Backstory - Last weekend I went to blessing of the bikes in Baldwin, MI. My battery died...got a new one. Installed the new one. Perfect. Ok. Go out there on Monday, battery dead. Look under the seat, the positive wire is touching the chrome battery cover. Ok, so a slow draw. Put Electrical tape on the cover and charge the battery. Tuesday, get on the bike; starts right up. Get out of the garage, man is it turning hard. Oh, Flat front tire. Take it to the shop (indy) on Thursday. Ask him to also tighten the belt as well (it was squeaking on decel - should've just been as simple as pulling the axel back, but what do I know; hes the shop) got it back on Friday. Cool.

This morning went to the Legion; going to escort the Vietnam memorial wall. Get there and ka-chunk ka-chunk ka-chunk. Wtf? So I rode it around the parking lot (slowly) I notice chunks falling off. Awesome. Look at back sprocket. One bolt is holding my sprocket on; theres pieces of...spacer.

Miss the ride. My post commander lets me use her AAA to get it towed back to my house; tear the back wheel off and...well...4 bolts are SHEARED off inside the wheel. I'm thinking; ok. I can get new bolts; and I can get this thing running for a big run tomorrow. I get one bolt out and then I realize..."oh **** that spacer thing was PROBABLY important." I put it back together and...I dont ****ing know I'm not a damn wheel doctor.

This is pictures of the damages....caused because someone forgot to loctite/tighten the bolts in the wheel. It honestly looks like it was just put in handtight and then forgot about...like they forgot to tighten them.


This is at the legion when it happened.






This is back in my garage.





The girl left this weekend so I can ride my bike all weekend. MY bike. Now, I'm thankful that we have her bike that I can ride...but its not MY bike. I'd like to say my weekend is ruined, but luckily I can ride her bike and salvage my weekend...but going from a 88TC to a 650 is a little heartbreaking when you roll on the throttle.

I called the shop, but of course he's not gonna be open til Tuesday. So I'll call him first thing Tuesday morning and...well...hopefully he will do right and fix this terrible mistake. All of my buddies and family are saying to take it to someone else, and that I'm just lucky to be alive. I mean...granted alot of things COULD'VE happened...but...I wanna give him a chance to do right.

What do ya'll think?

Tequila time.

 

why did he remove the rear sprocket?

 

Another good reason why no one works on my bike, but me.

Sorry to hear about your bike.

 

Damn that sucks hopefully it happened because of an accident

 

I'd be careful what you accuse him of because he's probably going to tell you he didn't remove the rear sprocket to tighten the belt.

 

In the time I've been here, this is at least the 3rd time I've read of this very same situation happening. Bad bolts...not tightened...not the right grade. It makes you wonder who's going behind them, checking their work. Apparently no one.

 

It is possible that he never touched those bolts. Maybe they were already loosening and when he tightened the belt the added pressure speed up the demise. He shouldn't have had to even touch that sprocket.

 

Unless the guy changed the sprocket there wasn't any reason for him to even notice the bolts and sorry I've seen those back out in as little as 10 miles all by themselves . Don't be bashing someone till all the facts are in ...........

 

The squeak you heard on decel was probably related to the loose pulley.

 

That sucks man, but I'm glad it didn't happen at 60+ mph

This. I wouldn't even want somebody else to change a light bulb for me