Quote:
Originally Posted by
stoic bloke
for me the moral of the story is, if yamaha want to build an proper overlander/offroader. build it properly - add a chain guide,
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That's the thing though init? .... Yamaha haven't built an overlander/offroader. They have given us a bike with firm foundations to do either.
Overlanders are a funny bunch, and you would be hard pushed to find two riders who would want the same thing from a bike. But you only need to look at how straightforward it is (with a little engineering skill) to modify these bikes to suit individual needs. That's the strength.
I've seen a chain come off a bike (in front of me) once, it run out the back and slid down the road like a snake, nice and neat, no damage to anyone/thing. I've seen the aftermath (in the flesh) on another occasion, and the chain destroyed the engine case on it's way out. Now I have seen a third, and it destroyed the swing arm, but this sounds less like a broken chain and more like a derailment. However you look at it, had the chain been tight, it couldn't de-rail (unless there was something else wrong with the chain at that moment), as the chain wasn't recovered it's all really just theory. My point here, is that, certainly in my experience, chains are very unpredictable when they 'go', at speed with load this becomes even more unpredictable.
Theorising here a little, but what if a chain snapped between the guide and the sprocket (however unlikely)? then it's possible the same guide could momentarily grip the chain, leaving a flailing steel chain whipping around at the back end of the bike. It's all conjecture of course, just trying to point out that modifications could make things worse. We will never know why Yamaha decided to avoid fitting a chain guide, could be cost, could be they just forgot, could be aesthetics or it could be that they had some data suggesting chain guides create more potential problems than they fix? It would be nice to know though.
A few months ago, my own chain stretched, probably enough to do the same as as happened here, I noticed it because it was 'banging' on the top of the swing arm during throttle-back. I stopped and adjusted it. As the chain is approaching 30K, I think I'm pushing my luck somewhat now.
Chain guides have a specific purpose, I'm not sure they suit everyone. On the road, they provide a sense of security, but as we humans go, this means we just push things a little more, maybe carry out less adjustment. On the other side, a dirty chain guide is going to wear a chain - I have seen this, especially with a spilt link fitted....... As I say, we all have different needs/wants and these bikes provide one of the best platforms to build the bike of our needs/wants.
Nearly everything can be modified on these bikes, where they really fall down is the Stator, it just doesn't give enough Uuumph! And there isn't much we can do about that. But that's another discussion.
Like Keith though, I pay close attention to my chain each ride, Scottoiler and weekly maintenance on top. Between that and the rubber, the two (or rather three!) most important checks on the bike.
You were very lucky with the traffic, and good skills in bringing the bike home all alive. Motorcycling is a dangerous business, every day we survive it is a bonus!