about those broken o rings

[Bryan Burke]

Thanks everyone for the advice on my chain with the broken O rings. I'm going to replace it, along with some other rubber stuff. I took a close look at a few of the rings and they are sort of malable but also a bit brittle. Yet as noted in my original post, the sprockets and chain are otherwise in good shape. I think what happened is that the bike had a couple of long periods where I didn't ride it for several months, and it didn't dawn on me to lube the chain whether or not I rode. The rings must have dried out and become brittle in the AZ heat and low humidity. Moral of the story, from now on I'll lube the chain once a month or so whether or not I'm riding it just to keep those O rings supple, just as I'm going to apply 303 protectant to all the dust boots and other exposed rubber and plastic. The bike lives outside, under a motorcycle cover, but I guess shelter from UV alone isn't enough in these parts. Bryan