I've got almost 42,000 miles on my '93. I've only chainged tires, drive chain and sprockets, battery and fluids. How will I know if or when I need a new cam chain? Can I dodge that bullet using premium oil in the cases? Are there certain riding habits that cause the chain to wear or stretch? She still pulls red line without missing a beat.

 

You`ll know when, the bike will sound like a bag of spanners and won`t improve even after the longest of warm ups. I have 47000 miles on mine and as long as i give the bike a good warm up before the ride it`s fine, still rattles a bit if pushing hard , but sod it a bikes for riding not worrying about. Just ride it ride safe .M.

 

Mine rattles too , she's OK after a warm-up but it takes a while.

Steve-O says he's never heard of one snapping . Doesn't mean it can't happen , but they're not like cam-belts .

 

Mine quits the rattle after about 7 or 8 minutes with just over 20 k miles

Heavier weight oil etc won't really do much , I'm running 20 / 50 atm at
first it was a "bit" quieter .......now after some use ...... sounds the same
as ever. The CCT issue is just one of those design issues we all have to
put up with.

 

Never heard of one breaking. On a sidenote, my best friend has an 88 model his dad bought new (just over 1,100 miles on clock) and he was in waterbox doing a burnout when he heard a slight rattle from motor. He immediately shut it off. Engine wouldn't crank at all. Long story short, his alternator chain had broke and it rolled off and laid down in bottom of case pretty as you please. Nothing was damaged. I told him he needs to go play lottery cause you can't get much luckier than that.

 

If your gonna do a burnout on a 22 year old bike you deserve for that chit to happen. Look after the thing properly and she will do you for years.

 

And just what part of that ELEVEN HUNDRED original miles on that motor made it a timebomb for doing a burnout?? If you're going to play the part of moronic critic, remember to remove your head from your azz first.

 

Let's be civil, please.
Personally insulting remarks won't be tolerated CBR900racer77.
There are other ways to get your point across.
Oh and BTW, I've seen parts break on new bikes that should have lasted for years -
dragging a bike, no matter what the mileage, is reason to be extra careful.

 

Do what you gotta do...Read every single one post I've ever made on this forum and they've all been to try and help people. And somebody tells me I "Deserve" to have near catastrophic failure???? And I'm the bad guy??

 

Not at all, but telling someone to pull his head out of his a$$ and stop being a cretin isn't reasonable behaviour.
There are other ways to get your point across.

"Politeness costs nothing "

Do what you gotta do.
Perhaps you may like to rephrase that too.