I honestly have no reason to buy a $250+ racing chain for a bike I ride on the street. This is also made in Japan. If this were to snap, I'll just take it back to Cycle Gear and demand an exchange.

 

Your choice, mnazary. But you got extremely lucky.

This ended ok this time. Minor torn plastics. What also happens when the chain breaks is for the chain to shoot forward into the engine. Or rather through the engine. Another likely scenario is for the broken chain to cause the rear wheel to seize completely. And there's the possibility of the chain whipping you physically as it decides what to do. What happened to the fairings could have been your body cause a chain moving at 6k+ RPMs will treat your body the same as it did the fairings: like butter.

Some things you can cheap out on. Some parts on the bike are such an integral part of its safe operation, it's better to just pay the cash. Keep an eye on eBay. There are usually chain + sprocket deals for good, well known quality components.

 

I understand that. I know somebody who has had his Orbit chain on his ZX-10r for quite a while, his bike has over 60k miles now. He has yet to have a problem. I did get extremely lucky but I seriously doubt this is a low quality grade product. I have done some research and Orbit is an in house brand of Cycle Gear that is apparently manufactured by RK in Japan but rebranded for Cycle Gear under the name Orbit. That is why most people haven't heard of it.

 

Ok cool. Just so you realize being able to demand a refund on another broken chain or that being the least of your worries are low

 

Yeah, haha that is true. I still need to find out if that chain was just linked or pressed.

BTW, thanks for everybody's input. I still have to make a plan to find that chain on the highway. It is a fairly high traffic highway.

 

Once again, RunwayOneSix and I are thinking along the same lines. Yes, that is exactly what I was trying to say. You put it so much more eloquently, though.

 

When I read the title of your post, I was expecting the worst. Sounds like you experienced the best possible senario for your chain breaking & "falling" away. I motocrossed in my younger days & had a chain break on me. It smacked the backside of my left boot at the achilles. Had I not had boots on, it would have injured me for life! Needless to say, I've always constantly worried about chains on all of my bikes since then. As a result, I constantly clean, lube, & inspect them. Still, a chain can break w/o any warning or diligence on your part.

As recommended by others, I'd get a good quality chain. You were lucky this time. I certainly wouldn't ever use that same brand chain again...no matter what the name or how its rebranded.

Good luck.

 

You need to stay away from cyclegear then. I paid about $120 for my super duper high tensile strength, better then everything else, gold XW ring RK chain. Now this might be because it was a 520, I never checked 525's. But with the extra tensile strength why not go 520 anyways right?

 

HOLY crap! you alright?!!

 

Well if the bike was running a 525 chain can I switch to 520? Or does that require new sprockets or something?