What's the worst that can happen with a worn chain???

My chain needs replaced pretty bad, but I don't have the cash right now for it. The weather is starting to warm up so I want to commute to work on the bike. No high rpm stuff just cruising on the freeway. My question is what is the worst thing that can happen with my old chain? Could it break and if so what happens to the bike? Should I be ok for a couple weeks on my shitty chain or should I just not risk it? Thanks guys!!!

Here's what happened to my brother with a really worn chain and sprocket: The chain slipped off the front sprocket getting on the freeway, and then broke and the end cracked the case; as he pulled over and stopped, while idling the engine seized because the cracked case dumped all the oil. New engine required.
 
Now, I will admit he was romping it pretty good...if he had taken it easy it might have been OK. YMMV.

I had a master link break once, lucky in that it only broke the chainguard...I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, but no real damage to the bike.

True "worste case" scenerio would be the chain shreds BOTH your front and rear sprockets and/or snaps. Take this one step further, a chain that breaks, will break under a load... so this could mean when you decide to "dart out" of a side street or a drive way from home or work, into moving traffic, that would have been FINE, had your chain been in check... but instead, you pull out with a jump your engine revs to the sky, bike wobbles, and you get creamed by a car because the chain broke.

Another horrible possibility would be the chain snapping and getting wrapped up in the read wheel, damaging whatever it whips around and hits at high speed, then possibly locking the read wheel at speed.

Now, that being said... do I think you'll be in any of those situations? I don't know. I can't see your chain, and I don't know how much free-play it's working with (hopefully at least that's as close to good as it can be). I hope it's still lubed up and all that.

If the free-play is alright... if your sprockets are still in alright shape, and if the chain is still lubed up... I would say it'll PROBABLY make it a few more weeks... but I wouldn't put it off real long. Most likely it'll just wear your sprockets down more... but if it's been a while, and depending on how long the "bad chain" has been driven on already... it may just be time to get new ones. Good luck and stay safe!

Damn that would really suck!!! :( Sounds like I need to just wait and get a chain. That sucks.

Thanks Lrn2Go. That's the worst case I was wondering about. I have it lubed up but it was rusty when I bought the bike last May. The rear sprocket is slightly worn (not too bad) and the slack on the chain is fine.

Get some kerosene, some lube, a brush (or old tooth brush), and clean that son of a bitch and try to get all the links un-kinked. Use the kerosene to clean, the brush to scrub, and the lube after you've got her warm. If she doesn't co-operate and free up, you can't ride.



Worst case, the chain breaks, slaps into your leg, and you pull over to the side of the road (hopefully).

If the chain breaks and hits you're leg, you'll be taking a trip to the hospital with a broken leg.  Don't take chances with a badly worn chain or sprockets.... they can be very dangerous, and they don't play

A new chain is listed on ebay for $55. You can't afford that?? Sprockets aren't that much either are they? Or buy the stock chain from ebay and buy chain and sprocket over winter next year or after taxes come back.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CBR600F3-CBR-600-F3-1995-1997-O-Ring-Drive-Chain_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQcategoryZ35600QQihZ007QQitemZ170187904699QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

I've written about this before, but any way, I was riding my little CB250 (my 2nd bike) to work one morning & being a pin head with regard to motorcycle maintenance, as I was always to busy.
So here I am, just before dawn (I was working shift work then, ergh!) & going into a set off "esses", the chain broke & wrapped itself around the rear sprocket, which instantly locked the rear wheel, not that I knew wot had caused it at that stage, one second I was in the far lane & next I was fighting to stay upright & trying to avoid being hit by traffic as the back veered widly from side to side, Talk about Sphincter Pucker (no, lets not). Anyway, learnt my lesson, chain maintenance, priority one.

The chain could snap while under heavy load, and with you in a tucked position the chain whips forward and takes out a chunk of your left calf and gets tangled in your denim jeans and jerk you off of the bike because your leg has now been used to lock the rear wheel and as you go down face first the bike would rotate and lnd on top of you and skid your face to a stop on the pavement with a peg gouging a massive hole in your back and taking with it your T3 and T5 vertabrae rendering your horribly disfigured and maimed to the point of unloveable where you remain lonely, in a wheelchair a quadropelegic completely helpless...
 
worst case scenario.

Thanks for the replies guys! Question; will any length chain fit on my bike? A guy on a local forum has a 100 link chain for $5!!! But I don't know if it will fit.

108 link.

So I need a 108 link chain? A 100 won't work?

No. It would be about 8 links too short.

quote:

ORIGINAL: KidCr3nshaw

The chain could snap while under heavy load, and with you in a tucked position the chain whips forward and takes out a chunk of your left calf and gets tangled in your denim jeans and jerk you off of the bike because your leg has now been used to lock the rear wheel and as you go down face first the bike would rotate and lnd on top of you and skid your face to a stop on the pavement with a peg gouging a massive hole in your back and taking with it your T3 and T5 vertabrae rendering your horribly disfigured and maimed to the point of unloveable where you remain lonely, in a wheelchair a quadropelegic completely helpless...

worst case scenario.

 
LOL thanks for that!

i know i rolled around with a worn chain because i had no cash for about a month. i was just really careful shifting and applying power. i finally replaced my sprockets and chain a week or 2 ago. but +1 on fixing it ASAP.

You really can't tell what might happen. Depends on the condition of the chain & sprockets, the riding conditions at the time it breaks, too many factors to consider. Basically you got 2 decisions: (1) keep riding it till you can afford a new chain and/or sprockets and RISK something happening either minor or major. (2) park it till you get a chain and/or sprockets and NOTHING will have happened during that time.

I say if it already had rust on it when you bought it, depending upon whether it was just very light spotty surface rust, or thicker rust that may have gotten to the pins, I'd say figure on the worse-case-scenario.  A chain is more important than you can imagine when you really think about it.  Nothing to compare with it in a car.  It would be like trying to live without a heart. 
 
The chain is a pretty vital organ, in fact, I just had to pay $261 (I am NOT kidding) to get my new 954 inspected yesterday, they installed a small LED to help "light up the license plate" (OVERCHARGED!)  and tighten and lube the chain (OVERCHARGED!).  Now, I knew I had to tighten the chain a little, but I had already cleaned AND lubed it a few days ago.  They also put a few reflective stickers on the front and rear which later I just peeled off (stupid-ass State of Maryland, hate it!)  The key was I just wanted to get my inspection certificate and get it the hell over with, so I can go to DMV tomorrow and get my plates.  So, in a sense, any chain south of $150 is a pretty good deal.  Get a decent O-ring or X-ring chain, they tend to last longer and you don't have to lube them as often.  I can vouch for RK and DID chains, they're pretty darn good. 
 
Having a chain break could be worse than getting a flat tire suddenly if you think about it.  I mean, at least the rubber is still attached to the wheel... if they chain breaks, you'll have no more power to the rear wheel at all, and as others have stated, it could break your leg or lock up and cause a crash. 

Worse case scenarios:

Chain slip off and binds up and locks up back end, sending you into uncontrollable speeds wobbles. You're either tossed off the bike and wait to see what happens next, or you maintain control of the bike until it comes to a sudden stop and you wait to see what happens next, or you maintain control until it comes to a stop and you'll have bruised fingers, knees, some grindage on the swing arm and rim, possibly some sprocket damage as well as the possiblity of some front end damage depending on the speed you were at at the time.

Chain slips off, binds, snaps swings up and amputates your leg for you (if you removed that ugly chain guard), at which point you wait and see what happens next out of all possible scenarios.

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I'm going to keep the bike parked until I get a new chain. Now I just have to figure out what size chain I need. I know 520 will work but how many links???

Someone hasn't been paying attention!
 
108 link, 520 chain.  520 sprockets, 15/43 gearing.