUT consider this you come on here asking questions that get answered then you tell us that you are not even doing or getting the work done but the RENTAL shop is. then you go on about riding the bike at 100kmh when you know its dangerous. and you still haven't A: got a different better condition bike from the RENTAL company or B: given them the bike back and rented a better one somewhere else 0R c: if you are intent on keeping it fixed it yourself........ 'I'll just say that there are some things you do not know' so enlighten me what don't i know.

Allan

None of what your asking about is relevant to the issue of this thread. I don't want to distract by going into other crap that really is not relevant. So just piss off to another thread like I said if you've got nothing useful to contribute and telling me i'm an idiot.

Most of the bikes around here are scooters/mopeds and they don't have the same chain/sprocket sizes as my bike. I've had a word with her and she's going to look around in town over the next few days for a new rig.

[neverdie]

hey mazd2, what is the rig ur riding?

[timi2546]

......... NEW JAP CHAIN & have it fitted and tensioned correctly. ....

i have heard that o-ring chains, when u have used wrong, totally wrong

oil, get worn quickly, so after the chain gets hot, it will have ''own life''...

BE CAREFULL THERE, NO MORE FARANG LOSSES B'CAUSE SAVED 30 BAHT AT TESCO.....

[Gary A]

......... NEW JAP CHAIN & have it fitted and tensioned correctly. ....

i have heard that o-ring chains, when u have used wrong, totally wrong

oil, get worn quickly, so after the chain gets hot, it will have ''own life''...

BE CAREFULL THERE, NO MORE FARANG LOSSES B'CAUSE SAVED 30 BAHT AT TESCO.....

That's very true. Some chain lubricants contain a powerful solvent to eat through the crud and allow the lubricant to get into the roller and pins. The solvent evaporates and the grease that was mixed with the solvent remains. It works pretty well unless you use it on an "O" ring chain. The solvent destroys the rubber "O" rings and shortens the chain life considerably.

[BigBikeBKK]

MAZD2 is it possible that you are an idiot. you are renting a bike which you admit is in shoddy condition yet you have not returned it and either got another one or gone to a different shop to rent, i would say that YES you are an IDIOT. I would also say you are beginning to sound like a Troll.

I agree with Allan.