Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Scary moment

I was riding home from work this afternoon, on the highway, passing a car, uphill, running 70ish. This is where it sucks!! Bike makes a hard push toward the car I am passing and the engine bogs way down. I fight to keep the bike of the car, pull in the clutch and then begin hanging on for dear life. I manage to maintain some control while being flung all over the seat and get the thing on the edge of the road...no shoulder just a 15 foot drop into a watery ditch. As I try to figure out what the ****** just happened and try to stop screaming (hehe) I notice that my rear tire is peeled off all the way around the sidewall. I crank the bike and try to nurse it up to a turn around and the thing is pulling really hard to the left like the tire is bad out of round ( of course it is,it is dead flat and the tread is peeled from the casing). I get off the bike and smell something burning...it is the back of my right leg covered in pulverized metzler and smoldering through my riding pants &$^$^!!! I brush it all off and get out of my gear to begin finding out what in the ****** has just happened to me. The chain gaurd (chrome) broke through the rear mounting point and sliced through the tire. I have no idea how I kept from going down in a big way!! Still a little shaky and I just got the thing home...on a trailer.

Has anyone had a chain gaurd do this????

Perfect ending to a crappy day. There goes the dough for my freak!! I am really fortunate I didn't go down and am truly thankful but still really ticked off...it just aint my year, lol. Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure.

chain gaurd hosed

metzler shredded


metzler close up

Oh yeah the chain now has about 3 inches of slack..so that is probaly stretched beyond adjusting..it just gets better and better. I hope nothing else is ruined...I had to dig the chain gaurd out of the front sprocket cover.

Quote:

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I hope nothing else is ruined..

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Sucks about your bike brother. But the most important thing is your ok. I was talking to my brother earlier today and he was riding to cal-a-forn-a and along the way he watched a bike wreck in front of him and the guy lost 3/4 of his face.

I'm glad you pulled it out. Nothing like being scared sheetless to pump up the adrenalin and speed the reflexes. On a more personal note, I'm sure glad I didn't buy a chrome chainguard during that 50% off sale.

You're one lucky dude...that tire is trashed.

Dang man.. you were lucky you didn't go down. Good ridin' by the way...
A couple of the chrome chain guards have broken but I don't think the resulting damage was quite as bad as yours. Hopefully thats all that was hurt.

Those wheels are tubed, correct? I wonder if that helped at all - having a tube in there to keep it inflated a little longer rather than having an actual blow-out once the sidewall was compromised.

Thanks fellas, I am very lucky and very thankful I was not hurt. Ya know today was the 13th!! It is amazing how fast things go bad. There was absolutely no time to think, just react...and hang on. I chalk up the majority of me coming out of that without a scratch to blind azz luck with a healthy dose of devine intervention, no doubt!! Anybody got a chainguard they want to part with, LOL!!

Thanks again for all the positive guys, it is much appreciated. Happened three hours ago and the reality of how close I was too much bad juju is setting in...eeck!

Ezcue,where precisely did it break ? I think I may reinforce mine

Z it was a Triumph part.

At the rear tab. The tab broke horizontally right through the bolt hole. The bottom half of the tab from the chain gaurd is still trapped behind the allen that is supposed to hold the thing down.

wow glad your alright. that could have been VERY bad.

Frank

Glad you are ok. Hope you can get everything sorted out soon!

Soren

What is so different about the Triumph chrome chain guards? I have read a number of posts about the chrome guards breaking or coming off. I have never heard of anyone's stock part breaking.

Really glad you are OK. The bike came out OK as well, by your keeping it upright. Although it may not seem so initially, you were very lucky.

Glad you are OK dude. Could have been much much worse.

EZ, Wow.. No one could fathem staying up on that tire at 70. So glad that your're alright.

Bob

Good ridin', "cousin"!!! Glad to hear you're okay.

Ya know, I was cleaning my chain just the other day and as I looked back at that chain guard's rear mount I thought back to some of the postings that a few others around here have submitted about their rear mount breaking and causing a very similar dire situation as yours. AND, I remember thinking to myself..."That bracket IS a pretty freakin' small corner of a triangle to be holding up that chain guard. I wonder if I should perhaps one of these days maybe reinforce that baby somehow?!"

Glad you are ok. Sounds like you did a good job handling the bike!

Ummm, I think I'll go out and check out my Chrome chain guard...might even put the black one back on!

Divine intervention, and quick reflexes and skill on your part.

I think I'm going to pass on the chrome chain guard.

I agree about notifying Triumph- if this is something that happens with any frequency, the company needs to address it. Quickly.

That really was a scary moment - glad you came through.

I seem to remember a thread about chrome chain guards breaking on the old forum - the debate was that it could be either the front bolt coming loose/not being torqued corectly when guard replaced and allowing the chainguard to vibrate and hence fatigue the bracket - or the actual chrome plating itself having a metalurgical effect on the steel causing the bracket part to be weaker.
After reading that thread I decided to just paint mine instead of getting the chrome guard. May be worth looking up the old thread

Glad to hear you're ok! I think that I'm going to put the ugly black one back on when I get home this afternoon. There have been too many stories of them breaking.

Glad you are okay, Ezcue. This happened to Blast that was a member here. He had a Speedmaster. It pretty much tore up the rear of the bike, since he was going pretty fast when it broke. Everything was replaced under warranty. I keep wanting a chrome chain guard but maybe I'm better off with the black one.

Way to ride!

If ever an example of "Never stop riding it" comes to mind, there you will be a triumphant spider monkey in my mind's eye...

My chromed chain guard broke too, (I'll hang with you if you talk to Triumph) so I chromed the black oem. That one is still OK.

Your chain's geometry has shifted due to the flat. It should be fine. The metz (looked new too), nevermind.

Happy Thursday!

You're no average Joe, you got skills brother! That was a helll of a job of riding. Glad you're okay. I might even reinforce my black chain guard.

LOL, yeah Moe, bought it right before heading to the GA Rally.GRRRRR!!!! Thanks for pointing out the chain geometry, I never thought of that... A little bright spot for sure, Thanks again to all.

I will call my local dealer and feel him out on this deal. It would be great to get some help from Triumph but I ain't holding my breath.

Wow, my chrome guard broke last week in the same spot. I was bummed about the guard breaking, never considered that outcome! You reaction might have just saved your life.

I have to get my next guard reinforced in that area before sending out for chrome.

Roundy77 just started a thread about broken chrome guards. If everyone gets together that has had that experience and says something about safety issues you might get lucky and find someone who will listen at Triumph.

Yikes!!

I've only had one really scary moment (so far). It was on my BSA towards dusk, in a light drizzle on a two-lane, small town road. I was stopped to turn left, and a woman never saw me and launched me and the bike about 10'. I landed upright, did a couple of major tail wags, went down and spun 360 with my ankle as the fulcrum.

Now, here's the good parts. First, I had just started to go forward, so I was moving and I think that absorbed a lot of the energy. Second, she was a little old lady driving slow in the rain. Third, my boots and rain gear let me survive with very minor scrapes and a sprained ankle.

This happened in 1966, and the woman was driving a Renault Dauphine (anyone remember those?). Her grill was caved in, her radiator pierced and leaking, and they had to tow her car away. After the cops did their thing, I pulled the bent fender away from my rear tire and drove off.

Very nice recovery, glad you're ok.

I'm a little confused here: I've got what I think is a stock chrome guard on my 02 America. Is this the type you're all talking about?

If it is chrome, yes!

So what are my options? Junk it? Replace it?
Any help is... well... helpful.

Wow scary. Agreed the rider is the most important part of a bike. Great riding. Great your ok. Now you have a good story to tell.
I got a flat years ago on my kz and went down. Only doing 30-40 and had gear on. Just some bumps and bruises.
I've had my chrome guard on for about 18k now but after reading the old thread I put some rubber washers and thread locker. I check it frequently and it shows no signs of stress. It even survived a broken belt at about 80mph.

I'm thinking a recall by Triumph might be in order.My stock guard was showing signs of cracking,had to put a bigger washer over it.

Glad you're OK Joe! I can't believe a Triumph rider had to resort to a trailer
My chrome chain guard was put on at delivery in December 2001, and stiil looks great, just like me!!!
I won't tell Triumph!!!

If you guys with the broken guards would file a complaint with the DOT, they may force Triumph to do a recall. It's worth a shot.