Cheap chains for adventure riding

**dino3310** · 17th July 2010, 22:34

Gidday fellas, am looking at a new chain and sprockets and ive come accross a couple of cheaper brands and was wondering if anyone's used them before.
1. TSUBAKI omega o-ring in 520
2. EK o-ring in 520.
Are they any good and how do ya rate them.

cheers
Deano

**dino3310** · 18th July 2010, 20:23

Bump,
well it is prime time viewing

**Padmei** · 18th July 2010, 20:32

Cant help ya bro. I've got a good quality chain - with an extra 3 bloody joining links cos I fked up the install.

**tri boy** · 18th July 2010, 20:51

Tsubaki and EK are both good quality chains.
Not sure on the specific spec of those listed, but either an O ring or X ring want let you down if they are both lubed regularly.
If I had to choose, I'd go the EK, as it seems to have a higher distribution network in NZ. Don't know which wholesalers import them, but I'm picking either Nationwide or Whites.

**dino3310** · 18th July 2010, 21:10

Sweet Cheers bro

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=303242930
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-304480886.htm

**JATZ** · 18th July 2010, 21:21

Ever thought about going to an engineers supplies and buying chain by the foot or meter or however they measure it, might be a bit cheaperer

**dino3310** · 18th July 2010, 22:20

i use to buy chain saw chain like that 25' or 100' roll

i just bought the EK $90 pretty cheap bro
will look after it and see how she lasts

**t3mp0r4ry nzr** · 18th July 2010, 22:33

well done!! just paid $120 for the same EK chain buying elsewhere

tempting to buy the tsubaki one and put away, for that price...

**dino3310** · 18th July 2010, 22:38

cheap alrite mate, am trying to find some spare pingers, it would be good to stock up on a couple of spares. would keep me going for a couple of years.

shit and to think i was saving for a $180 one at the local

**CrazyFrog** · 19th July 2010, 15:08

Generally speaking, if you go to their respective websites, you can get tech data for them.
What you need to look at is tensile strength, higher tensile chains last longer.
The EK SRO O-ring 520 pitch has tensile rating of 8000lb, which is good, recommended for bikes up to 50hp. I had one on my DRZ400 and it's been wearing well.

I can't get info on the Tsubaki Omega Chain, but here's another link to an interesting read about chain specs .....

http://www.quality-cycle.com/truth_a...cle_chains.htm

**dino3310** · 19th July 2010, 15:47

found the web site, sounds like a good road bike chain just wasnt sure how well they go offroad, but feed back so far has been positive.
http://tsubakimoto.com/products/chai...cle_chain.html

**wysper** · 19th July 2010, 15:48

so what makes the chain good for off road as opposed to road riding?
Is it resistance to grit and dirt?
Or are different forces exerted on the chain?
Or is it just marketing?

**warewolf** · 19th July 2010, 17:08

It's not just marketing, there are differences. Given that dirt bikes chew chains more than road bikes, I'd say it is a combination of grit and thumper power pulses - big thumpers chew chains more so than little thumpers.

The o-rings can have various shapes which varies their friction & sealing ability eg o, x, w & z. "O" being the simplest, cheapest & most primitive - I don't think I'd ever buy less than "X" unless I stepped down to a non-o-ring HD chain (no o-rings to worry about, can/must be water-blasted and lubed, cheap!) as the benefits per dollar are substantial and universally agreed.

These guys have concise summaries:
http://www.chaingangchainsandsprocke...20/cat_40.html
They thoroughly recommend the better sealing of the XW-rings for mud & sand. In endurance racing (safari, cross-country etc) chains get abused and they see marked differences in durability. So far the best-value chain on my 640 has been the RK XSO, a mid-range chain at a low-range price. 85% of the km vs the GXW, for 61% of the $. Hard to justify the XW at that performance, although the sprockets haven't lasted as long with the cheaper chain.

One point to note if you are shopping for value: it is important to match the quality of the chain to the sprockets. As the each component wears, it takes the others with it. So a cheap chain will chew out expensive sprockets prematurely, and vice versa.

Tensile strength comes at the expense of either weight or dollars... take your pick.