Topic: Chain cover or not

[70CB750]

Another of my favored dumb questions:

Lot of the build ups I see here does not use chain cover - unlike stockers. 

What would be the good and solid reason to install chain cover?  It does not look like it could grab your pants like a bicycle chain?  Protection from dirt and oil sprayed out?   Safety? 

I remember my dad's motorcycle chain cover  broke off once and he never installed it back - he was lucky, slow speed on dirt road and went down easy.

[ekpent]

I think they look better on. They as you mentioned stop all the oil that you lube the chain with,sure you have seen the build up in there,and also is a safety issue. If your doing a custom I think the drilled out swiss cheese look is kind of nice all polished up.

[strynboen]

have just kleaned mine thain cover...tons of dirt and oil...all that  vent direkt.. on yours pants and back ,,and hveel to polish....fender and cover must be on..

[70CB750]

Soo .. for real life and real road the chain cover is necessity?

[ekpent]

If you look at the covers inside also you will see a post with a rubber covered guide of some kind.May help with guiding the chain onto the sprocket if chain is loose etc.,help in stopping the chain bounce ??

[MCRider]

Soo .. for real life and real road the chain cover is necessity?

I take it that by chain cover you are referring to the large cover affixed to the swingarm, not the small cover at the engine, which covers the front sprocket.

Depends again on which world you live in. Lots of the builds we see here never really see a lot of road miles. But even if they did, if they are using a modern ORing chain, there isn't near the chain oil mess there used to be. New Chain Waxes have little fling.

If yours is a road/touring bike, with a passenger, you'll likely want it. If its a Friday night 40-50 mile recreation bike with an ORing chain, then maybe not.

Personally I don't look at it as a safety thing. Broken chains are exrtemely rare, and will do what they do regardless of the cover.

It can be a cleanliness thing.  IMO

[ekpent]

WHOOPS- Thought he was talking the one on engine,guess that would be called 'sprocket cover' -like the other one on also though-I will go back to my corner chair now and put on funny cone hat 

[70CB750]

I should have mentioned that I mean that long black thing:) - or post a picture. 

I want to ride as much as possible - rural Virginia,  technically I could ride year long.  Chain cover makes sense,  thank you, gentlmen.

[MCRider]

I should have mentioned that I mean that long black thing:) - or post a picture. 

I want to ride as much as possible - rural Virginia,  technically I could ride year long.  Chain cover makes sense,  thank you, gentlmen.

Nice riding down there.

Lather up that chain and ride on.

[Duke McDukiedook]

I have both my covers removed on my CB but I don't use it for long trips.
If I did go on long trips they would both probably be on.

[KingCustomCycles.com]

Isn't the front cover designed to minimize damage if a chain does let go?  I thought that is what that rubber covered thingy does at the rear of the cover.  As far as the chain guard at the back, custom=no guard, stock=guard.  Just my opinion.

[MCRider]

Isn't the front cover designed to minimize damage if a chain does let go?  I thought that is what that rubber covered thingy does at the rear of the cover.  As far as the chain guard at the back, custom=no guard, stock=guard.  Just my opinion.

If a chain lets go, the front sprocket cover does nothing to keep it from busting the cases.  If anything, it fumbles up the chain and allows it to double over and break the case.

That's why Honda made that slipper insert (briefly) that fits under the sprocket cover to keep the chain fron doubling over. It keeps the chain lying flat and allows it to spit out (theoretically) onto the road. However, it did not always work as i have seen a bike so equipped where the chain simply destroyed the additional slipper guard and broke the cases anyway.

So, IMO, the front sprocket cover is there to blend the lines of the crankcase visually and keep people from sticking their hands into the front sprocket. You know you're a red neck if...   

[phil71]

i don't know about anywhere else, but a chain cover is required to pass inspection.

[ekpent]

Please let me jump on the soapbox to bust a myth real quick.
  We all know the old case breaking story but they were not all from 'broken' chains..
  Neglect and I have seen it before is another cause.
   Quick story of a guy who wants to buy one of my extra K1 engines for His nice bike. He is rolling down the road and proceeds to go over some rough railroad tracks at speed. Because his chain was not adjusted correctly as he went over the tracks his chain was able to jump a tooth on the countershaft sprocket and create a metal wedge that blew a hole in his case,kind of like a flying wedge if you can visualize that.Happened to me once in an accident,the chain was not broken but the 'wedge' occur ed from the impact.
  So I guess I will say to just make sure the chain is good and adjusted correctly to eliminate that possibility,have seen a few in pics here that could use a little more attention..

[MoMo]

Actually, the sprocket and chain covers were designed  to keep your bell bottoms from getting caught  ...Larry

[HondaMan]

Please let me jump on the soapbox to bust a myth real quick.
  We all know the old case breaking story but they were not all from 'broken' chains..
  Neglect and I have seen it before is another cause.
   Quick story of a guy who wants to buy one of my extra K1 engines for His nice bike. He is rolling down the road and proceeds to go over some rough railroad tracks at speed. Because his chain was not adjusted correctly as he went over the tracks his chain was able to jump a tooth on the countershaft sprocket and create a metal wedge that blew a hole in his case,kind of like a flying wedge if you can visualize that.Happened to me once in an accident,the chain was not broken but the 'wedge' occur ed from the impact.
  So I guess I will say to just make sure the chain is good and adjusted correctly to eliminate that possibility,have seen a few in pics here that could use a little more attention..

That "flying wedge" description is what also wiped most of the little "chain guides" off of the 1970-1972 bikes, too. A loosely-adjusted chain would "double a link" (as we used to describe it then) and shear off the sheet metal guard, then crumple it up against the forward case. If you were lucky and had the clutch in at the moment, the next thing would be a locked-up rear wheel: if not, it was a holed case. The guards sometimes got the blame for it, but the real culprit was poor chain maintenance.

[MCRider]

Please let me jump on the soapbox to bust a myth real quick.
  We all know the old case breaking story but they were not all from 'broken' chains..
  Neglect and I have seen it before is another cause.
   Quick story of a guy who wants to buy one of my extra K1 engines for His nice bike. He is rolling down the road and proceeds to go over some rough railroad tracks at speed. Because his chain was not adjusted correctly as he went over the tracks his chain was able to jump a tooth on the countershaft sprocket and create a metal wedge that blew a hole in his case,kind of like a flying wedge if you can visualize that.Happened to me once in an accident,the chain was not broken but the 'wedge' occur ed from the impact.
  So I guess I will say to just make sure the chain is good and adjusted correctly to eliminate that possibility,have seen a few in pics here that could use a little more attention..

That "flying wedge" description is what also wiped most of the little "chain guides" off of the 1970-1972 bikes, too. A loosely-adjusted chain would "double a link" (as we used to describe it then) and shear off the sheet metal guard, then crumple it up against the forward case. If you were lucky and had the clutch in at the moment, the next thing would be a locked-up rear wheel: if not, it was a holed case. The guards sometimes got the blame for it, but the real culprit was poor chain maintenance.

See #11 above. Glad i wasn't the only one who saw that "guard" be less than it was intended to be.

[23tbucket]

Photolar is correct...but he should have noted this was with BLUE bellbottoms.....and of course....white shoes!

Man..I just had a rush....picture this it's 1974...the kid on the CB750 is 24....long-haired creep, aviator sunglasses, blue bell bottoms, white friggen shoes, tan moose hide leather vest with lots of beads and tassels.....doing a catwalk from one light to the next.

I'm still a creep...but Haven't raised a front wheel for some years now....hon...where did you put them shoes?

[ekpent]

Long hair,creep--WHOOPS -  thought you were talkin' bout me 

[MoMo]

And the bell bottoms are gone.....................................................................as is the hair   but I'm still a creep ...Larry