Montgomery Wards mini bike chain woes

RustyRedneck

RustyRedneck

Member
#1
#1
Hey fellas, I got a Montgomery Wards mini bike years ago for Christmas from my grandpa, rode it for a while, parked it in the shed and haven't done anything with it for years. Lately I've been thinking about it more and more and want to get it back out this spring once it warms up around here. I think it's a wards but I'm not sure as there were no decals to be seen that had a name on them and the frame had been repainted. Anyway, the last summer I rode it I remember I was trying to get the chain to stay on for more than 400 feet but after trying everything I could think of and eventually ruining the drove sprocket on the clutch from over tightening it, I gave up and pushed it back in the shed for the winter and never got back to it. I had built a sort of chain guide, tensioner out of a piece of wood bolted to the frame with a slot the same width as the chain but that didn't seem to help much. What seems to work the best for you guys to keep the chain on? It would usually fall off when I'd lean to the side and give it a little throttle to climb out of my parents ditch and back up onto the drive way. Do I need to adjust the way I ride until I can get it to stay on or what? I know now that I have to replace the clutch and from there I'm not sure. Any help is welcome. No I don't have pictures of it. Mom never saw the need to get pictures of me riding it and I was too young to care. Thanks!
 
capguncowboy

capguncowboy

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
Welcome to the mini bike scene and the madness that is sure to follow :laugh:

If you still have the bike, post up some pictures of it. Odds are something was out of alignment or the chain was stretched, or the sprockets were worn. Any of which would cause the chain to come off.

If we can ID your bike, we can give you better advice
 
neo71665

neo71665

Member
#5
#5
MW didn't actually make their bikes, just re-branded. Like asked above one was made by gilson (had the swing arm). Two of those models have the swing arm but didn't have rear shocks (323 and the 424 had strut rods factory) so they are solid but easily converted by bolting on shocks. The 525 had shocks factory. All 3 should have had a jack shaft and 2 short chains between the engine and rear tire. Somebody could have done away with the jack shaft and tried to direct drive it over the years.



There was another model that had no rear suspension. I think Alexander Reynolds made them. I don't own one so I havent researched nor remember much about them.



And there are a few others but from my limited knowledge those are the 2 most common MW bike styles to pop up.
 
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RustyRedneck

RustyRedneck

Member
#7
#7
I don't have any pictures of it but I still have it. I'll try to get some pictures next time I'm out at my folks' place. It has no suspension at all and it only has one drive chain. I don't remember any place for another jack shaft but that could've been done away with. It has a scrub brake and I believe the factory steel wheels. The old engine had been replaced by a 3.5 horse Briggs shortly before I got it but my dad remembers the gas tank being on the front of the engine. The handle bars are straight. No forward or backwards bends. It looks to me like the red one in the picture provided by Neo71665. I know the drive sprocket is worn out now but before I started messing with it, it was fine. I believe the driven one was still good too. Like I say, I'll try to get pictures of it soon.
 
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buckeye

buckeye

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
If it didn't have a swing aRm or jackshact, I bet you sprocket is trazhed.
Or your alignment was off.
Just guessing with info provided.
 
D

ditz

New Member
#9
#9
Probably not the problem but frame flex will also allow the chain to come off. Just a thought. A loose motor or broken motor mount will also do the same as a frame flex
 
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