Have you ever seen chain damage like this?

995 Views 27 Replies 13 Participants Last post by RichBinAZ, 15 d ago

Triple Air Pump

Discussion Starter · 23 d ago

Hello fellow FZ/MT riders, I was adjusting my chain and noticed one of the rollers has a section missing... what's strange is the part of the roller that remains rotates freely on the pin, and snugly, just like the ones that aren't damaged. In other words it's not bent or stretched out of shape, it just has a section missing. Have you ever seen a chain with this sort of wear/damage? BTW, the chain and sprockets have about 17k miles on them.

Just ordered another chain/sprockets, but I have a ride planned for tomorrow. What I don't know is how compromised the strength of the chain may be, and I realize different people have different tolerances for risk, but would you ride the bike with the chain in this condition?

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gbauto

· #2 · 23 d ago

Apparently, the roller has had a fatigue failure.
I wonder if it being adjacent to the master link has had any impact on why this happened.
Because the load is being spread over many teeth, even if that roller fails completely, you should make it home.
Replacement is best.

Reactions: 2

Triple Air Pump

Discussion Starter · #3 · 23 d ago

gbauto said:
Apparently, the roller has had a fatigue failure.
I wonder if it being adjacent to the master link has had any impact on why this happened.
Because the load is being spread over many teeth, even if that roller fails completely, you should make it home.
Replacement is best.

I was wondering the same thing... perhaps the master link rivets were pressed too tightly. I'd image this could cause the adjacent link to pinch the roller and the increased friction cause it to fatigue. And yeah, new chain & sprox on the way.

Reactions: 2

spammermuell

· #4 · 22 d ago

Maybe a little hard pebble got lodged in the chain and cracked the roller when wedged between chain and sprocket? Had that a couple of times on my off-road bike when riding.... engaged... over gravel surfaces.
Might want to check sprocket(s) for corresponding damage.
Agree with the previous comments - chain and sprockets should definitely be replaced!

Reactions: 1

LouG

· #5 · 22 d ago

Possibly a manufacturing fault, or a stone got caught between chain and sprocket. I'd check the sprockets for damage too.
Just be thankful it's not belt drive, if they get a stone trapped the belt snaps. And, as I found out doing Harley rentals, it snaps as far from a dealer as possible.

Reactions: 1

currierj27

· #6 · 22 d ago

Why does the chain look so dry?

Reactions: 1

DNFDOUG

· #7 · 22 d ago

Take a caliper to the master link and compare width from plate to plate to the other links. Also measure the width of the riveted pins, should be 5.5 to 5.8mm. At least you can rule out the master link as the cause if in specification.

Reactions: 1

RichBinAZ

· #8 · 22 d ago

The inside of the links look dry polished as well.
Dry or alignment issue on top??

2and3cylinders

· #9 · 21 d ago

DNFDOUG said:
Take a caliper to the master link and compare width from plate to plate to the other links. Also measure the width of the riveted pins, should be 5.5 to 5.8mm. At least you can rule out the master link as the cause if in specification.

Doug

Your tolerances I believe are for a DID chain.
Mfg dimensions vary a bit between make and model, and from the photo you can't tell which mfg other than the type of stake.

Reactions: 1

Loosenut

· #10 · 21 d ago

17,000 miles on a chain is a bunch.

Reactions: 3

JCFZ9

· #11 · 21 d ago

17K miles ain't too bad. If that happened at 1700 miles, I'd be annoyed.

Reactions: 2

Kluthage421

· #12 · 20 d ago

Triple Air Pump said:
Hello fellow FZ/MT riders, I was adjusting my chain and noticed one of the rollers has a section missing... what's strange is the part of the roller that remains rotates freely on the pin, and snugly, just like the ones that aren't damaged. In other words it's not bent or stretched out of shape, it just has a section missing. Have you ever seen a chain with this sort of wear/damage? BTW, the chain and sprockets have about 17k miles on them.

Just ordered another chain/sprockets, but I have a ride planned for tomorrow. What I don't know is how compromised the strength of the chain may be, and I realize different people have different tolerances for risk, but would you ride the bike with the chain in this condition?

View attachment 175200

I broke 11 rollers off my stock chain. Keep it lubed regularly. Keep the tension within the specified range. Aftermarket DID gold x-ring has lasted longer than the stock chain I only got 10k miles out of.

Reactions: 3

MK3Brent

· #13 · 20 d ago

Kluthage421 said:
Aftermarket DID gold x-ring

Been using DID chains for some time now.
I definitely would recommend them to anyone else. Very good stuff.

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Kluthage421

· #14 · 20 d ago

MK3Brent said:
Been using DID chains for some time now.
I definitely would recommend them to anyone else. Very good stuff. View attachment 175227

So clean 😅 I use kerosene and a rag. I get so much road grime it's hard to keep it clean. What's your secret? 😁

MK3Brent

· #15 · 20 d ago

Kluthage421 said:
What's your secret? 😁

Ride a second bike on the street, and ride the 09 on the race track.

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Kluthage421

· #16 · 20 d ago

MK3Brent said:
Ride a second bike on the street, and ride the 09 on the race track.

Had my first track day on a BMW S1000RR last weekend. No character and no go under 10k but dumb fast above. Was happy to be back on my loud ass MT-09

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MK3Brent

· #17 · 20 d ago

Kluthage421 said:
Had my first track day on a BMW S1000RR last weekend. No character and no go under 10k but dumb fast above. Was happy to be back on my loud ass MT-09

This is why I track the FZ more than I do my S1000.

All the 1,000cc throttle jockeys fly by me on the straights, then I catch back up at T1.

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2and3cylinders

· #18 · 20 d ago

2

EK Makes a very fine chain too

I have a fancy red EK on my fastest red 15

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Loosenut

· #19 · 20 d ago

MK3Brent said:
This is why I track the FZ more than I do my S1000.
All the 1,000cc throttle jockeys fly by me on the straights, then I catch back up at T1.

One of the guys a rode with on the regular was on the S1000 HP4. My FZ1 had zero issues keeping up until about 100 MPH and then it just walks away with haste. We didn't do over the ton very often and then not for long.

JCFZ9

· #20 · 20 d ago

Due to supply chain issues, chains are being made out of bamboo now.

Reactions: 4

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