How important are chain guards? | GTAMotorcycle.com

How important are chain guards?

R

r3r3r3

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since this forum loves nothing more than working together to find a unifying answer we all agree on (see past discussions on trail braking, ABS, engine oil, beginner bikes, what octane to use, etc.) i bring you this:

How important is a chain guard? having just stepped on mine while doing routine maintenance I have to wonder how critical it is to keep it on. Is a flimsy piece of plastic really going to do much against a snapped chain? If i can refrain from wearing my bell bottoms and fringe boots am i really in any sort of danger without it?
 
Various thoughts -

I took mine off on the dirt bike as it’s just a matter of time before it gets a branch stuck in it and breaks off on the trail. I wear decent offroad boots when riding it...

Harley riders that remove the belt guard can get stones in-between the belt and pulley.

A chain guard on a street bike will be needed to pass a safety cert. inspection

The chain guard probably helps control chain lube fling.
 
It's on there to stop dirt and rocks and stuff coming off the rear tire and hitting your chain! Protects the chain as much as you. Rubber belts need even more protection.
 
All it does is keep your bike from getting chain oil all over it as per FLSTC's comment.
 
Guys trust me, the most important part of your chain guard is the part between the chain and the rear tire :|

... even if there was no law that says.
"(7) No guard, where originally fitted, that protects against contact with the chain, belt or other moving drive component shall be missing or insecurely mounted.".
 
Straighten it out and put it back on. It will keep chain lube contained inside the guard (look inside, that's what would have been stuck to the side of you bike and clothes). It also keeps road debris from landing on the topside of your chain.
 
None of my bikes have a chain guard, doesn't seem to present any problems.

You need a chain guard to certify a bike in Ontario
 
Water, road grime, dirt and grit from the rear wheel will essentially sandblast your chain causing premature wear, and at least reduce the effectiveness of the chain lube. The lube will also fling off onto you, the bike and the rear wheel as has been mentioned.
As long as it's not in 2 pieces I'd just put it back on.
 
The RPMS that the chain travels at is insane.. I believe there's a video out there of a guy doing 100 mph ( or more) on a freeway and his chain snaps... The centrifugal force simply, kicks out chain in a straight line...
 
sid_for_speed said:
The RPMS that the chain travels at is insane.. I believe there's a video out there of a guy doing 100 mph ( or more) on a freeway and his chain snaps... The centrifugal force simply, kicks out chain in a straight line...
Click to expand...
If you think that's fast you should see the chains Inside the engine.
 
How important? Well legally you can't put a bike on the street without one. My mind wanders back to the days of bell-bottom pants and a small number of passengers who got pants and shoelaces caught in the rear sprocket. There's ancient reasons for these things, even if people are wearing ankle-strangler pants and boots now. Things you didn't even think of.
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