chain guide for XC racing?

[400man]

is there any issues to running a chain guide with a single sprocket guard and skid/rotor guard? ive got me a 450r swingarm on my 400ex now, but it doesnt have a chain guide. would it be better to run one, or not? the only bad i can think of is if you hit a rock or something hard enough it might bend the guide and derail the chain???

[Stickman400]

If you are just running a SINGLE sided sprocket guard and no skid, I'd probably want one just to make sure it doesn't go anywhere. If you're running a dual sided guard and no skid you should be fine. If it was just a skid and no sprocket guard then you should still be fine as long as you had a chain slider or something to keep the chain running smooth as it goes to the sprocket. At least that's my take on it. I run a slider on my GT Thunder skid for my 400 and that's it and I haven't had any issues. My 450 has a single sided sprocket guard (because I couldn't fit the dual on it to clear the carrier) and a chain guide and it's be fine also. I can see what you mean by it sticking down and catching something though. It does stick down quite far when it's by itself and no skid. I'd go with the skid and slider if it were me.

[chronicsmoke]

My chain guide gets pretty banged up in XC but I've never de-railed a chain yet. I run a single sided sprocket guard and rotor skid with the chain guide on my houser swinger

[400man]

I never ran a guide on my 400ex swingarm, but ive never really ever had any issues with the chain wanting to derail. and my skid plate I use has the "shark fin" that kinda acts like a inner sprocket guard. some old pics to show what I mean:





I may just not worry about a chain guide, and just keep a closer eye on my chain tension.

[Mdkp123]

You should check out the glann innovations chain guides

[MtnEX]

I tell ya... me... I don't get it.

Slap a PRM swinger skid on the thing and forget it. That's the thing to do.

Some of the others may be of similar design. But basically what you want is the material to be strong enough the center can just be smooth flat and the parts under the sprocket and rotor to not have to have a bend clearance. Then you are done, no worries, etc. And you are not giving anything up to these sprocket guard setups.

Sometimes you gotta see things for what they are. These are cheap items to make that they GIVE to the guys on the front rows so all the people in the rows behind will buy them. Lot of expense, hassle and risk for nothing.

[Scro]

I tell ya... me... I don't get it.

Slap a PRM swinger skid on the thing and forget it. That's the thing to do.

Some of the others may be of similar design. But basically what you want is the material to be strong enough the center can just be smooth flat and the parts under the sprocket and rotor to not have to have a bend clearance. Then you are done, no worries, etc. And you are not giving anything up to these sprocket guard setups.

Sometimes you gotta see things for what they are. These are cheap items to make that they GIVE to the guys on the front rows so all the people in the rows behind will buy them. Lot of expense, hassle and risk for nothing.

Huge difference in ground clearance. You don't even have to be fast to rip a normal skid to shreds at a GNCC.

[400man]

Huge difference in ground clearance. You don't even have to be fast to rip a normal skid to shreds at a GNCC.

^this. I raced my first xc race at the 2008 ironman gncc on my 250r and I remember I had a regular old aluminum skid plate. And I remember about half way through the race I was getting hung up in the ruts if I didn't have enough momentum to get through em. ground clearance is the key I will say, but at the same time with your chain exposed it does make it a little more vulnerable to damage (even with a sprocket guard). And yea a full skid plate is still the best protecting, but you are gonna lose a hair bit of clearance, and in some races that can make a huge difference.

Gt thunder used to make a really nice skid plate that had probably the best ground clearance of any id seen.

[#484]

On a 400ex if you run an aftermarket shock linkage you shouldn't run a sprocket guard it will hit the subframe from the additional up travel, I use the GT Thunder skid plate, works great and good ground clearance. The owners of GT Thunder recently passed away but if you go to their website you can still get many of their products from other suppliers. I believe you can still get the skid plates and they are cheap!

[MtnEX]

I race XC. There is the quarter inch thickness of the skid penalty under all it protects the way PRM is made. I have used them for years. I have had others that sucked. Lousy clearance or beat it to death in a race. But PRM does well.