Just like the subject says. I removed the cover on my '99 and ran it that way for five years with no problems. Just removed the cover on my '05 and I see no reason why it would give me trouble to leave it off, but would like to hear from you guys.

Also, what about removing that thing that looks like a spacer between the engine and the chain? What's the purpose of that anyway? Can I remove it?

Sorry, wish I had some pics to post to show what I'm talking about.

As long as you ride in boots with no laces or strings hanging of your pants you'll be fine but the first time a piece of your clothing gets caught in between the chain and sprocket you'll be wishing it was on there. If your able to ride after you wreck from having your leg yanked off the peg.

Second question, I hope your not serious, that IS a spacer and it's there to keep the front sprocket in alignment with the rear so the chain tracks straight.

What are you hoping to do, shave 3 ounces of wieght off the bike. :dunno

 

Re: Re: Anyone run without a front sprocket cover?

I hope your not serious, that IS a spacer and it's there to keep the front sprocket in alignment with the rear so the chain tracks straight.

I HOPE YOU'RE NOT SERIOUS.... because that's A LOT OF :bs :bs :bs

A sprocket cover does not keep the sprocket in alignment... it's just there to protect from your pants from getting caught and possibly causing you to crashola. :yesnod

 

Re: Re: Anyone run without a front sprocket cover?

As long as you ride in boots with no laces or strings hanging of your pants you'll be fine but the first time a piece of your clothing gets caught in between the chain and sprocket you'll be wishing it was on there. If your able to ride after you wreck from having your leg yanked off the peg.

Second question, I hope your not serious, that IS a spacer and it's there to keep the front sprocket in alignment with the rear so the chain tracks straight.

What are you hoping to do, shave 3 ounces of wieght off the bike. :dunno

Gotcha. As for doing this, I just like to remove unnecessary parts from my bike. I think it looks great being able to see the whole chain front to back. So yeah, it's cosmetic.

As for the spacer, maybe I should have used the term "guide" instead. I was talking about the long skinny piece of metal that runs between the top of the chain and the engine, not the round spacer (washer?) that sits between the front sprocket and the engine. The one I'm referring to looks like it's just meant to keep the chain tight to the front sprocket. If it doesn't have a reasonable purpose then I'd rather remove it just because. Will post a pic when I get home.

As an aside, when I put a smaller front sproket on I'm thinking that the chain won't even touch the guide at that point so it will surely be useless...

 

That peice of metal is to help keep the chain from coming off the sprocket. Under Decel conditions the slack in the chain builds on the top of the chain and if the chain is loose enough the slack can cause the chain to jump or possibly hit the engine case in front of the sprocket....Keep it on.

 

That peice of metal is to help keep the chain from coming off the sprocket. Under Decel conditions the slack in the chain builds on the top of the chain and if the chain is loose enough the slack can cause the chain to jump or possibly hit the engine case in front of the sprocket....Keep it on.

Great info -- that's what I suspected it was there for. But. I also thought that if I go with a 16T front then there'll be a big gap between the chain and the guide so it won't be helping at that point. Guess the gap won't really be that big though so I'll just leave it on. I'm leaving the sprocket cover off though!

 

Re: Re: Re: Anyone run without a front sprocket cover?

I HOPE YOU'RE NOT SERIOUS.... because that's A LOT OF :bs :bs :bs

A sprocket cover does not keep the sprocket in alignment... it's just there to protect from your pants from getting caught and possibly causing you to crashola. :yesnod

Hey Kevap... if you actually read his message, he addresses the first question about the sprocket cover.... he then moves on to discuss the spacer... two separate subjects...

/DadMan

 

What's the purpose of removing the sprocket cover anyway? I could think of a lot of things to do to my bikes that would take precedence over this modification, but its your bike and I just gotta ask......

 

What's the purpose of removing the sprocket cover anyway? I could think of a lot of things to do to my bikes that would take precedence over this modification, but its your bike and I just gotta ask......

Purely cosmetic... although it does give me much easier access to change the front sprocket (which I'll be doing in a couple days) as well as making it easier to keep that whole area clean. When I took the cover off it was completely caked up inside with mung (and the bike only has 4500 miles on it...)

Here's a couple pics. First one shows the guide I was talking about, second is without the sprocket cover...

 

............................

 

I do it and have no problems...

 

Re: Re: Re: Anyone run without a front sprocket cover?

I HOPE YOU'RE NOT SERIOUS.... because that's A LOT OF :bs :bs :bs

A sprocket cover does not keep the sprocket in alignment... it's just there to protect from your pants from getting caught and possibly causing you to crashola. :yesnod

Did you read my post :fact ? I didn't say the cover kept the chain in alignment, I said the spacer kept the chain in alignment. :hellobye

That peice of metal is to help keep the chain from coming off the sprocket. Under Decel conditions the slack in the chain builds on the top of the chain and if the chain is loose enough the slack can cause the chain to jump or possibly hit the engine case in front of the sprocket....Keep it on.

Yep that's what that piece is for. :thumbup

You can run without the sprocket cover, its put on as a safety to prevent loose clothing from getting caught in the sprocket and trying to rip your leg off.

 

I don't believe that metal bracket is to 'keep the chain on'. IMHO, it's there to prevent smashing the cases due to a chain break. If the chain breaks, that guide is close enough to prevent a broken chain from folding, even if only for a link or two, and trying to pass thru that space. If a folded chain was forced thru there, it would destroy the cases. With that guard, that scenario isn't possible.

 

just my opinion ,but its not a cosmedic piece ,its there for a reason
(to keep stuff out)you also have no chain guard ..it makes no sense.
why not take your fenders off also, they are cosmedic too

 

I wont hurt to remove the cover.........


:beer :beer

 

When I took the cover off it was completely caked up inside with mung (and the bike only has 4500 miles on it...)

All that gunk is gonna end up on your leg and the side of the bike/engine.

 

You may want to consider getting a sprocket cover as it would look so much better then just leaving it the way it is now.

Bike does not look right with out the chain guard unless you were to mod the wing arm and change the rear hugger.

OK people its like we have a bunch of **** on here trying to redecorate a ****ing house or something. I know there are a lot of posers here but dam.

Back to the real subject , pull the dam thing off , your foot isnt even within 9 freaking inches of the dam thing at any given time your laces/pantleg willnot get caught in there . The metel ring everyone is talking about it has two purposes , one to help guide the chain out in case of a break , second is as a beef up plate for you engine case , the plate is steel and your cases are alum. Nuf said.

 

^ :lol

 

I took mine off and I felt like I was getting more vibration??... so I replaced it. Mikuni makes a choice billet cover via Yoyodyne but not worth the cash. Back in the day Dynomite in Europe made one in carbon, (see Rorlow) but I waited to long and never got one. Blew it...
xDx

 

I don't believe that metal bracket is to 'keep the chain on'. IMHO, it's there to prevent smashing the cases due to a chain break. If the chain breaks, that guide is close enough to prevent a broken chain from folding, even if only for a link or two, and trying to pass thru that space. If a folded chain was forced thru there, it would destroy the cases. With that guard, that scenario isn't possible.

:bs

That bracket serves the same function as the one on the bottom of the swingarm, its a chain guide to keep the slack side of the chain from rolling around the sprocket. And if your chain were to snap under hard acceleration, that brakcet is gonna be toast and so is the engine case behind it.

 

Back in the day Dynomite in Europe made one in carbon, (see Rorlow) but I waited to long and never got one. Blew it...
xDx

CF cover in contention, got it from them almost 3yrs. ago, still looks new, and yes . . . its no longer available :yesnod

by the way the OEM stator cover with the Creations CF/Kevlar Engine Armor is up for sale if anyone is interested :thumbup

 

That bracket serves the same function as the one on the bottom of the swingarm, its a chain guide to keep the slack side of the chain from rolling around the sprocket.

A "chain guide" made of steel? If you say so. If that's the case, then why is that one steel, and the rest plastic? Hell, by your logic, Yamaha could have integrated that steel plate and the pastic cover, but they did NOT. Hmmm. For that matter, wouldn't you have to change the "chain guide" for different size sprockets? Why don't GP bikes have these steel chain guides?... Hmmm, maybe it's because they're NOT!

And if your chain were to snap under hard acceleration, that brakcet is gonna be toast and so is the engine case behind it.

Regardless of the conditions in which a chain snaps, why don't you ask the forum how many people's chains have snapped whith no damage to the cases? "Cases ARE NOT toast" due to a chain break. "Cases ARE toast when a chain breaks and goes around the front sprocket folded or wraps around the sprocket".

To each his own.