Hitchcocks Forum

Ha,ha, chain snapped yesterday, leaving me stranded.

Unlucky, lost all the shells off mine but still run untill i found the bits, life is good

Sorry for the bland reply, but would be intersted why a "Duplex" chain failed totally, they are pretty good

Yeah, pretty amazing. All four connecting plates on one of the links sheared clean off. It wasn't one of the Indian primary chains either, as I changed to a 'European' one about 10.000 miles ago. Crank is pretty well aligned, so there isn't much variation in chain tension, and I always prefer to keep them slightly on the slack side anyway. Maybe it had something to do with changing to a slightly larger gearbox sprocket about 1000 miles ago (1 tooth up). And I was accelerating in 5th gear up a very slight incline when it happened, this combined with a faulty chain? left me out in the cold for over an hour before my boss picked me up in his van.I have just ordered the Reynolds one, and hope it will fare better.

Hi ROBIN---- genuinely sorry to hear about that...I don't think I've ever known of a Duplex breaking during my 50 years involved in motorcycles and cars ( eg-- a duplex timing chain.).. You mention 5th gear so is this a Bullet 65 or a later model ?? ps, well done Mr Bossfella !!

Hi Alan. Yes, I thought these chains were too sturdy to just snap like that - shocking!. The bike is an Electra X.

Really lucky it didn't lock up and throw you!

Hi Simon, I guess I was lucky. The chain had folded up and was tucked away between the engine sprocket and chaincase. Also very little internal damage, only a few small metal shavings to be found.

Hey , check that your clutch center has not come loose on the shaft or it has not moved further in on the shaft , check to see if its parrallel to the engine sprocket .
You say you like the chain a bit slack but how slack ? I've chewed chains due to this but you can tell alot by looking at the side link plates , have your clutch ball bearings siezed ? Mine did and I had to get a new cluch spocket , when they go they go fast and start all sorts of problems .
Strip it down for inspection .

Hi Phil. Clutch nut was tight, so I assume it must have been in line with the engine sprocket. Gearbox main shaft splines for clutch in good condition. Clutch ball bearings running freely. I adjust the chain to have about 15mm slack if pushed firmly. I've just installed the new chain and closed the case. Will keep a better eye on things in the future. An episode like this does nothing to instill confidence in the machine.