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DIY Extended Chain Guard

motocafe

motocafe

Joined Nov 2013
27 Posts | 1+
singapore
The chain guard does little to prevent splatter messing up the rear wheel and frame.


Since there is no extended chain guard available, I decided to make my own. Sacrifice a plastic pail, hacked off the bottom.


Using a Dremel, cut and trimmed the excess.


Using a 3mm thick aluminum, fabricate a bracket to hold the guard.


The extended chain guard will be secured by the two 14mm bolts on the swing arm.


The finished product installed on the swing arm. Yes I know, my bike is filthy but I'm happy now. :D
 
That's a good idea, but can you still torque the swing arm axle pinch bolts properly?
I would try a different chain wax if I were you;)

Your a lucky guy living in Singapore, I had a holiday there 2 years ago and loved the place:cool:
 
PomGP said:
That's a good idea, but can you still torque the swing arm axle pinch bolts properly?
I would try a different chain wax if I were you;)

Your a lucky guy living in Singapore, I had a holiday there 2 years ago and loved the place:cool:
Click to expand...

I like it. The stock chain guard does not even cover the inner side plates and is too flimsy to add an extension onto directly. I've tried!

But I would rather weld the aluminum mount than bend it. And I'd use a high strength alloy. The swingarm is aluminum, and the Rizoma wheel hugger/license plate thing has an aluminum bracket too. Should be no problem to get it torqued properly. Plus I'd want a black bucket - no red allowed on my Strada.:rolleyes:

Funny thing - I keep seeing carbon fiber versions of the chain guard on fleabay. It makes no sense when most of it is a swingarm protector; once the chain starts eating into the CF the fiber particles will wear the chain out in a hurry!

PS I like filthy...
 
PomGP said:
That's a good idea, but can you still torque the swing arm axle pinch bolts properly?
I would try a different chain wax if I were you;)

Your a lucky guy living in Singapore, I had a holiday there 2 years ago and loved the place:cool:
Click to expand...

Torquing the swing arm bolts is not an issue. The chain wax was applied by the dealer during my last service. I personally use Castrol chain wax.

Lucky living here? Visiting is fine but living here is another story.
 
zippy49 said:
I like it. The stock chain guard does not even cover the inner side plates and is too flimsy to add an extension onto directly. I've tried!

But I would rather weld the aluminum mount than bend it. And I'd use a high strength alloy. The swingarm is aluminum, and the Rizoma wheel hugger/license plate thing has an aluminum bracket too. Should be no problem to get it torqued properly. Plus I'd want a black bucket - no red allowed on my Strada.:rolleyes:

Funny thing - I keep seeing carbon fiber versions of the chain guard on fleabay. It makes no sense when most of it is a swingarm protector; once the chain starts eating into the CF the fiber particles will wear the chain out in a hurry!

PS I like filthy...
Click to expand...

Haha, I couldn't find a black bucket and besides my Strada is red.

I like filthy too but only on my dirt bike. :D
 
zippy49 said:
Plus I'd want a black bucket - no red allowed on my Strada.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Oh yes!! I prefer all black. I kind of like the idea and could get this custom made in Vietnam with CNC parts and cut it into perfection and can even replaced it with carbon fiber.
 
ambientscape said:
Oh yes!! I prefer all black. I kind of like the idea and could get this custom made in Vietnam with CNC parts and cut it into perfection and can even replaced it with carbon fiber.
Click to expand...

Whoa! If you can get it done up nice, I won't mind buying one from you. :D:D:D
 
motocafe said:
Torquing the swing arm bolts is not an issue. The chain wax was applied by the dealer during my last service. I personally use Castrol chain wax.

Lucky living here? Visiting is fine but living here is another story.
Click to expand...

I found that BelRay Super Clean wax does not fling off, but it took me 10 tears to find he right one:)
Funny you should say living in Singapore is another story, a very good South African friend of mine lives over there, he was originally involved in the building of that large three tower hotel next to the DNA bridge. He tells me that he suffers from island fever and needs to get out every once in a while, I am not sure what island fever is, but I guess he means he feels restricted.
 
PomGP said:
I found that BelRay Super Clean wax does not fling off, but it took me 10 tears to find he right one:)
Funny you should say living in Singapore is another story, a very good South African friend of mine lives over there, he was originally involved in the building of that large three tower hotel next to the DNA bridge. He tells me that he suffers from island fever and needs to get out every once in a while, I am not sure what island fever is, but I guess he means he feels restricted.
Click to expand...

Based on your experience, I will try the BelRay Clean wax next. :)

Exactly as your friend says, one can get claustrophobic as we have 5.3 million people squeezed into 716 km2. So, don't get me started on this... :D
 
I use Renthal's drip-style chain lube. With the bike up on the very useful centerstand, I spin the rear wheel and apply a thin bead to the rollers. Then I fire it up, put it in gear, and run it for a half a minute. Stop the engine, and wipe the chain with a rag. No fling, no overspray. Since the chain ends up fairly dry, it does not attract dirt. One small bottle lasts a long time, too.
 
Did you look at possibly replacing the stock chain guard piece and using it's mounting point? It looks like the wheel might have to come off, though.
 
I have read that chain wax causes buildup around the front sprocket, which can lead to damage. true?
 
gatdammit said:
Did you look at possibly replacing the stock chain guard piece and using it's mounting point? It looks like the wheel might have to come off, though.
Click to expand...

Look at the parts list. It's part of the top swingarm rub strip. I guess you could cut it off and use the one available mounting bolt but that seems even more flimsy than stock.
 
Black, no problem. US Plastic's standard 5 gallon, 10.3" diameter at the bottom. 0.075" thick HDPE. Should be sufficient for three guards. $5 plus shipping.
 

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zippy49 said:
Black, no problem. US Plastic's standard 5 gallon, 10.3" diameter at the bottom. 0.075" thick HDPE. Should be sufficient for three guards. $5 plus shipping.
Click to expand...

Haha, hopefully I will come across a black bucket here. Meanwhile, I will make do with mine. :D
 
If anyone could produce this out of a nice material and painted or anodized black - ....

5136c62b07be1.png
 
zippy49 said:
I use Renthal's drip-style chain lube. With the bike up on the very useful centerstand, I spin the rear wheel and apply a thin bead to the rollers. Then I fire it up, put it in gear, and run it for a half a minute. Stop the engine, and wipe the chain with a rag. No fling, no overspray. Since the chain ends up fairly dry, it does not attract dirt. One small bottle lasts a long time, too.
Click to expand...

Good idea about starting it up and letting it run for 30 seconds in gear. But how does that work? Never tried it. Put it on center stand and put it in 1st and then you can just let the clutch out with no throttle and it won't stall?
 
There is no kill switch on the centerstand, only on the sidestand. I guess you'd feel a bit foolish if you tried to take off with the bike on the centerstand, but at least it would not cause a potential accident. Except for bystanders who might hurt themselves laughing...
 
zippy49 said:
There is no kill switch on the centerstand, only on the sidestand. I guess you'd feel a bit foolish if you tried to take off with the bike on the centerstand, but at least it would not cause a potential accident. Except for bystanders who might hurt themselves laughing...
Click to expand...

Wait, huh? Think you misunderstood. If you put the bike on the centerstand, fire it up, pull in clutch, and shift to 1st, what do you do next? Do you give it any throttle as you're releasing the clutch, or since the wheel is free spinning you can just let the clutch out with no throttle and it won't stall and the rear wheel will just spin until you hit the kill switch?
 
HyperstradaHopeful said:
Wait, huh? Think you misunderstood. If you put the bike on the centerstand, fire it up, pull in clutch, and shift to 1st, what do you do next? Do you give it any throttle as you're releasing the clutch, or since the wheel is free spinning you can just let the clutch out with no throttle and it won't stall and the rear wheel will just spin until you hit the kill switch?
Click to expand...

whatever you do, do not touch the throttle in gear. if you shift to first gear, even with the clutch pulled in, there's a chance the rear wheel will start spinning. if not, slowly release the clutch halfway, wheel starts to spin. do not release the clutch all the way as the wheel may overspeed and the chain will slap around, it's unpleasant and you don't want that. just manage the clutch until you get the wheel spinning without chain slapping

do not wipe your chain using this method. i know a guy who wiped his chain with the motor running in 1st gear, rag is looped around his fore and middle fingers, free end of the rag got caught by rear cog. first joints of the fore and middle fingers became part of the lube. his buddy had to clean the chain again as flesh, bones and blood do not mix well with regular chain lube. that was good lube wasted
 

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