What do you do you do if your motorcycle chain snaps while riding on the highway?
Last Updated: 26.06.2025 13:53
Focus your gaze up ahead, look as straight as you can. There’s no point in looking at your skidding tire. You can check your mirrors, but the action of skidding itself is warning enough for the other people following you. Unless they are blind, then you’re dead.
The chain flies away, and your engine doesn’t have a connection to the rear wheel.
Now, increase the weight, try it on a motorcycle.
I remember doing this once with my friend. The exact same thing happened to him. His drive chain just snapped and quit, and his rear wheel locked up.
You’re speeding at 100km/h on a worn-out chain? It’s kinda your fault really.
This is where practicing some skids and drifts would come in handy.
And at that point, depending of your speed, you also need some kind of luck.
If you have an extra chain, I assume you know how to fit a new one into your bike. Do it. If not, call a tow truck. Calling a friend is exciting too. I’ll tell you why in a moment.
So I had to push him. The same way is shown in the picture.
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Turn on your flashers, and signal to pull over to the right. Use your right hand if you need to.
Two scenarios could happen here.
Try to increase your speed before initiating a skid.
In that case, just pray and repent your sins.
The thing is, your rear wheel will lock up, and you’re skidding and fishtailing, and all sorts of things.
In this case:
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Did that catch you by surprise?
The chain got jammed between the swing arm and the sprocket, or Anywhere for that matter.
Now that you have learned it. The muscle memory should kick in once the scenario calls for it.
On an empty road, much easier if it’s some kind of rough road. Some dust, rubble, or even sand could make the practice easier. Actually, sand would make it hard if you don’t have enough power.
Scenario 1:
Going back to your scenario 2, your rear wheel is locked up. Relax, and let your muscles remember what to do.
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Don’t try to squeeze the clutch either, nothing you can do about it. So don’t even try to change gears, but I do understand that sometimes it’s a force of habit.
Now, do the skids as many times as you can. Make skid marks, and do a full cornering drift. Anything, really, and just have fun with it.
The guy on the left is the one with a working motorcycle, he’s the one pushing the other guy.
Yes, lock it up.
You just quit twisting the throttle, you can’t do anything there anyway.
Learn it with a mountain bike, or even a BMX. Or a smaller displacement bike.
Use both of your brakes to slow down, and finally pull over.
And at this point, you really can’t do anything about whatever I’m going to write here. What it will take is some practice and muscle memory.
Relax.
Remember that tip on calling a friend?
Look at your side mirrors, and check for possible overtakers behind you.
On varying speeds, start with 10 km/h. Purposely lock up your rear wheel.
Scenario 2:
First, relax.
You can only do this up to 20km/h. Anything faster than that, you’re just calling for another more fatal accident. But hey, I’m not saying it’s impossible.
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Don’t ride a heavy bike.
Anyway, depending on your speed you can still control that skid.
What’s the practice?
This could be tiring, but it’s doable. And you need to have a strong leg.