Chain replacement: when & why exactly?

[Corse1]

hmm interesting, I noticed the opposite.. i got a couple of fronts that are useable from replacing sets. but the rears are never useable.

Very unusual. The front, being smaller, has to work 2-3 times as much as the rear, therefore, it gets worn 2-3x as fast...

Interstingly I was reading a 2011 Kiwirider mag last night where a Hyosung 250 had been ridden 134000kms. On the consumables list I noticed the front sprocket lasted longer than the rear and thought "how The feck can that be"

From the article Changed at KM:
Chains: 11982km, 35792km, 84214km, 109000km
Rear sprocket: 35792km, 64212km (still on 3rd sprocket)
Front Sprocket: 64212km, (still on sceond)

[Gremlin]

My personal policy is to replace the whole lot as a set, otherwise you're prematurely wearing the new parts into the old parts, as such. I think the Hornet does about 35-45k per set. Mid range gear, not cheap shite, not ridiculously expensive. Has a scottoiler fitted, but it doesn't always have oil... I blame the BMW shaft for that, as it's been very easy to start ignoring maintenance

I remember the shop showing me the difference between front and rear, rear was worn and needing replacement, the front completely fucked and missing teeth...

[bogan]

I can only suggest you try it. At around 25mm I dont think it will damage an O-ring, and there is not much grit (as a cutting tool would have). As I say, my gumboot stops it OK without damage. I just can't see why bits of dirt should find it easier to go through an O-ring edges than to simply follow the bulk of the water out in to the environment.

I don't think you understand the failure-mode, it isn't going to be immediatley apparent, it'll just cause extra wear over time which is very hard to quantify; I don't know why I should risk doing that to my chain when I won't be able to tell one way or th other.

Have you ever water blasted stickers off? Why doesn't the water just all flow off without working its way under the edges? And its not just stickers with a nice edge to work with, I've blasted paint off by accident before. These things don't fit with your "follow the bulk of the water out in to the environment" theory. It's more like a conservation of momentum theory or something...

When I had a ZX10R, it spat the OEM set out in 17k... 50k? I'd have been stoked!

hehe, must be a kwaka then...

[bogan]

Interstingly I was reading a 2011 Kiwirider mag last night where a Hyosung 250 had been ridden 134000kms. On the consumables list I noticed the front sprocket lasted longer than the rear and thought "how The feck can that be"

From the article Changed at KM:
Chains: 11982km, 35792km, 84214km, 109000km
Rear sprocket: 35792km, 64212km (still on 3rd sprocket)
Front Sprocket: 64212km, (still on sceond)

Aluminium rear, hardened steel front? Pretty common setup these days which would explain more wear on the back.

[The Lone Rider]

This link pulled from 13


http://chain-guide.com/toc.html

[sootie]

I did say the ZZR chain was at least 50,000kms old. It is quite possible that it has never been replaced & is the OEM chain. How can I tell? It just seemed impossible to me from what other riders have said. I can state that there has not been much wear in 30,000kms. It has been re-tensioned exactly twice in that time (once when I bought the bike) & not by huge amounts.

If it is the original chain, it has done 94,000kms & is still truckin'! Someone please tell me.
I do know that very little maintenance had ever been done to the bike when I bought it.
I don't think I am particularly hard on the bike in my riding style, but the law has taken an interest in me from time to time.

[Fast Eddie]

Very unusual. The front, being smaller, has to work 2-3 times as much as the rear, therefore, it gets worn 2-3x as fast...

yep it definitely makes sense... yet here I am with a couple of spare front sprockets for the blade haha..

s'all good.

chain n sprockets aren't even that dear.. wish I wouldn't go through so many tyres!

[Fast Eddie]

Aluminium rear, hardened steel front? Pretty common setup these days which would explain more wear on the back.

it would.

hard to tell, I'v had an aluminium sprocket before, they don't last long at all but weigh almost nothing. not sure what came in last couple of trademe kits I bought. surely cheap steel at the price I paid, didn't feel light tho

[Flip]

On my last bike a Trophy 1200. The first chain lasted 24k, then I fitted a new one with a scott oiler. It was still going strong after 85k on the clock.

[Bassmatt]

. It has been done before on this forum, but even the WOF testers still disagree about this one.

I've never noticed anyone even glance at my chain for a wof. Is it something they are supposed to check?

[george formby]

I'm in an odd situation. My chain only gets adjusted when I replace the back tire. A first for me. This includes gravel riding but very little wet riding, I'm a gentleman rider now. I clean with kero & lube as necessary. Apart from having a super tough chain & sprockets (it's an x ring) which is unlikely, the only reasons I can think of for the longevity are regular maintenance & a wee clue, the very little wet riding. I chewed through chains in the UK, even with a scottoiler, but I rode all weathers, mainly wet. At open road speeds in decent rain you are waterblasting your chain for the duration of the ride. When you looked at the bike in the morning the chain would be rusty & dry. A friend chewed through a new set of chain & sprockets on a 24 hour dash to the South of France, pished down the whole trip, t'was a GSXR 1000, though.
When is it worn? Well, i reckon when you spot the first tell tale, whether it be loose on the rear sprocket, a tight spot or a bit of sideways slop, start saving, it will wear faster & faster.
A chain stretch indicator would be useful, once it has lengthened by a certain percentage then it's time for a new set.

[spanner spinner]

I've never noticed anyone even glance at my chain for a wof. Is it something they are supposed to check?

Yep they are meant to check the chain in a WOF for both tension and wear, but your right most places don't.

[Fatjim]

Modern bike chains don't need lubing for the sake of the chain internals as the o-rings keep the lube in. Lubing is for the chain to sprocket face.

In terms of wear, check your chain for sticky links, links that don't move easily. If you have these, replace the chain as this eats up horsepower and fuel.

[sootie]

Yep they are meant to check the chain in a WOF for both tension and wear, but your right most places don't.

I use the local AA for WOF testing. They only allow one older guy to check big bikes, and he is a biker of obvious long standing. He does a very thorough check on my bike which I watch & he usually comes up with a few suggestions which are sensible & which I respect. Most are fairly minor, and don't affect the WOF pass.
He picked me up on chain tension last time, and just suggested a tweak tighter which I agreed with & did.
Local LTNZ were previously pissing me off. Their expert retired & I then struck several recent immigrant idiots in a row so I changed.

I can miss something wrong with my bike, and I want someone independant to go over it & convince me afterwards that they know what they are doing. Happy with the guy I have now. If something goes wrong with my bike at speed, I might die!

[Lozza2442]

Anyone know how much it costs to get yer chain tightened? Bike came with new chain, needs tightening. Not sure how much it'll cost. I live by Barrys Point Rd so somewhere like cycletreads with be the go.