opinions on mechanical issue

playtowinthegame · 04-02-2012, 04:00 PM

01 yzf 600

i had my rear tire replaced at a polaris dealership on march 2nd. on march 29th, i was on my way to work. coming to a stop light, i noticed my oil light come on, then it disappeared almost as fast as it came on. 2 seconds later it stayed on for good. im thinking"i need an oil change soon". when i go to down shift, i press the clutch, and to my surprise, i have no clutch pressure. i stall the bike at the traffic light. notice fluid on the ground. its oil.

i call tow. tow it to the other bike shop in town, cuz polaris is too expensive for their labor. they tell me the chain was too loose, hit the clutch push rod, broke that, the clutch cover gasket, and the clutch push rod seal.

called polaris to explain their problem. they said the chain loosened by itself. they said the sprocket either had a rounded tooth and it jumped, or the chain just stretched itself. i doubt this. they also said when you take the tire off, the tire goes back by default where it was before.

but the 2nd cheaper shop, where the bike is at now, said it was put on too loose. is it possible that the chain became loose in just 27 days of riding??

guys does this all make sense?? dont u believe polaris is at fault here??

shmike · 04-02-2012, 04:22 PM

Unless the shop forgot and axle spacer, the wheel would go back to the same place it was before.

The shop wouldn't be at fault unless they overlooked something major but they should have brough a bad sprocket or overly loose chain to your attention.

Sucks to hear about what sounds like significant damage.

Buy yourself a shop manual and set of stands for the bike and learn to do the basic maintenance yourself.

Trip · 04-02-2012, 04:26 PM

See what the rules are for your state regarding lemon laws for used motorcycles purchased from dealers. That's your best chance. Otherwise, you are probably SoL and will have to either fix it yourself or take it to a shop.

playtowinthegame · 04-02-2012, 04:27 PM

is it possible that the chained loosened itself? cuz they said the wheel went back to where it was. so if it was loose before, it would be loose after. and they said if it was loose, they would have told me. which they didnt.

Trip · 04-02-2012, 04:29 PM

how many miles did you put on it? how many miles does the bike have?

Why have you not checked your chain for loose/tight? This needs to be a habit for every ride.

playtowinthegame · 04-02-2012, 04:42 PM

well im a new rider, so im not sure how often i should check it. and i put about 1500 on it.
it left the dealership with the chain tightened according to them. **** the dealership put on the tire, i did not buy the bike from them.

Trip · 04-02-2012, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by playtowinthegame

well im a new rider, so im not sure how often i should check it. and i put about 1500 on it.
it left the dealership with the chain tightened according to them. **** the dealership put on the tire, i did not buy the bike from them.

Some people don't check their chain that often. Some people like me, check them all the time. At 1500 miles, you should of checked it at least a few times to lube/clean the chain. General rules I follow is about 250/300 miles deserves at least a check/lube. I usually clean it about that often too.

You aren't going to get them to cover this, you are going to have to pay or do it yourself. It isn't their responsibility to make sure your sprockets and chain are in good working condition if you are just getting a new tire.

No Worries · 04-02-2012, 05:58 PM

On all (older) bikes I've worked on, the wheel has to be pushed toward the front of the bike in order for the chain to be slack. That way the chain can be slipped over the sprocket. And it has to put on the same way, with the chain slack so it can slip over the sprocket. Then the chain has to be tightened and the wheel aligned.

My friend's single-sided VFR is the the only type that I know of where the chain doesn't move. I'm calling BS on the mechanic's "they also said when you take the tire off, the tire goes back by default where it was before" statement unless someone can show me that the newer bikes do go back by default.

Rangerscott · 04-02-2012, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No Worries

On all (older) bikes I've worked on, the wheel has to be pushed toward the front of the bike in order for the chain to be slack. That way the chain can be slipped over the sprocket. And it has to put on the same way, with the chain slack so it can slip over the sprocket. Then the chain has to be tightened and the wheel aligned.

My friend's single-sided VFR is the the only type that I know of where the chain doesn't move. I'm calling BS on the mechanic's "they also said when you take the tire off, the tire goes back by default where it was before" statement unless someone can show me that the newer bikes do go back by default.

Chain still moves on the viffers. There's a sprocket type nut that you put a special wrench on to tighten/loosen.

FSM's usually state to check/relube your chain every 250-300 miles. You're over due there. Most hooligans I see on the street have the sloppiest chains of all. WAY loose and you can see it bouncing around while theyre riding.

Hopefully this will teach you to start doing maintance work or pay the price of a mechanic. Bikes can be a lot more time consuming and more spending on than a vehicle.

Post some pics so we can actually see what you're seeing.

shmike · 04-03-2012, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No Worries

On all (older) bikes I've worked on, the wheel has to be pushed toward the front of the bike in order for the chain to be slack. That way the chain can be slipped over the sprocket. And it has to put on the same way, with the chain slack so it can slip over the sprocket. Then the chain has to be tightened and the wheel aligned.

My friend's single-sided VFR is the the only type that I know of where the chain doesn't move. I'm calling BS on the mechanic's "they also said when you take the tire off, the tire goes back by default where it was before" statement unless someone can show me that the newer bikes do go back by default.

Once you pull the axle out, you get all the slack you need.

Same with reinstall: Push wheel to front, throw chain on, pull wheel into place (back) and slide axle in.

I can't imagine having to adjust the chain every time I did a wheel or tire swap.

04-02-2012, 04:00 PM	#1
playtowinthegame Trailer Queen Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: EHT, NJ Moto: 2001 yzf-600 Posts: 29	opinions on mechanical issue 01 yzf 600 i had my rear tire replaced at a polaris dealership on march 2nd. on march 29th, i was on my way to work. coming to a stop light, i noticed my oil light come on, then it disappeared almost as fast as it came on. 2 seconds later it stayed on for good. im thinking"i need an oil change soon". when i go to down shift, i press the clutch, and to my surprise, i have no clutch pressure. i stall the bike at the traffic light. notice fluid on the ground. its oil. i call tow. tow it to the other bike shop in town, cuz polaris is too expensive for their labor. they tell me the chain was too loose, hit the clutch push rod, broke that, the clutch cover gasket, and the clutch push rod seal. called polaris to explain their problem. they said the chain loosened by itself. they said the sprocket either had a rounded tooth and it jumped, or the chain just stretched itself. i doubt this. they also said when you take the tire off, the tire goes back by default where it was before. but the 2nd cheaper shop, where the bike is at now, said it was put on too loose. is it possible that the chain became loose in just 27 days of riding?? guys does this all make sense?? dont u believe polaris is at fault here??

04-02-2012, 04:22 PM	#2
shmike Follower Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,549	Unless the shop forgot and axle spacer, the wheel would go back to the same place it was before. The shop wouldn't be at fault unless they overlooked something major but they should have brough a bad sprocket or overly loose chain to your attention. Sucks to hear about what sounds like significant damage. Buy yourself a shop manual and set of stands for the bike and learn to do the basic maintenance yourself. __________________ Racing For Smiles

04-02-2012, 04:27 PM	#4
playtowinthegame Trailer Queen Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: EHT, NJ Moto: 2001 yzf-600 Posts: 29	is it possible that the chained loosened itself? cuz they said the wheel went back to where it was. so if it was loose before, it would be loose after. and they said if it was loose, they would have told me. which they didnt.

04-02-2012, 04:42 PM	#6
playtowinthegame Trailer Queen Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: EHT, NJ Moto: 2001 yzf-600 Posts: 29	well im a new rider, so im not sure how often i should check it. and i put about 1500 on it. it left the dealership with the chain tightened according to them. **** the dealership put on the tire, i did not buy the bike from them.

04-02-2012, 05:58 PM	#8
No Worries Keyboard Racer Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mile High City Moto: Old Superbikes Posts: 1,016	On all (older) bikes I've worked on, the wheel has to be pushed toward the front of the bike in order for the chain to be slack. That way the chain can be slipped over the sprocket. And it has to put on the same way, with the chain slack so it can slip over the sprocket. Then the chain has to be tightened and the wheel aligned. My friend's single-sided VFR is the the only type that I know of where the chain doesn't move. I'm calling BS on the mechanic's "they also said when you take the tire off, the tire goes back by default where it was before" statement unless someone can show me that the newer bikes do go back by default.