I was about to drop off the bike tomorrow to be serviced, bike was lugging and seemed to have lost power over the week. I wanted him to clean carbs etc etc. So I make a wide left hand turn from a red light and straigthen out and punch it. About 1 second later I hear and explosion and horrible grinding. I instantly pull the clutch over and glide off the road into a nearby driveway, shut off the bike and examine. My friggin chain came apart and was wrapped around the swing arm (that's what it's called right?). Luckily I was only a few hundred feet from home so I walked the bike home.

but I couldn't believe a friggin BRAND NEW three week old chain could literally break. I link was snapped in half. I was amazed. So this guy better give me a new chain for free. Is there something I should know about not revving it too hard? Maybe I put too much torque on the chain, only been riding since november. Thoughts? comments? Thanks.

talk about something scary...  good thing you pulled clutch and the chain did not lock your rear wheel or hit you in the leg or something.

I am also interested on a heavy duty chain. Some days I have my doubts about the stock one.

Yep, glad you're allright!

Which link was it that snapped?  If it was the master then they would need it to investigate if it was manufacturer defect.  If it wasn't the master, then it's a shoo-in, you should be able to get a new chain.

2 questions:

1:   Did you ever get the anti squeal stuff off the rotor?

Quote from: tussey on February 23, 2006, 03:03:47 PM
--- Yea so I got some Anti-Squeal stuff from AutoZone. It said not to spray it on the rotor but only the pads. Whatever. I sprayed a bit on the rotor, and slowoly rolled the bike with slight pressure on the rear wheel to spread the blue goop across the rotor. Now no more squeal 

2:   Who last adjusted your chain slack? And how snug did they (you) get it?

Hi there,
Sorry about your incident, and I'm glad you are OK.
Do you know what brand of chain was used?
Stay with a Tsubaki or D.I.D. chain for quality.
And no regular master links -- always go with a PRESS FIT heavy duty master link, as used by Tsubaki and others.
Tell us what you find out.
Cheap chains do break.
Best wishes,
Todd

I bought my GSXR off a guy that had the same thing happen just he was on the freeway. Huge damage. The sprocket cover, clutch pushrod, sprocket, hugger, and it busted a chunk out of the tranny. Needless to say I got a steal of a deal from the guy and those things are under $500.

Chains can be a tricky thing. Proper tension after the install is vital. Not to mention pressing and riveting the masterlink. If you had it replaced three weeks ago by a pro that pro needs to take care of the situation. A 40hp GS shouldn't snap a new 520 chain in the first couple hundred miles (most race bikes use 520's but replace very often). Take a look and form your opinion of what happened then take it back to the person who installed it.

yeah, ill lay odds the masterlink is gone, and was most likely installed improperly.

bikes with twice the power of the GS wont just snap a standard 520 chain, specialy if its only 3 weeks old and probly has less then 1000 miles on it.

Hi again,
Whoever put it on for you needs to fix this at no charge. They should just be GLAD you didn't get hurt, trash the bike and that by replacing the chain and fixing the minor damage they will have avoided a massive lawsuit.
Good luck,
Todd

Quote from: nsp on March 03, 2006, 02:05:38 PM
2 questions:

1:   Did you ever get the anti squeal stuff off the rotor?

Quote from: tussey on February 23, 2006, 03:03:47 PM
--- Yea so I got some Anti-Squeal stuff from AutoZone. It said not to spray it on the rotor but only the pads. Whatever. I sprayed a bit on the rotor, and slowoly rolled the bike with slight pressure on the rear wheel to spread the blue goop across the rotor. Now no more squeal 

2:   Who last adjusted your chain slack? And how snug did they (you) get it?

1) No put the stuff eventually went away and now the squel is back

2) a local mechanic. He is very good but I dunno about the chain he gave me. Links started to rust after a few weeks then it btoke.

sounds like he didn't lube it once he fitted it if it started to rust that quickly 

QuoteLinks started to rust after a few weeks then it btoke.

um, yeah, thats what i get for assuming basic maint was being done.

Quote from: tussey on March 03, 2006, 01:39:26 PM
I was about to drop off the bike tomorrow to be serviced, bike was lugging and seemed to have lost power over the week. I wanted him to clean carbs etc etc. So I make a wide left hand turn from a red light and straigthen out and punch it. About 1 second later I hear and explosion and horrible grinding. I instantly pull the clutch over and glide off the road into a nearby driveway, shut off the bike and examine. My friggin chain came apart and was wrapped around the swing arm (that's what it's called right?). Luckily I was only a few hundred feet from home so I walked the bike home.

but I couldn't believe a friggin BRAND NEW three week old chain could literally break. I link was snapped in half. I was amazed. So this guy better give me a new chain for free. Is there something I should know about not revving it too hard? Maybe I put too much torque on the chain, only been riding since november. Thoughts? comments? Thanks.

When you installed the new chain did you replace the sprockets?  I am guessing that you replaced the chain becasue it was worn out and if that was the case you should of replaced both the front and rear sprockets at the same time.  If you installed a new chain on old used sprockets that is a bad thing to do.  If this was the case then the new chain would not fit the old sprokets correctly and this could cause the chain to want to skip on the sprockets which in turn could cause the chain to break. 

You say that the chain is only three weeks old and it shows signs of rust?  Did you ever lube the chain since you had it installed? 

If you had a quality chain installed on your bike and also new sprockets front and rear and it was installed correctley you should be able to ride the piss out of the GS with no fears or worry.  Now if it was a cheap $25-40 chain and you did not repalce the sprockets also then you might be looking to get hurt. 

Quote from: tussey on March 05, 2006, 02:20:36 PM

Quote from: nsp on March 03, 2006, 02:05:38 PM
2 questions:

1:   Did you ever get the anti squeal stuff off the rotor?

Quote from: tussey on February 23, 2006, 03:03:47 PM
--- Yea so I got some Anti-Squeal stuff from AutoZone. It said not to spray it on the rotor but only the pads. Whatever. I sprayed a bit on the rotor, and slowoly rolled the bike with slight pressure on the rear wheel to spread the blue goop across the rotor. Now no more squeal 

2:   Who last adjusted your chain slack? And how snug did they (you) get it?

1) No put the stuff eventually went away and now the squel is back

2) a local mechanic. He is very good but I dunno about the chain he gave me. Links started to rust after a few weeks then it btoke.

1:   The anti squeal stuff should have been put on the "back" of the pads, away from the rotor, try that.

2:   As far as the chain goes, I'd take it back to the local mechanic and tell him to fix the problem. (and keep it lubricated yourself, check at least weekly, more often if you ride in wet weather.)

Quote from: nsp on March 05, 2006, 09:18:04 PM

Quote from: tussey on March 05, 2006, 02:20:36 PM

Quote from: nsp on March 03, 2006, 02:05:38 PM
2 questions:

1:   Did you ever get the anti squeal stuff off the rotor?

Quote from: tussey on February 23, 2006, 03:03:47 PM
--- Yea so I got some Anti-Squeal stuff from AutoZone. It said not to spray it on the rotor but only the pads. Whatever. I sprayed a bit on the rotor, and slowoly rolled the bike with slight pressure on the rear wheel to spread the blue goop across the rotor. Now no more squeal 

With WD40? or should I goto Autozone and get some special lube?

2:   Who last adjusted your chain slack? And how snug did they (you) get it?

1) No put the stuff eventually went away and now the squel is back

2) a local mechanic. He is very good but I dunno about the chain he gave me. Links started to rust after a few weeks then it btoke.

1:   The anti squeal stuff should have been put on the "back" of the pads, away from the rotor, try that.

2:   As far as the chain goes, I'd take it back to the local mechanic and tell him to fix the problem. (and keep it lubricated yourself, check at least weekly, more often if you ride in wet weather.)

How much does a new chain and sprockets cost?

Quote from: tussey on March 06, 2006, 12:33:33 PM
With WD40? or should I goto Autozone and get some special lube?

I use WD40 to clean with, then use "cyclo" White Grease from AutoZone, it's a spray on type stuff that seems to stick and stay on well without flinging too much around and making a mess.

As I understand it, the important thing is to KEEP it well lubed with something whether it be oil, grease, or chain wax.
If all you have is WD40, it's better than nothing!

also see the following thread, http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=11783.0

For more search for "chain lube", lots of info.

Shades of THIS thread.

Quote from: starwalt on March 06, 2006, 05:35:11 PM
Shades of THIS thread.

Nobody is arguing here yet that I see tho!
(and I hope we don't either.)
Just trying to help.

Oh I agree, no argument is needed but...the coincidence is remarkable.

This really sounds like a case of poor follow-up after installation. Fortunately our friend was not injured. I am sure he will be more attentive of chain health from now on, though he did have faith in another's talents or skills.

Hmmm. Maybe we can start claiming that a GS can bust a chain if we want it to?

That should set those HP junkies on edge. 

Did you ever figure out if it was the actual chain that broke or simply a master link failure?  My guess is the mechanic did a poor job of riviting the master link on.  If that is in fact the case, I'd say the mechanic was very negligent (and very lucky you didn't crash).  So negligent in fact that I would strongly consider a new mechanic.  It is also possible he used a clip style master link, which most would also consider quite negligent for street bike use.  [although the GS is pretty low on HP so it may not be THAT big of issue.]