--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "fasteddiecopeman" wrote:
>
> Just went out to my shop to measure the original chain on my '04 (which has 49,715 kms - about 30,000 miles), cleaned w/ WD40 only. Book says wear limit is 12.7" for 21 pins, and on mine from the front of pin 1 to the back of pin 21 is 12.5", so I'm still good.
> Ed
Eddie, and others.
Wear limit is not the only thing to consider.
1)Tight links--
and
2)roller condition.
Some of you might recall, last summer I picked up a bike in Dallas, TX, and it came with a new chain, uninstalled. So, off I go, carrying a new chain, as the old one on a quick visual inspection looked just fine.
Throughout the 1500 mile trip,I called it the Ragged Flag Tour--as the wind was never less than 20, usually over 30 with G50, anyway, something kept tapping me on the bottom of my boot. (I ride the slabs with my feet on the rear pegs.)
Hmm.
Not often, about once an hour, or every two hours, I get a tap on the boot.
Look around,
don't see anything.
'Must' be stones kicked up by the MT21 Tires.
Yeah, that's it.
And the frequency of 'hits' on the left boot, increases....
Home. Finally.
Day of rest--prep the bike for another mini-excursion.
AJ Clifford, aka as REAPS, is arriving that evening and we are headed to the Black Hills/Jeff Salines for some riding and some wrenching the following day.
Now,
A not-so-quick look at my chain....
WD40 over cardboard in the garage with glasses and a trouble light.
YIKES!
There are rollers missing.
A bunch of rollers.
Pull off the C/S guard and it is chock full of roller parts.
It was not stones hitting my boot, but roller parts.
Yes, Virginia, God does protect fools and children--even 53y/o children.
Why couldn't I see the rollers
(Hang head low)
I can see well enough to WD40 the chain without glasses, but not well enough to see the rollers clearly. sigh.
Glasses--the bain of my life....
The good news--the new-to-me-KLR/bike came with a full set of new sprockets and chains. About an hour-half later--we we back in business.
side note:
Watson was invited to come to Rapid City--and the 'sissy' said, we had picked the wettest month of the year to ride the hills.
He artfully declined--he used 'science' to prove his case.
With data attachments to prove his point.
What does he know!
He lives in AZ!
Data, smatta. We ain't afraid of no rain! (are we?)
HA.
Not only did it rain, and rain and rain during our last hour ride to the hills on the first day, during the second day--we got more rain, ice fog, and snow, and near freezing road conditions as we proceeded through VaNocker Canyon. I'm tail-end-Charlie thinking, my dear Watson--this ain't so smart. (Which by the way--I believe the guy-aka my-dear-Watson, must be near genius.)
However,
3 KiLleRista's, with big, big grins, very wet riding gear pull into the Sturgis BMW dealer for parts--and they just shake their heads at us--as we puddle across their floor.
No, not one beemers or Harley's did we see. 169 miles of absolute seclusion on some of the most pristine dual sport riding in America. Notice--I didn't say we were smart, just that we had fun. smile. Ever see icecycle's melt out of your beard on the parts counter--continuously? Makes the parts guy nutz.
The third day was a toad strangling rain--all day long and we elected to do bike maintenance--all day and into the night. Do Hickey torsion springs, thermo bob installation, T-Mod, rewire the cig/lighter to direct fused/wire/relay--previously wired to the city lights; blade type fuse replacements and more--comes to mind. AJ got a lengthened kickstand for his raising links, and we both got steel washers welded to our kickstand to increase the foot print when parked.
The forth day--mothers day--we headed N/NE and we again battled the wind that had trailed me from TX through OK, AR, to MO, to IA to SD. sigh. Now that wind has shifted West, and it will be 300+ more miles of brutal cross winds.
The adventure--
It is why we ride the KLR--and my dear Watson--missed it all. (mind you, it was/became very, very cold/wet...and my dear Watson--once again proved to us why Sherlock Holmes picked him! He once agrin, fully lived up to his namesake.
So, the point of all this, is that roller condition also might suggest changing the chain as well. The chain is not much good when it is missing a much of rollers.
Now, a full year later-
we are doing the 2d Black Hills rendezvous--and (cough)
following sissy wisdom,
(hang head low again)
we are going two weeks later this year...
we are getting smarter, maybe.
the wx report is for 'less rain'.
revmaaatin.