Riding with no "chain guard"??

**POB/London** · #1 10 Apr 2004

Would the plastic chainguard fitted to most XRs (and the XRL in particular) stop a broken chain from thrashing your legs? Or is it just a nod to the beaurocrats? I suspect that it's too weak to have any protective qualities at all.

Mine clatters and rattles on rough ground, jangling my "problem with the bike" nerve and annoying me. Every time I stop to check it, it's just that flappy bit of plastic, grrr.

I find it much easier to adjust / clean /lube / inspect my chain with the stupid thing removed. You also get more tyre clearance. My question is basically should I fabricate an ally replacement, or make do without anything?

I'm not at all bothered about flinging oil or whatever off the chain, by the way.

**RichLees** · #2 11 Apr 2004

would you use a sheet of paper for body armour? je dis non. its really there to stop your trousers and shoelaces getting caught and wouldn't deflect a breaking chain. leave it long enough and the alloy supports will fatigue and you'll leave it in the desert ;-) as I can't abide littering the desert, leave it at home. ditto the front sprocket guard cos then you can raise the gear lever. what tyres did you select? I strongly prefer Deserts and wouldn't go on a 120 whatever, but prefer a 140 as it has a bigger footprint in sand without letting the air down from 25 psi. can't abide pumping up tyres in the desert ...

**Steve Pickford** · #3 13 Apr 2004

How about making a replacement chain guard in Stainless Steel?

Chain guards don't just protect your legs if the chain snaps. A friends chain snapped on an old british bike, the chain bunched up around the fron sprocket, punching a hole through the cases.

I've had two chains snap when using chain guards. Both chains rolled off the bike so easily that at first I was not sure what had caused the lack of drive. Both chains lay on the road in a straight line.

Steve

**LordStig** · #4 13 Apr 2004

I had a chain snap on my '94 TA; it took out the tool box, a bracket on the swing arm, badly cracked the rear mudguard plastic (so it must have snaked up quite high) and cut two deep grooves in the (polythene) chain guard. The chain must have come within millimetres from wacking my pillion's ankle, but all he said was "Oh, I did feel a bit of wind on my leg when it went"! The chain made a nice clean exit otherwise. A locked back wheel at 60 mph would have been no joke. Apparently they seem to have some use after all, these chain guards.....

I think I'll be keeping mine!

Stig

**iswoolley** · #5 5 May 2004

Chain guards are a, ahem, legal requirement for a roadworthy bike. The main aim is to stop you and your clothing getting caught in the chain. I've seen some photos of a racers foot after he lowsided and got caught up with the chain and sprocket, not pretty in the limping-for-the-rest-of-your-life department.

My own experience is that they won't stop a snapped chain. At three figure speeds on the French autoroute the chain on my ZZR600 snapped. It shattered the plastic chain guard, cut through the plastic side panel, and, luckily for my butt, was stopped by the seat and subframe. In my case the chain bunched, but without damaging the engine cases. Lucky again I guess.

If you analyse where your leg is while riding, I don't think there is much risk of a broken chain striking your leg. But I would have thought a steel/alloy chain guard would be a GoodIdea™.

Iain

**Steve Pickford** · #6 7 May 2004

Follow the link:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...f0561a&t=41262

Still ride with no guard?

**POB/London** · #7 7 May 2004

Exactly my point Steve. The DR800 in question had an OEM guard fitted which evidently didn't guard anything.

**RichLees** · #8 9 May 2004

for a guard to stop the chain whipping all over, it'd have to be 2mm thick and fully enclosing to trap the flailing end. the standard one is there to stop your long scarf dragging you off the seat, not to stop a near-ballistic steel weapon beating the hell out of your bike/leg/butt
so, yes, I still ride without one, but, hey, I leave my brain at home in the goldfish bowl

**jim stanley** · #9 14 Jun 2004

I had to remove the plastic cover over the front sprocket as it clogged with mud and caused undue wear on the sproket and chain. SHould have left it USA....

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