Bike advice needed!
 

OK we talk alot of smack but this is serious. How long is a chain suppose to last? I am terrible about keeping it oiled and last night as i pull in, I shut the bike off and push it into the garage listening to a crazy bad noise. I gave it a quick visual and nothing seemed wrong but the marbles in a soup can sound wouldn't go away. It hadn't rode any differently?:idk:

I pull the rear tire and check the wheel bearings, fine, the sprocket carrier bearings, fine, sprocket is worn but I have seen worse. Pulled the front sprocket cover and the front sprocket seems ok, no slack in it at all and it spins freely and quietly so I guess the tranny output shaft bearing and tranny itself are ok. That leaves only the chain which was to hot to touch and had a noticeable stiff length (no joking around here guys) in it.

I think I have 10,000 miles on the thing as I replaced the OEM one when I had the 14000 mile service done and I am at 24,000 miles now...

Shed some light will ya:idk:

With proper maintenance they should last 10k no problem. as far as the noise goes try and describe it better.

How hard do you ride it? It could easily be worn out by now? But...possibly the chain is in need of adjustment?

If you haven't kept it oiled then it's probably sticking. Try cleaning and oiling the chain and see if that helps. 10k miles is within the normal life-span of a properly maintained chain, but if you haven't done proper maintainence then that one may be toast.

Well I don't lube it as often as I should or at least as recommened...Probably supposed to every 5-600 miles right...Well between washes, rains storms, ect I supppose it gets it every 1000 to 1200 miles...I have noticed it was not staying well adjusted too. I had recently tightened it and adjusted it 2-3 times cause I couldn't get it just right...That was when I decided the rear sprocket had to be replaced.

The noise sounded like a bearing gone bad. Kind of a marbly grinding noise...The first thing I thought was that the chain had loosened up and was hitting the front cover, upon seeing that is was still tight I thought immediately wheel bearing, but all the bearings appear fine. I didn't get around to reassembling it but will certainly soak the chain and see if it loosens up..

your chain was hot to the touch? sounds like your chain is fucked. replace, and LUBE IT REGULARLY SLACKER!

Yeah I am shopping even now...

That's what I was thinking. Make sure your sprockets are in good order, as when changing a chain it's the perfect time to change those as well.

I saw you typed *marbles in a soup can* and needed to double check if you had a dry clutch or not :lol:

Lordy no, had I been on a dry clutch Duc i woulda never known, TeeHee! (jealous laughter)

Well, my simple summary for you is this. when you hear a noise like you're hearing, your chain gets HOT to the touch, and has tight spots, its fucked. there is no fix besides a new chain. this is why you MUST keep up with the maintenance stuff and lube your chain more often than not. Alternately, run an RK 530. I run one on my Hurricane, and it gets merciless abuse, barely see any stretching, and so far I've never had to adjust it since I installed.

Thats how some describe the sound of a Buell valve train.

Wish I had that Buell no maintenance belt drive!!!!! Wanna swap?

Chain life is pretty much 100% dependent on maintenance. If you don't take care of it like you said you don't, I have no doubts that it could be toast with that mileage.

A religiously and properly cared-for chain will last until it has stretched enough that the adjusters no long have room to keep the proper chain slack. At that point you could probably even just take a link out and keep using it but no one does that, since a chain is such an integral (safety-wise) part of the bike...

Nope, I love the belt.

My stock 530 chain on my '04 R6 lasted me until I traded it in at 19,500 miles. It was definately on its last leg though, they changed it out before they put it back up for sale. I kept it oiled pretty good, too. My stock 525 on my '06 R6 lasted until I traded it in with a little over 12,000 miles on it, including 7 track days. Still had a decent amount of life in it, they kept it on the bike and put it back up for sale a few days later. Yamaha puts DIDs on their bikes, too.

:iagree: Chain toast.

Can you believe there are those who actually voluntarily swap out their belt for a chain?

Blasphemers!

Truth, though I have made it slip a cog or two... :whistle:

only advantage is gearing changes for the track IMO.

A belt would be amazing, I'm terribly lazy at maintaining my chain. :panic:

You wouldn't believe how many people with Buells there are who piss and moan about their belt only lasting 15-20,000 miles and then needing to be replaced.

That's longer than a standard chain with no maintenance, no sprockets to replace, no chain to adjust.

The belt is the same price as a good quality chain.


They are pissed that they would ever have to replace a belt. These are also folks with 20-50,000 miles on a bike that is 3 years old.

How many of you guys with chains put 10-15,000 miles on your bike a year?

On pace for about 22k this year. :idk:

I am embarrassed to say that I don't get more mileage...I have honestly changed bikes so often I don't have to do much chain swapping. 3-6000 miles on the street and thne they get new running gear and taken racing. After a season that one is sold and I start over with a new street bike and rotate stock.

My financial woes put an end to all that and my lil '05 has gone 24000 miles in the 45 months I have ridden her. It is on its second (about to be 3rd chain) thanks to my lazy chain maintenance.

I know. Hard to believe. The belt is great. Nothing to adjust, lube, etc...and it's quiet. Not to mention the fantastic feel of the throttle with no chain lash/slop.

You are the exception rather than the rule. It isn't about the mileage. It's about the mileage compared with the typical life of a bike. Most folks aren't putting 22,000 miles per year on a bike.

Most people would put 30-50,000 miles on a bike over it's service life with that taking up to 10 years to do that. The "lifetime" belt is expected to run about 30-50,000 miles based upon "normal" use.

Wheelies, drag strip runs, track days/racing, and burnouts WILL decrease the life of either a belt or a chain.

I just don't see the belt as anything but a net positive. No maintenance. No adjustment. No noise. No chain lash.

My sentiments exactly.

Yup, still jealous...

My in-laws live in Joplin. I keep meaning to get my bike down that way and ride the NWAR twisties.

If you do bring a chain and I will ride with ya!!!

Seriously I showed Ebbs some good stuff in just one day, and am sure I coulda kept him occupied a week.

My goodies are on order, new front tire, complete new 520 set up. Should be back good as new in time for the first frost!:panic:

Fat Bastard needs to shrink his sig by 80%.

Fat Bastard, if you do go to Joplin get ahold of me. I live like an hour or hour and a half away. Then we could take a nice ride down, meet smiley, and ride for a week.

You can show him how to make a smaller sig, too.

You seem pretty pissed about that. Why don't you just pull an NtS from :twf: and make a super super huge sig to show him up.

Lets not start that.

probably already been said but if you replace the chain you should replace the sprocket(s) at the same time.

Man DLIT IS on a TEAR recently...So Unhappy.

I'll fix it in a little while.

yeah...make it bigger!

I fixed it. :whistle:

I may eventually have to replace my belt, but never pay for it.
Lifetime warranty FTW!!!!

oh, and I hit 72xx this year.

Evidently you do not know Derek very well.

Me (too). But I liked the belt drive when I had one. :dthumb:

My OEM chain has 22,000+ on it and is still in fair shape. I've never gotten more than 14K out of one prior to this. I don't know if they are that much better than they used to be or if it is something I am/am not doing.

i got 22 on my chain too-looks gd still. steel sprockets. other bike had 18 before i stretched the arm and swapped sprockets

i hear the belts last 50k+ on the regular harleys...maybe thats why they're pissed?

I get 5-7k on my vortex sprockets and not much more on my chains.