[iamer1776]

Hello, my cbr250r black on black was a dream. Until 904mi. A piece of my crank case flew off my bike. At first I thought it was my cell hitting the pavement it wasn't until I stopped at a light did I see the oil river flowing from almost two month old bike. What had happened was my chain which was loose from the day I got it from the dealer distorted the shape of the crank case so much that it popped a 3in hole in the metal guard.

Honda said that is was my fault that it had happened because I did not preform a 500mi chain inspection along with a pre-ride inspection. The chain was just as loose as when I got it from The dealer. Honda said to take it up with the dealer. I am working it out with them now a couple options are to get an unwarranted fix for $450 which I think is bull. The other option is to replace the crank case and some of the whatever for $1500. The third option is to trade in the bike for $2500 and get a new one paying the tax again as well.

 

[bungie4]

Hate to say it, I'm siding with Honda on this one.

You knew the chain was loose for nearly a 1000 miles. You didn't do the 600 mile check (either yourself or a Honda dealer). Sorry it happened dude, but you reap what you sow.

 

[scorpa]

That's amazing. The CBR 250 must have pretty thin crank case castings for that to happen. Good luck with the claim.
Would it be possible to post a picture?

 

[250 Tom]

WOW that sucks. That self inflicted pain is the worse. To bad you didnt just take a few minites and adjust the chain. Easy job

 

[Azul the Cat]

that sucks man. sorry to hear that.
out of curiosity what is the $450 fix?

 

[Aargee]

Hmm...now it scares me though; I rode all way from Belgaum to Chennai (860 Kms or 530 mi) with a hanging chain around 9 hours; probably I'm one lucky guy; but the flip side is, now I've to change my entire sprockets. The chain has been put to fullest tight & yet its 20% more than the acceptable limit.

 

[Aufitt]

Cbr still doesnt come with an owners manual telling everone the check to check the chain eh?

 

[jkv357]

That does suck, but -

Once you leave the dealership the maintenance items are your responsibility. If you don't catch it before leaving you may be able to come back immediately and have adjustments made, but after that it's your job.

When I picked up my new bike in '06 I could tell immediately the prep was poor. The throttle controls were loose and when it warmed-up it wouldn't idle, stalling at every stoplight.

I didn't go back. I looked the cycle over completely when I got home (luckily only about 2 or 3 mi) and made the adjustments needed.

Before every ride you should do a quick look-around - chain tension, oil level, lights, and especially tire pressure.

If the damage was caused by a severely loose chain, and you knew about the problem but ignored it, the damage is your responsibility. A mis-adjusted chain that wads-up or jumps off can send you down. Just one of the many items, that you can control, that you need to cross-off the list before heading out for a ride.

 

[Ibex250R]

kinda of noob here,
So on average how often do we need to adjust the chain? I had the dealer look it over at 600 miles and said the chain looked fine. Now I got 2400 miles, I have not checked the slack, but base on mileage alone, does it need to be adjusted?

 

[jkv357]

kinda of noob here,
So on average how often do we need to adjust the chain? I had the dealer look it over at 600 miles and said the chain looked fine. Now I got 2400 miles, I have not checked the slack, but base on mileage alone, does it need to be adjusted?

Yes. Get used to working on your own bike when it comes to simple maintenance. A chain will usually stretch the most in the first few thousand miles, so it's probably due. Chain slack one of those quick visual checks you should be making regularly as you walk up to your cycle.

One note about adjusting your chain. You should move the wheel to different locations (valve stem and 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock) and check to see if there are any tight spots before setting the tension. Especially as the chain wears, there may be a significant difference. You always want it at the tightest spot before making the adjustment.

Lube it regularly to prevent rust and extend its life.

Keeping the chain adjusted and lubed is right up there (just below actually) checking your tire pressure at least every week, more often if the temps are changing.

 

[furious_blue]

It's a good thing that Honda specified a staked master link chain for this bike. If it were not, under the right conditions, that chain could have come apart and taken your leg with it.

 

[spdklls]

sorry to hear about ur bike dude...I had a brand new lawnmower from lowes a year back..it had a one year warranty...13 months after I bought it , it threw a rod through the side of the crankcase..I just got royally screwed over there..
but you really should have had the 600 mile service done...or at least had read ur manual about checking/adjusting the chain slack every 500 miles...I think honda should ask why your chain was so loose so early on to begin with...sounds like your dealer never bothered to check it in the pre inspection,,plus it shouldn't have been loose coming out of the box from the manufacturer either...but good luck getting either of them to admit that..its much easier aand cheaper to say its all your fault

you should check out the 2 or 3 other "chain" threads on this website.....if all else fails...pay to have ur bike fixed...then pull out your owners manual from under the seat..wipe off the cobwebs and finally read it for the first time...lol..there is a whole page with pictures included devoted entirely to adjusting your chain and when exactly to do it...
once again...I'm glad the chain didn't rip your calf muscle from your shin bone.

 

[CBR_Rod]

Chains get slack at varying rates depending on how they are ridden. No one know how smooth on the throttle this chain was treated. Hard engine braking and hard acceleration all lead to excess chain slack. It's something easy to remedy and can be delayed a bit if you keep it lubed well, which I see a lot of people neglecting.


Those that do lube the chain tend to just spray new lube over a dirty chain. Best to actually clean the chain and then lube. Depending on the chain lube, cleaning can be a chore. I prefer BelRay white chain lube, it cleans off with wax and grease remover fairly easily, making chain maintenance not so much of a chore.

Qaulity of the chain does play in to how much it stretches. I have 12,000+ miles on my 1000RR and have yet to need to adjust the chain. I had adjusted the chain on my F4i twice in 10,000+ miles

 

[iamer1776]

Thank you all for your input.. this is my first bike and Live and learn I guess....

 

[Rick]

nOOBs, bike is not a car. Simple failure can result in death or worse. Do a 'preflight' before every ride; (example, at least toe-test the chain). Do at least a cursory walkaround postflight. Check AMA for a good checklist.

 

[somebody5788]

Cbr still doesnt come with an owners manual telling everone the check to check the chain eh?

No no it definitely does. The manual states to check the slack every 500 miles. And if you read the instructions for checking and adjusting it says to also clean it and oil it every time.

 

[Tokalski]

I just bought my CBR 250 last week, and the dealer told me if I don't get the bike checked out at the prescribed miles, it is my fault if something happens... sorry to hear this man, but you should have got it looked at. I hope you have better luck

 

[spdklls]

Hey iamer1776....did you ever decide what your going to do about your CBR or is everything in limbo for the time being?

 

[Aufitt]

Owners Manual....Page 64.

 

[iamer1776]

ok I got it fixed $403.00.. I'm so happy to have my bike back that it doesn't hurt I'll have a few days less of going out.. also did a full service... so I'll see how it goes.. from here.