WHO NEEDS A CHAIN GUIDE? MR. KNOW-IT-ALL

Dear Mr. Know-It-All,

Most dirt bikes and dual sports have a chainguide. I’ve noticed that some adventure bikes don’t have anything, or just a fin like the Africa Twin. I’d think anything that goes off-road with longish suspension travel would have a chain guide. Is a chain guide essential for going off-road? What’s your take?
Wondering Pete
via [email protected]

To be quite honest, the majority of ADV riders rarely venture off anything rougher than a two-track fire road. It may have something to do with their $20,000 machines, or the fact that they weigh the same as two KTM 450s. But, there are hardcore riders out there, and their passion is exploration. With this in mind, they set themselves and their machines up to finish. Off-road riders must be self-sufficient, and, therefore, a strong chain guide is a must for ADV riders who ride chain-driven machines. Besides the ongoing chain slap that is normal, hitting faster G-loads on a 450-pound machine will make things flex–the swingarm being one of them. Tossing your chain in the backcountry usually turns into a nightmare scenario. Acerbis offers a strong unit for the Honda Africa Twin that can take a good bit of abuse and rectifies the issue.