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Does anyone ever add gussets to this area. I remember older BMW airheads, the rear swing arm was modified with gussets if you were going to race. It would not be hard to do. But sometimes this pushes the problem some other direction.

I wouldn't ride without a chain guide, and I think your chain is way too slack due to the cracked frame making the swinging arm move back. I would get that thing welded up soon!!

I really whomped mine good. The slack in the chain indicates how much is needed to keep it from binding up on a bottom-out.



According to the photo, the chain is slackest when the suspension is compressed. Therefore it should be at its tightest when it is extended. The problem therefore is how hard the launch is and not how hard the landing is.

I think you got it wrong, the chain is at its longest when the swinging arm is at the middle of its total travel. The wheel travels at an arc so when it is nearly horizontal, that is when the chain is the tightest, then it starts to slack of as it moves up towards the fender. So the real proper method for setting chain slack is by taking the shock off and move the rear wheel till you get where the chain is the tightest and then slack of the chain a bit, or by getting someone to sit way back on the seat and you compress the suspension as far down as possible, you can then check the chain for proper slack.

I still think the chain on the picture is so slack because of the cracked frame.

Yep. I get my head around it like this - when suspension compresses so that the countershaft, swingarm pivot and rear axle form a straight line, that is max length the chain needs.

In the pic, his snail-cam chain adjusters are set for max slack.

[quote="BugsInMyTeeth"]



Do you normally ride without a chain guide or is it just off for maintenance? Pretty dangerous riding without one IMO....

The flimsy stock plastic chain guide was desintigrated when I got the bike. I've been meaning to get it replaced. Been a little short of funds just lately, even for something as important as that. I'll go bike parts shopping as soon I get back in the chips.. I got one helluva list!

Ya know, the more I think about it, the more convinced I get that it ain't the chain causing this, but my fat ass hitting the seat on a good bottomout.

It's not the first time I heard that the chain is tightest when the swingarm is straight. Makes sense to me.

Anyone else agree with that?

With the stock chain length (yup, I counted the links) there appears to be something seriously wrong there. Even on the #1 setting, a chain with a maxed out life shouldn't be that slack

I agree it's unlikely to be your chain. If chain was so tight that it put that much stress on the frame something else is going to give out first.

The bike looks like it sees/has seen it's fair share of dirt (which is good ), so I'd be going with boring old stress fracture from frame flex. Get it welded up, and if you're going to keep riding it hard (which I fully condone ) add some gusseting.

I have an appointment in the AM to have a fab shop weld up my frame so I've got that covered, along with a little fab work to install some reinforcement in this area so as to prevent FUTURE failures.

it'll be fixed soon, thats for sure. cause I LOVE my bike.