| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
Got stranded and had to call for a pickup truck today for the first time in 70k+ miles of motorcycling. Hit the gas going up a small hill after a big bump, pulled hard for 10 feet, then zinnnggggggggggggg..... I knew what happened instantly. So I called the neighbor in the pickup, and he helpfully loaded me up. Now off to go price chains for a KLR-250. Probably have to get new sprockets as well. And with only 9000 miles on the bike. Fortunately it did not ball up and destroy my case or swingarm. Actually, now that I think about it, my swingarm has some damage from where a previous owner must have had a chain break and jam up on him. Attention Japan Inc... time to abandon your turn of the century secondary drive icon and update your technology to something reliable like a belt. I'll just have to keep riding the Buell until I can get the parts ordered to repair the Kawasaki.  (Though I posted this in fairly trollish fashion... its all true... ) | ||
| Etennuly |
I have had that same issue in the past on one of my Honda's. Mine took out that front housing and cost a bundle to take it off and have a machinist weld it back together and make it fit again. A new part at that time would have taken over six months to get. Always get new sprockets for a new chain or it will get old fast. You know what I mean. | ||
| Garyl |
"Attention Japan Inc... time to abandon your turn of the century secondary drive icon and update your technology to something reliable like a belt." ????????????????????????  ??????????? Is this sarcasm? A joke? My experience with the belt must have been a bit different than yours. The belt may have been a lot of things, but reliable wasn't one of them. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Some have had extremely short life spans from their belts. If belts are replaced at the same service intervals as chains and sprockets, the cost is about the same but the maintenance is much less. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Its both sarcasm and simple fact. I now have 47k+ miles on belt driven buells (27k on the first one, 20k on my 9sx) and never had a belt fail. I now have about 500 miles on my KLR 250 (17 RWHP). 9000 miles on the bike. The chain broke this afternoon, leaving me stranded. Just a datapoint. I am trying to figure out what to order now, it's a PITA, and even "OK" chains are $60 or so.  No visible wear on the sprockets (remember... 17 HP at the wheel)... so I have a delimma about getting new sprockets or not. I know I should... but there is *no* visible wear... | ||
| Etennuly |
O.K. I may have been a little sarcastic too. I have had two Buells combining for 35,000 maintenance free, quiet, responsive belt drives. None of the noisy, frequently lubed and adjusted chain drive bikes I have had made 8,000 miles without replacing at least the chain. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Well, since I love putting this out. My belt is the original when I bought my bike. 38,900 miles. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
My old 67 Sportster broke a chain once. Split open the kicker cover and puked half the tranny out the bottom.....it was ugly and the repair welds leaked.  | ||
| Saintly |
even "OK" chains are $60 or so. Reep, is it a KLR250 or a KLR250R? Shoot me a PM or reply here, and let me know what model year it is too. I got some real good connections for chains. Let me know what you're looking for, I may be able to save you some dough($$$$). | ||
| Buellfighter |
(Message edited by buellfighter on September 30, 2007) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I've had chains crap out on me before but not break. Usually mine got stretched in a funny way and they would jump off the sprockets. | ||
| Jayvee |
"turn of the century secondary drive" Which century would that be? All the motorcycles made in the early 1900's had belt drives, I think Harley started with belts in 1904 on up to 1913 or so when they offered chain as an option. I can't find handy when they stopped belts for about 50 years or so. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Reepi, I thought it was funny, but my wife tells me that my sense of humor is all jacked up.  | ||
| Swordsman |
Yeah, at least when a belt breaks, it doesn't have the mass to tear up everything around it, I guess. ~SM | ||
| X1glider |
Any broken chain I have ever seen is due to: 1. sprockets not being aligned properly. 2. poor assembly of the master link or rivet pin 3. lack of maintainence and/or improper cleaning and lubing (incorrect detergent and lube) 4. only replacing the chain and not the sprokets as a set I've seen plenty of broken chains and belts and it's usually due to reason #1. |
