American Honda has issued a recall on the 2021 Honda CRF450R dirt bike, with concerns that the drive chain could break and cause injury.
Innovation comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so it is interesting today to see some progress made on an often overlooked item: the motorcycle chain.
BMW Motorrad is touting the first maintenance-free chain ever for a motorcycle, calling the product the BMW M Endurance chain. In reality, the product is made by Regina, with BMW claiming first rights to the product and rebranding it.
The BMW M Endurance chains is similar to other X-ring chains in that it has a permanent lubricant filling between the rollers and pins, enclosed by X-rings.
What is completely new however is Regina’s design, in that it does not require additional external lubrication, nor does it require retensioning over time.
Recall news from Suzuki Motor of America, as Suzuki is recalling certain 2017-2018 Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycles, for an issue with its electronics and drivetrain. This problem affects roughly 3,100 motorcycles.
According to recall documents, the chain on the GSX-R1000 may break when upshifting between first and second gear. This occurs if the rider fails to engage second gear, and a neutral condition gets created, which may cause very high engine RPM.
If the rider then shifts into second gear, without disengaging the clutch, the motorcycle’s chain may stretch or break, which is an obvious safety hazard.
Honda is recalling 1,542 units of its 2012 Honda NC700X motorcycles for faulty outer drive plates on the bike chain drive, which was improperly heat-treated and could fracture during use. If a outer drive plates fracture, the NC700X could unexpectedly lose propulsion, which increases the risk of a crash and rider injury.