Breaking chains?

[Riejufixing]

Recently, I've seen a couple of 125s with damaged sprocket bolt heads, and minor swinging arm damage, seemingly because of chains coming off. Tonight, on the way home, I stopped for a bloke who'd parked his (larger?, non-L plated) bike in a lay-by, and was walking along the road. It turned out he was looking for his drive chain! It had broken "as he was overtaking a lorry". It wouldn't have been much good, as it had almost certainly been run over by the heavy traffic many times. Anyway.

What on earth causes these things? I'd guess lack of proper knowledge/maintenance. Could it be anything else? It's not something I've had, myself.

[Ste]

[Riejufixing]

[Howling Terror]

125s generally pass through owners a fair few times, often inexperienced/mechanically inept hands.

125s are usually single cylinder thumpers. Relatively long pause between each pulse through to a light chain. Found the 250 single I used was particularly tough on chains...well maintained good quality chain n'all.

Split links if pinged off n on a few times lose their springyness...more likely to fail.

So could be any of those....but...Yeah. It's the retards.
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[Bhud]

Don't know for sure, but I believe it's a combo of buying the cheapest chains, not maintaining them and then ignoring the warning 'click' when they get a stiff link.

Cheap chains are really awful, and they're everywhere. Even respectable companies like JT and DID make junk chains. I know that DID standard grade, which I imagine is fitted to a lot of 125s, is rust-happy junk that wears out fast. The genuine ones are junk, so how much more so must be the Ebay fakes.

[Sister Sledge]

You also need to factor in people trying to save money. Not servicing properly, not replacing worn parts when they should, buying Chinesium internet crud because it's 10p cheaper, doing their own servicing because it's only a chain etc.
It's becoming more common - a sign of the times.

A dodgy chain is lethal. Aside from the potential to chop a casing up it could also chop a leg.
A chain coming off when blasting through a corner is a particular nightmare I have!
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CCM 404 DS

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Chains do break you know? Worn sprockets will wear a chain faster, split links on larger bikes are not a good idea and wear and tear will snap a chain eventually.

Some of the crap quality chains and fakes making their way from China won't be helping matters.
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[ThunderGuts]

[MarJay]

OEM chains on Hongdou/Yamsaki/Sukida type bikes are the cheapest possible. Combine that with owners who wouldn't know a worn chain if you hit them in the face with it and you have a recipe for snappage.
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[davebike]

Broken chain is mostly Lack of lubercation and adjustment or an owner just keeping on after it should have been replaced!

(if you can see daylight between the chain and rear sprocket when pulling it off it needs replacing )
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