DO NOT clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand!

iron.head · 10th June 2012, 09:22

I have a Classic 500 and do minor repair jobs on my own. 4 days back I thought of cleaning my bike's chain with the bike on the main stand, running and in 1st gear. This way I have cleaned the chain a few times. I usually used a big folded cloth and used to hold the chain in my fist between the cloth, but sadly this time the cloth was a small one and it suddenly slipped and in less than a moment my fingers were in between the chain and rear sprocket.

Got operated by one of the best doctors in one of the best hospitals in my city. One fourth of the index finger of my right hand got separated and fell down in front of my eyes. The other two adjacent fingers got heavily crushed too. The first finger has been patched using skin from my arms and small rods have been put in all three.

I though that this type of accident must be very uncommon and I am one of the rear ones, but my doctor and other hospital staff told me that they have the same cases coming to them every month.

So motorcycle maniacs like me, should avoid being creative like me. Never clean the chain from the top and when the bike is running.

Good luck! Bye!

download2live · 10th June 2012, 09:42

Ouch.

Since you have typed this post I hope that things are back to normal.
Right?

condor · 10th June 2012, 09:53

@Iron.head - get well soon !

I hope this will not affect your ability to ride the bike, one you love so much.

Fiest@DuraTec · 10th June 2012, 09:54

Man thats scary !! I know everything is not fine right and its not right to ask but I hope they get better soon. Its always worth spending a few bucks and getting it done by a trained professional than risking your own self.

I pray things get back to normal and I am sure you are not going to risk yourself on anything like that, Ever Again !! Good Luck for the recovery

iron.head · 10th June 2012, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by download2live

Ouch.

Since you have typed this post I hope that things are back to normal.
Right?

Painkillers are keeping the pain away! My left hand is punching the keyboard!

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor

@Iron.head - get well soon !

I hope this will not affect your ability to ride the bike, one you love so much.

Thank you condor! Bike riding soon after the plaster is removed!

rajeev k · 10th June 2012, 10:32

Felt sad to hear that. One of my friend had a similar injury not from a bike but from a chain conveyor.
Nice that you were attended to in a well equipped hospital with best of facilities. The healing may take a fortnight to a month in such cases.
Get well soon.Take care.

akshay4587 · 10th June 2012, 10:36

Iron head-that sounds really bad,get well soon,and be careful in future.
I usually do that,but while doing so i do not use a cloth,i use a spray like WD40 or Motul chain lube\Cleaner for this.

musicmanaman · 10th June 2012, 10:41

Iron.head, I wish you a speedy recovery, very sad to hear about the incident, I may have done what you did many times when I was younger, now when I look back, maybe I just was lucky that this never happened to me. Get well soon and hope everyone having a bike read this thread and are cautious in the future while cleaning their bike’s.

bblost · 10th June 2012, 10:49

Ouch. Seen this happen to a friend of mine. He was tightening the chain and the finger got caught between the sprocket and chain.

Painful. very very painful.

Wish you a speedy recovery.

Sankar · 10th June 2012, 10:56

Even thinking about it is making me feel queasy.
Get well soon Iron.head, wish you a speedy recovery and hope you regain full movement and control over your fingers!

torquecurve · 10th June 2012, 13:20

Get well Soon buddy. Just thinking of it makes me feel sick in my stomach.

A better way to clean the chain is by using a loop of cloth where you have a contact patch of atleast 5-6 cms. Tie this loop to the rod above the chain put a binder clip to hold it in place. Does not take much time and you have a clean chain.

Also, before the chain is cleaned, you could spray on a bit of degreaser in very dilute form this helps to clear out the muck better. Then spray some chain lube.

I use this process for most of my DIY works on the bike.

Dont mean to sound patronizing but try keeping your body parts as far as possible from moving parts.

ankan.m.blr · 10th June 2012, 13:53

Hi Iron.head, I wish you heal quickly. Put the past behind; Don;t dwell on it, just be careful not to repeat this kind of things again ; I am sure you'll make rapid recovery and will be on the saddle soon again.

extreme_torque · 10th June 2012, 14:20

Damm.. thats unlucky! Get well soon buddy.

asr245 · 10th June 2012, 17:46

My god man! If i had caught my brother, non-existent son or even a dear friend, he would definitely got a real stinker from me. Now I have a tale to add to it.

I hope you recover well.

Gansan · 10th June 2012, 18:02

OMG! I first thought this was about the cloth being sucked inside and causing damage to the bike. That would be preferable any day, to this. Get well soon.

My son avidly watches my every action on the bike and car, so I have to be extra careful lest he picks up wrong habits from me. Thanks for the tip, though I always use a spray.

10th June 2012, 09:22	#1
iron.head BHPian Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Jaipur / YVR Posts: 333 Thanked: 379 Times	DO NOT clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand! I have a Classic 500 and do minor repair jobs on my own. 4 days back I thought of cleaning my bike's chain with the bike on the main stand, running and in 1st gear. This way I have cleaned the chain a few times. I usually used a big folded cloth and used to hold the chain in my fist between the cloth, but sadly this time the cloth was a small one and it suddenly slipped and in less than a moment my fingers were in between the chain and rear sprocket. Got operated by one of the best doctors in one of the best hospitals in my city. One fourth of the index finger of my right hand got separated and fell down in front of my eyes. The other two adjacent fingers got heavily crushed too. The first finger has been patched using skin from my arms and small rods have been put in all three. I though that this type of accident must be very uncommon and I am one of the rear ones, but my doctor and other hospital staff told me that they have the same cases coming to them every month. So motorcycle maniacs like me, should avoid being creative like me. Never clean the chain from the top and when the bike is running. Good luck! Bye! Last edited by GTO : 21st July 2014 at 15:01. Reason: Bold effect
	(61) Thanks

10th June 2012, 09:42	#2
download2live Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: - Posts: 1,147 Thanked: 1,144 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Ouch. Since you have typed this post I hope that things are back to normal. Right?
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 09:53	#3
condor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Speed-brkr City Posts: 15,864 Thanked: 16,014 Times View My Garage	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand @Iron.head - get well soon ! I hope this will not affect your ability to ride the bike, one you love so much.
	(2) Thanks

10th June 2012, 09:54	#4
Fiest@DuraTec BHPian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gurgaon/MBD Posts: 185 Thanked: 73 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Man thats scary !! I know everything is not fine right and its not right to ask but I hope they get better soon. Its always worth spending a few bucks and getting it done by a trained professional than risking your own self. I pray things get back to normal and I am sure you are not going to risk yourself on anything like that, Ever Again !! Good Luck for the recovery
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 10:32	#6
rajeev k Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Emerging Metro Posts: 3,352 Thanked: 1,947 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Felt sad to hear that. One of my friend had a similar injury not from a bike but from a chain conveyor. Nice that you were attended to in a well equipped hospital with best of facilities. The healing may take a fortnight to a month in such cases. Get well soon.Take care.
	(2) Thanks

10th June 2012, 10:36	#7
akshay4587 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chandigarh/Mohali/Ambala Cantt Posts: 4,151 Thanked: 4,525 Times View My Garage	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Iron head-that sounds really bad,get well soon,and be careful in future. I usually do that,but while doing so i do not use a cloth,i use a spray like WD40 or Motul chain lube\Cleaner for this.
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 10:41	#8
musicmanaman BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: kolkata Posts: 927 Thanked: 25 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Iron.head, I wish you a speedy recovery, very sad to hear about the incident, I may have done what you did many times when I was younger, now when I look back, maybe I just was lucky that this never happened to me. Get well soon and hope everyone having a bike read this thread and are cautious in the future while cleaning their bike’s.
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 10:49	#9
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 11,008 Thanked: 15,352 Times View My Garage	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Ouch. Seen this happen to a friend of mine. He was tightening the chain and the finger got caught between the sprocket and chain. Painful. very very painful. Wish you a speedy recovery.
	(3) Thanks

10th June 2012, 10:56	#10
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,766 Thanked: 9,054 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Even thinking about it is making me feel queasy. Get well soon Iron.head, wish you a speedy recovery and hope you regain full movement and control over your fingers!
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 13:20	#11
torquecurve BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 802 Thanked: 1,708 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Get well Soon buddy. Just thinking of it makes me feel sick in my stomach. A better way to clean the chain is by using a loop of cloth where you have a contact patch of atleast 5-6 cms. Tie this loop to the rod above the chain put a binder clip to hold it in place. Does not take much time and you have a clean chain. Also, before the chain is cleaned, you could spray on a bit of degreaser in very dilute form this helps to clear out the muck better. Then spray some chain lube. I use this process for most of my DIY works on the bike. Dont mean to sound patronizing but try keeping your body parts as far as possible from moving parts.
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 13:53	#12
ankan.m.blr BHPian Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 870 Thanked: 961 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Hi Iron.head, I wish you heal quickly. Put the past behind; Don;t dwell on it, just be careful not to repeat this kind of things again ; I am sure you'll make rapid recovery and will be on the saddle soon again.
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 14:20	#13
extreme_torque Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,377 Thanked: 5,105 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand Damm.. thats unlucky! Get well soon buddy.
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 17:46	#14
asr245 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 1,162 Thanked: 389 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand My god man! If i had caught my brother, non-existent son or even a dear friend, he would definitely got a real stinker from me. Now I have a tale to add to it. I hope you recover well.
	(1) Thanks

10th June 2012, 18:02	#15
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,535 Thanked: 5,557 Times	Re: Do not clean motorcycle chain with bike running in 1st gear and on the main stand OMG! I first thought this was about the cloth being sucked inside and causing damage to the bike. That would be preferable any day, to this. Get well soon. My son avidly watches my every action on the bike and car, so I have to be extra careful lest he picks up wrong habits from me. Thanks for the tip, though I always use a spray.
	(3) Thanks