chain maintenance

GoldenMotor.com

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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funny vibe, sound change, loss of power, all in the time it took to look down BA. Shut her down in almost the same motion.

So frustrated. Love the Honda, really do. Having helical gears made up. Hoping that fixes it. Have had no luck with the GBs and spur gears
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
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Maine
:(

Odd that so many teeth would so completely fail - is this "common" with that type engine?


Or... are you huffin' the nitrous again? o_O :p
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Was just reading elsewhere, not common at all. The engine is awesome though I am not a fan of the gear box from China. (Imagine that, lol) The Japanese Honda engine is amazingly relible

..Yup, back on the nitrous too. snork.
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
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hmm, well if it's uncommon then mebbe it was just flawed. If ya can get helical gears made that'd be sweet, the ones in mine are loud but don't show any signs of wear after 700mi o_O I do give 'em a touch of the ol' marine grease frm time to time lol

I still wonder at it's catastrophic failure... tho I suppose when one tooth went it started a chain reaction what with bits o'tooth and added stresses *shrug*

Don't mind me, I just like "forensics" :p




Lay off the hippy-crack you... hippy o.o :D
 

Norco John

New Member
May 26, 2009
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Brookston, IN
I got a can of Moly chain lube from Rural King. Apply it about every 150 miles.
It's messy, and I have a hella time keeping it off the rim and tyre, but it seems to do a very good job.
Since I've ridden over a quarter-million miles on 2 wheels and only 50,000 of those on a BMW, I've tried just about everything on chains.
Not the bacon grease, though.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
hmm, well if it's uncommon then mebbe it was just flawed. If ya can get helical gears made that'd be sweet, the ones in mine are loud but don't show any signs of wear after 700mi o_O I do give 'em a touch of the ol' marine grease frm time to time lol

I still wonder at it's catastrophic failure... tho I suppose when one tooth went it started a chain reaction what with bits o'tooth and added stresses *shrug*

Don't mind me, I just like "forensics" :p

Lay off the hippy-crack you... hippy o.o :D
Know what you mean, the "forensics" part is about the only fun of mechanical failures.

LOL@hippie crack (Do I knock your hobbies!?)








I got a can of Moly chain lube from Rural King. Apply it about every 150 miles.
It's messy, and I have a hella time keeping it off the rim and tyre, but it seems to do a very good job.
Since I've ridden over a quarter-million miles on 2 wheels and only 50,000 of those on a BMW, I've tried just about everything on chains.
Not the bacon grease, though.
John, I swear by it. All's it really is, is home made lithium grease. Used since the ancient Romans spread good will to win the hearts and minds of the people of the world.

First time I tried it, I was throwing a paper towel with bacon grease on it away in the garage and an old bike I had just picked up was by the can so I dabed it on the chain. I rotated the cranks and forgot about it. The next day the chain looked beautiful. Really did. Rust were begone. I don't suggest this to folks though as there is salt in any bacon you can buy and I dunno about long term effect. But if you have an old rusted chain laying around, try it. Would love to see if it is just me or if others find it works as well.

I have a bunch of junkers with rusted chains. I should do a thread. Just worried if it is long term bad, then I perpetuated it. But would think the salt would be all gone. Maybe straining it threw a coffee filter while still hot?
 

Outrunner

New Member
Dec 27, 2008
147
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Atlanta, Georgia
It was a week ago today I got my first bike build going for several passes up and down our short street. The clutch squealing and the chain noise and jerking was present, and I have been unable to correct things yet. I think I have adjusted the clutch but the chain is driving me nuts. I must have pushed the bike a quarter mile in the yard and the chain will tighten and slacken as it goes around. I think Jim at Creative Engineering said that sometimes the front sprocket can be the cause. It looks like everything is lined up as good as I can get it. :-||Has anyone else experience this and can recommend a cure, or a source for a replacement sprocket? I guess I am lucky as in spite of the chain I went into the street and was pedaling to start when I looked down and saw that the keeper on the master link was gone and the link was beginning to back out. I put everything back up and hope to get to Tractor Supply in a nearby town tomorrow for a #41 chain, tensioner, and spring.
All tips and help much appreciated.

D. J. aka (still) pedal pushin
Your problems with your chain tightening and slackening while you rotate
your rear wheel is simply a very common problem of chain stretching. This happens when the TOP HALF of the chain is jolted by a hard start or from
popping wheelies on motorcycles. I've seen the best of chains get stretched on just half the chain hundreds of times during my 20 plus years in a motorcycle shop. You must replace the chain, there is NO adjustment to remedy that problem!
 

pedal pusher

Member
Feb 20, 2009
54
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6
Charlotte, NC
Thanks Outrunner. I have a new #41 chain and hope to install it today. The kit chain must be of poor quality like the mounting hardware. I live on a street about one eighth mile long and made a few trips up and down the street on the initial start up. I know from motorcycle riding that they do stretch, but I don't see how this one had time to stretch. But it was jerky and noisy from the start.
I hope this is the remedy. I sure would like to ride this motorbike.
Thanks again.
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
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The 41 is just a lil wider so be careful if you have clearance issues - but yeah, the 415 supplied is usually total garbage. Mine was both twisted and wouldn't backbend freely so it'd "pop" going over the tensioner sometimes.

Best yet the rollers were 1/2 length - leaving the other half the pin exposed o_O I haven't seen that with other kit-supplied chains so mine was a defect... probably.

I've heard tell there is a "heavy duty" BMX chain that may be suitable, if so I'd love it if someone could gimmie some info (I'm sure it's here somewheres but I've not found it). While the 41 is a great chain, I think it overkill and my build is a very tight fit.

Reducing drag & noise is also always high on my priority list too :D
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
Called Bicycle-engines.com today about the bell. They were awesome. Offered to replace it and ship next day, priority. Really great folks to do biz with.
 
Jan 13, 2011
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WEST MIFFLIN PA
My initial setup had the chain super tight, no tensioner. Since then i've tried to get a 1/2-1'' play. I get the same tighten/slacken, I have very little runout and a wobble witch does not improve with tightening mounting bolts. there is a bent axle I'm going to replace and i guess i'll get a new chain to entertain the stretch chain theory, its a junk chain anyway, i can see the pins where the rollers seem too small on some not all the links. I'll keep looking for a success story on the subject. A good spring tensioner seems like it'd correct flaws should they re-occur.