[nareshtrao]

That's a sad accident Iron Head. I feel for you. Wish you a speedy recovery.

Shocking to see that there are so many similar accidents. It's good to be passionate about our bikes but it is sensible to take it to the Service Center. Hard lesson for all of us.

p.s. At times some of our friends have messed up well running bikes by trying DIY for the heck of it. That may be harmless but this was a hard lesson. For all of us.

[adrian]

Originally Posted by VeluM

In all honesty, this thread probably exists due to laziness.

I beg to differ. If ironhead was lazy, he wouldn't have set out to clean up the chain grime and this thread wouldn't have been here.

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I think there should be a caution sticker on the bike swingarm in bold letters.

That is true. If the manufacturers can include chain maintenance procedure as a DIY in an owners manual, it would be nice to make know the risks included as well. Most of us are paying thought the nose for these new age bikes and one more sticker to the swing arm wouldn't make the company bankrupt.

Originally Posted by VeluM

Most of them urge us to have the vehicle serviced at an A.S.S; who knows if this is one of the reasons. The service personnel would have been cautioned on unsafe practices and they also have the right tools to carry out such tasks safely.

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

It's good to be passionate about our bikes but it is sensible to take it to the Service Center.

Sorry friends, an average rider wouldn't have the time and money to take the bike to the service after each rain to clean and lubricate his motorcycle chain.

I have told the accident to two of my friends who are newbies to motorcycles and guess what they planning to do to clean their bike chains ? Iron head has done the right thing to let everyone learn from his mistake and if he hadn't set aside his pride and started this thread, two more people that I know would have walked around with severed fingers. He deserves a heartfelt thanks rather than criticism. Thank you buddy
Regards Adrian

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I think there should be a caution sticker on the bike swingarm in bold letters.

This could be done but where would it stop?

DO NOT USE A MATCH TO ILLUMINATE THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK WHEN CHECKING YOUR PETROL LEVEL (on the fuel tank)

DO NOT OVERINFLATE YOUR TYRES (on the rim next to the valve stem)

DO NOT TOUCH HOT SILENCER OR EXHAUST PIPE (engraved on the tailpipe)

DO NOT BREATH EXHAUST GASSES (on the rear mudguard)

DO NOT PUT WATER IN THE PETROL TANK (on the fuel tank)

DO NOT RIDE THRU RAGING RIVERS (on the fuel tank)

I'm sure the list could go on.

One of the dumber WARNINGS I've seen was written on the inside of a cardboard sun screen. One of those folding things people put inside their automobiles windshields when the vehicle is parked to keep the sun out . It said:

WARNING: DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE WHEN THIS SCREEN IS INSTALLED

Perhaps the best reasons for not pasting warning tags all over a motorcycle is that no one reads them anyway and the paint will be damaged when they try to scrape them off.

Also one shouldn't forget "Fools are incredibly adept at circumventing the best advice while embracing the worst ideas."

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by VeluM

Honestly, that would be similar to having a caution for hot contents on an espresso cup, or "do not iron clothes while wearing" warning that comes with an iron. It is sad when such accidents happen, but expecting the manufacturer to take responsibility for this is not practical. Most of them urge us to have the vehicle serviced at an A.S.S; who knows if this is one of the reasons. The service personnel would have been cautioned on unsafe practices and they also have the right tools to carry out such tasks safely.

Originally Posted by adrian

That is true. If the manufacturers can include chain maintenance procedure as a DIY in an owners manual, it would be nice to make know the risks included as well. Most of us are paying thought the nose for these new age bikes and one more sticker to the swing arm wouldn't make the company bankrupt.

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

Also one shouldn't forget "Fools are incredibly adept at circumventing the best advice while embracing the worst ideas."

I feel if caution sticker is there then many people will be careful. No ones doing this because they are fools, they are doing is because of sheer ignorance about chain cleaning procedure and they don't know the consequences. Maybe i am wrong but i can many people following the tyre pressure from the same swingarm sticker. I have not even seen any warning or caution on chain cleaning on the owner's manual. At least a page on this will save at least 2-5% of such cases ? IMO if it even saves one person from such accident its worth mentioning.

[adrian]

Totally agree with Rahulkool, the chain cleaning procedure with the engine running looks like an innocent move till you see your fingers chopped off. Just compare the ratio of the threads we see on the internet about guys blown sky high trying to find the petrol level using a match stick with that of fingers chopped off during chain maintenance ? Almost everyone knows that gasoline is inflammable, the tail pipe is hot and things like that. Now how many of us know that the top cap of the front shock absorber would fly off under spring pressure and knock a hole in your teeth, if not removed carefully ? We acquire knowledge from reading about things and as we have seen learning from experience is often painful. That is why we have operational manuals for machinery and books for safe riding written by veterans who found out the hard way that abrupt lane edges would flip your bike and using more lean angle over a diesel spill is bad. All human beings are not proficient (please don't read as dumb). I don't think that any person with a love for his dear life will clean the motorbike chain with the engine running after reading in the service manual :Cleaning chains with the motor running would result in loss of appendages
regards adrian

[VW2010]

Also one shouldn't forget "Fools are incredibly adept at circumventing the best advice while embracing the worst ideas."

Got to say this nails what i would have liked to say in over a couple of paragraphs.

We should never do what we are not comfortable with. I dont dance nor try to sing. But i do open up my bull and clean every part as possible and still yearning to open the engine and complete the Bullet mechanic - DIY part I myself.

Something mechanical and moving will cause a damage no matter how care ful we are 99.95% of the time. Not being careful for 0.05% is enough to cause a damage.

The last time i had such damage was when i tried to open the TV cover and test something with a screw driver and got the "SHOCK" of my life. Do i dare to do such things, yes i do. Am i scared, not really but i know i cant dance and i stay away from it for sure.

[shineshine]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Got to say this nails what i would have liked to say in over a couple of paragraphs.

We should never do what we are not comfortable with. I dont dance nor try to sing. But i do open up my bull and clean every part as possible and still yearning to open the engine and complete the Bullet mechanic - DIY part I myself.

Something mechanical and moving will cause a damage no matter how care ful we are 99.95% of the time. Not being careful for 0.05% is enough to cause a damage.

The last time i had such damage was when i tried to open the TV cover and test something with a screw driver and got the "SHOCK" of my life. Do i dare to do such things, yes i do. Am i scared, not really but i know i cant dance and i stay away from it for sure.

Lucky that you are here to type this . CRT TVs and CRT monitors are certainly not something to play with without adequate tech knowledge.

The bigger the screen the higher the voltage, which can be 25 000 volts or higher for old TVs. Though its not the voltage but current which kills, the current from a TV is more than enough to electrocute a person.

ironhead, feelling sorry for you and get well soon.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

A very similar incident happened to me in September 2008. All 4 fingers on the right hand (luckily the thumb had only a few scratches) chopped off in a similar incident. After the incident, I simply picked up the fingers and headed straight to the nearest hospital for the first aid and then took an ambulance to Hosmat where the surgery was done. The index, middle and the ring fingers were successfully put back (not the right word though) while the little finger has to be taken off after a couple of weeks.

kudos to the doctor for figuring out which one goes where correctly (I hope). Just kidding.

I just posted this thread on my FB wall. This is a very valuable lesson for all of us.

The worst part is most of accidents claim right hand, which is very bad if you are a computer professional, disastrous if you are a surgeon or artist.

[IP_Man]

I'm sorry to hear this and I wish speedy recovery to you.

I don't understand, why chains of modern biles are not fully covered like they do in the past. Advantage of covered chain is protection from dust and mud as oiled chain is dust magnet.

Second advantage is user protection during maintenance of the chain. There is small circular rubber cap sealed opening for oiling and cleaning at the center away from the sprockets so chance of accident during chain cleaning is very less. Of course, even in this case also I do not recommend chain cleaning while engine is running.

Third advantage is less chance of catching loose cloth in the chain especially for the female pillion riders. I recall similar accident that happened infront of my eyes.

[bkc]

Originally Posted by IP_Man

I'm sorry to hear this and I wish speedy recovery to you.

This is a very old thread! Iron.head would be alright by now

[COMMUTER]

I think the availability of chain spray wasn't as good back in those days. I use chain spray to clean my chain and it does a thorough job.

[Gannu_1]

Unfortunately this is exactly what a colleague did on his Bullet and he lost part of the middle finger. His dad painfully collected the bloody piece of the cut finger and ran to the hospital where they sutured it back.

[abtyagi]

I'm so sorry to hear this. Pray for your healing 🙏. Incidentally I was as well cleaning chain of my Himalayan. I learner hard way but I put bike in gear before cleaning the chain now, it has a limited play then.

[Cyborg]

My God, reading about these cases makes me shudder. Kudos to you guys who had the unfortunate experience but still had the presence of mind to do what was necessary under the insane circumstances. Everything seems logical and easy after the fact, it’s this kind of stressful experience which separates the men from the boys

I feel it’s best to pay/give some money to the service centre people to do this, except for the guys who do very long tours and have absolutely no option.

Cheers

[VijayAnand1]

Sad. As far as I can remember, I have never lubed a chain with the engine running, it simply doesn't gel with me. I always hand rotate the wheel to clean and or lube my sprocket and chain set. Even then, many a times, I have locked the tips of my fingers between the tooth and the chain, and have gotten pressure clots many a times.

DO NOT clean or lube your chain with the engine running. It's a real occupational hazard and there's no two way to it. All it takes is a femtosecond to lose it all and the pain is for life.

Take care!

Cheers!
VJ