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Opinion on a Chain

Tell him to get a good chain. Replacing an engine because the chain broke and went through the case?

Don't step over dollars to pick up dimes.


Edit to add:

Show him these pics, and ask him if he still wants to use a cheap chain.

images



01broken_case.jpg
 
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Don't cheap out on ANYTHING related to motorcycling...that's how I roll even though I'm not a baller. Save your cheapness for things that don't matter as much, like friends, family, gf
 
Well, that chain is rated for 8.5k lbs tensile strenght. Yes chains snap, but i'm willing to bet it would have to be a clusterfuck of poor maintenance, huge amounts of neglect and incredibly shitty luck for it to happen.
 
Albal0ney said:
Don't cheap out on ANYTHING related to motorcycling...that's how I roll even though I'm not a baller. Save your cheapness for things that don't matter as much, like friends, family, gf
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omfg that made my day. ima use that on my sig. pm me if you want me not to
 
Flying Pig said:
Steel sprockets are more economical than aluminum ones. C'mon. Haven't you learned that lesson yet?

Maybe it's just me, but I highly doubt I'd notice the weight savings. But I sure do notice the longer life :cool
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look again.. steel rear and steel front :cool
 
k9gsxr600 said:
look again.. steel rear and steel front :cool
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I didn't click on the link earlier. Just assumed that Driven was still going the hardened aluminum route.

I knew that they were working on a steel rear as of last year when I was looking for sprockets, but they didn't release it to the market back then. Good to hear that they're out now :thumbup
 
russ69 said:
Buy the best chain you can afford, it will be cheaper in the long run.
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Not only this, but a chain is one of those things that you REALLY don't want to break. Besides happening at the worst possible time according to Mr. Murphy, even if you do make past that semi you gunning by, I've heard stories where cheap chains break, take out your left side case or even wrap around the rider's leg.....
 
Flying Pig said:
I didn't click on the link earlier. Just assumed that Driven was still going the hardened aluminum route.

I knew that they were working on a steel rear as of last year when I was looking for sprockets, but they didn't release it to the market back then. Good to hear that they're out now :thumbup
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i'm going to try the rear steel 520 plus two :teeth
 
Years ago, and things might have changed for the better, I bought a chain that rhymes with sooooobaki. New chain, new sprockets. Installed, started stretching immediately. At 3000 miles, started losing rollers. So I removed it and the dealer I bought it from sent it back. I got a reply that there was battery acid on it. So I looked under the bike, and the battery drain was on the opposite side away from the chain, and there was no battery acid damage anywhere on the bike, not on the swingarm, not on the battery box, not on the sprocket or the wheel, or anywhere else for that matter. They said I was SOL on the matter. So I bought the DID ZVM (I think that was the model, it was the most expensive one they had). I used the same sprockets. I never had to replace it again, it never needed adjustment (when I changed tires, I just yanked the axle and didn't touch the adjusters), and when I sold that bike at 60,000 miles, it was still cool. I put the replacement chain on at 25,000 miles.

Now to my current Ducati, and the YZ450F that I just got rid of. Same thing, put the DID ZVM on both bikes, the Duc had 12,000, the Yamaha stock chain went away in less than 200 miles. I put Stealth steel over aluminum sprockets on both bikes. The YZ went 2 years before I sold it, and the chain was still tits, the Ducati is coming on 25,000 miles, and it hasn't needed to be adjusted, and is looking good.

I won't use anything but the best DID they make. And yes, years ago, I had a chain blow through the cases on an old dirtbike I had, I tend to keep a close eye on chains now.
 
You get what you pay for.....

I bought one time due to budget constraints some no name on sale chain for my 426. One ride and that thing was so far stretched out and damaged pins it wasn't funny. I paid $30 from a reputable store we all frequent. Not their fault at all I do not blame them, they did give me a great deal on a new DID after I showed them the chain after one ride.

Moral of the Story, You get what you pay for.

DID, TSUBAKI, DIAMOND all are great I still have the OEM on my 06 R1 after It is in great shape thanks to cleaning and AMSOIL MP Chain Lube In my opinion
 
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Wouldn't trust a chain that isn't even willing to name the manufacturer. As others have said, the most economical chain is OEM pitch with a pair of good steel sprockets. Expect to pay $100 or so for such a chain, and $70+ for both sprockets. Chains are too much of a pain to replace to make it worth skimping on.
 
Just to be the devils advocate, I have to ask what did people do before the advent of mass produced o ring chains in the 80's? I dont remember folks having to replace chains after only a couple thousand miles if properly maintained and adjusted.

I still advocate the purchase of a quality chain. But that doesnt always equate to the most expensive ones (nor the cheapest either I guess). Getting a chain that meets the power/spec requirements of the application and maintenance is the most important aspect I think.

BTW, folks going down in chain sizing to save weight on a street used bike is one of the silliiest bling mods that come to mind... right there with D&D exhaust. Off topic of course.
 
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OaklandF4i said:
Just to be the devils advocate, I have to ask what did people do before the advent of mass produced o ring chains in the 80's? I dont remember folks having to replace chains after only a couple thousand miles if properly maintained and adjusted.

I still advocate the purchase of a quality chain. But that doesnt always equate to the most expensive ones (nor the cheapest either I guess). Getting a chain that meets the power/spec requirements of the application and maintenance is the most important aspect I think.

BTW, folks going down in chain sizing to save weight on a street used bike is one of the silliiest bling mods that come to mind... right there with D&D exhaust. Off topic of course.
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I dropped from a 530 to a 520 with a -1/+2 on my RR. Was great, but chain life drops in half. Went back to a 530, same -1/+2 and don't see any difference other than my chain life is back. The weight difference is squat. (For the street)

Stick with stock size and spec people.
 
BigB said:
I dropped from a 530 to a 520 with a -1/+2 on my RR. Was great, but chain life drops in half. Went back to a 530, same -1/+2 and don't see any difference other than my chain life is back. The weight difference is squat. (For the street)

Stick with stock size and spec people.
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-1 +2 makes you feel fast, but it doesn't make you go fast. Great for 1st gear wheelies, not typical street use. You lose a lot of power by shifting to 3rd prematurely, kill freeway performance, and don't gain much in any gear above 3rd.

My girlfriends bike came that way when she bought it. Tried it and hated it.
 
Burning1 said:
-1 +2 makes you feel fast, but it doesn't make you go fast. Great for 1st gear wheelies, not typical street use. You lose a lot of power by shifting to 3rd prematurely, kill freeway performance, and don't gain much in any gear above 3rd.

My girlfriends bike came that way when she bought it. Tried it and hated it.
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I dont have any of those issues.

Made my bike perform better than stock. Way more in 1st and 2nd. Don't notice any loss of power anywhere. Top end dropped, but I don't do 150+ much on the street.

Only a 450 rpm gain for cruising speed on freeway. Minor mpg drop. Lost 6mpg.

All around a major boost in performance. I never hung out in high gears. Always low ones. 55k miles and still going.
 
(Pssst... Probably closer to 49K miles, unless you installed a speedo healer.)

I'll run the dyno charts for your bike at some point.

If you're comparing gear to gear, yeah, your bike is always going to feel a little more powerful. But on most bikes, major gearing changes will tend to force you out of gear early. This is especially true between 2nd and 3rd, where you tend to suffer a noticable dip in power. IMO, this loss is way more significant than the low-end gains in 1st and 2nd, esp since 1st tends to be wheelie limited with modified gearing.

The comparison is no longer 3rd to 3rd and 4th to 4th, it's 3rd with stock gearing vs 4th with modified gearing, 4th stock vs 5th modified, etc. And it usually means you're not taking best advantage of each gear. On many bikes, what you end up with is a 6th gear that is pretty similar to what 5th used to be.
 
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Burning1 said:
-1 +2 makes you feel fast, but it doesn't make you go fast. Great for 1st gear wheelies, not typical street use. You lose a lot of power by shifting to 3rd prematurely, kill freeway performance, and don't gain much in any gear above 3rd.

My girlfriends bike came that way when she bought it. Tried it and hated it.
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Burning1 said:
(Pssst... Probably closer to 49K miles, unless you installed a speedo healer.)
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Put that on before the sprocket upgrade. With the PC too.
 
Tell that friend of yours to forget the masterlink chains. He has a CBR600RR. If he wanted to use masterlink chains, he should have bought a CB350 instead.

Also, start casually discussing (nothing to do with your chain man, honest!) various modes of failure in which the chain fails, locks up the rear tire, and makes him lowside, and man have you seen how expensive new plastics and surgery are? :teeth


In all seriousness, safety pays huge dividends. A trip to the hospital for some road rash and 13 stitches cost me something like $800, and I had health insurance.
 
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