Worn chain on a streetbike?

Met up with a buddy of mine today. He mentioned that his Versys was feeling clunky. I checked the chain tension, and it was good. Side slap was horrendous, and you can pull a chain link about 1/4 from the sprocket. So I told him that the chain was fried, but I wasn't sure how to answer - "is this a safety concern" question. Bad wear on sprockets, annoying sounds when you shift, but is there a legit safety concern? I just told him to replace it sooner than later.

I never heard of a chain snapping. I dont think it will come the sprocket as long as tension is good.

Thoughts?

 

Chains snap all the time and when they do they usually take out the engine case...or could lock up the rear wheel if it gets tangled up just right. Replace it post haste. Kinda like well my cords are showing through the tire but it still holds air so it’s good to go.

 

They snap! Not sure if it was the master link or not but I lost a chain on skyline drive in Virginia when I was young. Watched it go over the cliff in my mirror. That made for a long day. Could also throw the chain off the sprocket causing immediate loss of power. That could be quite dangerous.

 

Yeah, I told hime to replace it soon. Just wasn't really sure on how urgent in needs to be. A few years back I milked the last bit out of my chain on a FZ1 coming back to GA from California. But in lots and lots of street miles I never had one come off or damage anything.

 

It's too easy to change it to put it off and chance it.

 

Thats what I thought, but I didn't want my buddy to think that he will probably die riding home.

 

But he could....

 

My assessment of that was that the probability was unlikely.

 

Not worth the stress of the potential now that it’s a known issue.

 

And do the chain and sprockets. New chain on worn sprockets just speeds up the death of the new chain.

 

Years ago, I had a chain break and come up and hit me in the shoulder

 

Replace it all.

 

Are you sure someone hasn't put a 525 chain on it? Assuming it's a 650, they come 520. The 09 I just sold had 34k on oe sprockets and 16k on a PU branded chain. Still in good shape for a few thou more.

 

Tell that to the 525 chain that snapped after 200 miles when I powershifted my F4i from 2nd to 3rd with a passenger on back and then slid down the road behind us putting up a spark show for everyone behind me as they zoomed left and right fearing for their lives. Ahhhh the good o'l days. And people say the F4i makes no power. HA! Proved them wrong.

 

This, always do them as a set.

 

I doubt it was the Powah, it was the tonnage.

 

I hope that is a ZX125!

 

18XIDB.

 

Chains snapping is a result of poor care/tension. Outside of incorrectly installing the masterlink... I cant see a chain just snapping. Well I have seen them snap & the riders claimed it was HP or their world class riding skillz... I once had to ride about 100 miles on my KLR with rollers coming off the pins... on the highway.

 

I watched as an FJ1100 spit the chain out on the starting line at Roebling.