RE: Saito 80 GK blown up
I know that on many of the Saitos, the big-end to crankcase clearance is *very* small to the extent that if the rear bearing wears then the conrod *will* touch the crankcase. I suspect that if the contact was sufficiently hard and prolonged, the result could be a broken rod.
I always change my bearings at the very first sign of wear or noise.