I have owned my 1997 Blackbird for about ten years now. I enjoy riding hard and always have. I have been thru at least 5 chains, 5 sets of sprockets, and many sets of tires. I have always ridden my Blackbird agressively with confidence regarding dependability, performance, etc. Finally, I have caused a problem that has no simple answer. My chain broke during an attempt to do a first to second gear wheelie. Something I have done countless times. Although I ride as much as possible, I have only accumulated a little over 40K miles on this bike. I have tried many bikes in an attempt to replace my Blackbird but have yet to find anything that accommodates all aspects such as comfort, performance, appeal, dependablilty, agility, etc. Oh...did I mention comfort. Anyway, when the chain broke it wadded up in the front counter shaft sprocket breaking the slave cylinder mount for the clutch, the counter shaft sprocket cover, and two of the mounting screw inserts on the main engine case. In other words, it pretty much ruined my favorite motorcycle. I now ponder what appears to be the only answer to my problem which is to purchase another Blackbird. The only other fix seems to be changing the engine out. I am not interested in welding bits and pieces back together in an effort to remount the slave cylinder and sprocket cover. There are no leaks. The only damage seems to be what I have listed above. Is anyone aware of an aftermarket rebuilder capable of building a higher performance engine to take the place of my existing engine? The thought of riding another bike doesn't excite me. If that is my only option then I will do so. I would appreciate any helpful input. Thanks in advance. Signranger (currently with a dead Blackbird).
