How my FZ6 ate my thumb.

[SirByron]

I'm hoping I'm the only one dumb enough to make this kind of mistake, but I figured I'd share my epic failure in hopes that it saves some other poor soul from making the same mistake.

So I was cleaning up my bike last Wednesday, and I had just started to clean off the chain with some kerosene, I had been cleaning it out with a tooth brush for a good ten minutes. I turned the bike on and revved the engine a couple times for any loose dirt to fling off the chain, then put it in 1st gear and let it idle (Which I've always done when spraying lube or wax on, mainly just to save time and effort). As the bike is idleing, chain moving very slowly, I put the towel I was holding up against the side of the chain to wipe off some of the dirt remnants before spraying the chain wax on. As I was doing this, I slipped a little bit, and before I realized what the hell was going on, I was looking down at the bloody jagged bone that had taken the place of my thumb. My thumb got caught in the towel, which had snagged on the chain, and it got sliced off in the sprocket. So lesson learned, NEVER EVER EVER do anything with the bike on, except for ride it, which hopefully I will still be able to do in a few months, Cheers. - matt

 

[DefyInertia]

Thanks for posting the story. How bad is the thumb?

 

[FZ1inNH]

Damn! We've heard about this too many times. I'm sorry it happened to you but I wish you hadn't run the bike.

Folks, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! Never run your bike for maintenance, especially chain! Put it on a stand and turn the wheel by hand ONLY!

How much did you lose from the thumb? I hope it will heal and still be of use! Take care!

 

[Powerman]

So easy to turn that wheel by hand while on the center stand. I don't understand why anyone would run the engine. Glad you're ok though. Hopefully your mistake will save others.

 

[teeter]

Sorry to hear that. OUCH!!

Your story will likely save a few peoples digits though.

 

[pooty]

key in pocket for chain cleaning.

 

[jtarkany]

Sorry to hear about the mishap, glad to hear it wasn't worse and that you learned a valuable lesson from the incident.

 

[Motogiro]

Thank you for sharing this experience. I caught my finger between one of the sprocket nuts and the swing arm a month ago while trying to clean the hub. I was just turning the wheel by hand, so I can imagine it being under power.

Heal up quickly!

Cliff

 

[dean owens]

sorry to hear at that.

but this leads me to a question. not that i ever plan to do it.... but i don't understand how it idols in first. do you not have to apply some throttle? if not, is it because there's no load on the tire that you don't have to apply throttle? i've never understood how this was done when i have read about it.

 

[tominos]

scary! i used to run my bike to lube the chain too. never again.. hope you heal up quickly. did you go to the emergency room and have it stitched back on?

 

[tominos]

yeah, since there's no load on the engine, it can idle in first, second, third, any gear really.

 

[Motogiro]

sorry to hear at that.

but this leads me to a question. not that i ever plan to do it.... but i don't understand how it idols in first. do you not have to apply some throttle? if not, is it because there's no load on the tire that you don't have to apply throttle? i've never understood how this was done when i have read about it.

The bike is on the center stand or a swing arm/paddock stand with the rear wheel off the ground. Since there's no load on the back wheel (free wheeling) you can engage any gear and the rear wheel will also turn in neutral.

ENGINE OFF! is the way to service the bike. Too many mishaps can occur with that motor running. If for some reason that bike come off the stand it will lauch.

 

[fast blue one]

Lesson learnt hopefully by many. Sorry it had to be this way. I dont suppose it was salvageable ??

 

[DaveOTZ]

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little, hope they can do some work on that thumb... Good Luck in Rehab...

Ouch...

 

[PAULED]

:needpics: Only joking

When I read the heading I just knew what you did, I hope you are ok and it's not to bad.

To All.....Centre stand and turn the wheel by hand, there's no rush, as it can bite back.

Cheers

 

[mstewar1]

How about making this a sticky with pictures..?

To the OP, sorry man, harsh lesson.

 

[fazer.rider]

omg dude! another guy on the fz6 sbn.net forum lost his index finger the same way 1-2 years ago. DAMN!

 

[spamthefood]

Wow, I didn't know you were not supposed to clean the chain with the bike running!

Thanks for the post. Hope you heal up well.

 

[SirByron]

Nope, it wasn't salvagable, the sprocket ground it up too badly. My thumb will still work, I'm very lucky it didn't cut down to the second knuckle, just right above it. So it'll just be a little shorter is all. Yeah it definitely makes complete sense that the bike should not be running while performing maintenance on it, but a lot of things you dont realize till it's allready happened. Anyways sorry no pics! I could give you one once it's healed, but that's not quite as fun. Safe riding, and maintaining to everyone! Cheers

 

[ELIZABETH]

Nope, it wasn't salvagable, the sprocket ground it up too badly. My thumb will still work, I'm very lucky it didn't cut down to the second knuckle, just right above it. So it'll just be a little shorter is all. Yeah it definitely makes complete sense that the bike should not be running while performing maintenance on it, but a lot of things you dont realize till it's allready happened. Anyways sorry no pics! I could give you one once it's healed, but that's not quite as fun. Safe riding, and maintaining to everyone! Cheers

So sorry to hear about your thumb. I sure hope it heals up quickly, with no complications. Thank you so much for your post. (I can't believe you took the time to warn us so soon after it happened!) From the replies, it sounds like a lot of people didn't realize something like that could happen, so this is for helping the rest of us. :wav: