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Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 5:34 pm

Guys 'n Gals,

How long do you get out of a new chain?

Do you always need to change the sprockets over at the same time?

thks

Mick
Last edited by Ratmick on Wed May 11, 2005 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 5:42 pm

depends on wheelies..... and other things, but i reckon 20,000Kms should be fine.
and you're suppossed to change everything, but I never have and have always been fine :roll:
meh

re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 5:52 pm

I've always changed everything - ranged from 15000kms up to 25000kms
ty

re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 5:56 pm

The correct way would be to change everything at the same time,worn sprocket teeth will wear a new chain quicker.And if you want to get maximum life out of a chain and sprockets then try a Scottoiler,i don't see many people using them here but most dispatch bikes in London wear them.

Re: re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 6:18 pm

Nick wrote: most dispatch bikes in London wear them.


Whats a dispatch bike?

Re: re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 6:24 pm

Mojo67 wrote:
Nick wrote: most dispatch bikes in London wear them.


Whats a dispatch bike?

A shitty bike a courier rides.

re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 6:41 pm

i think i changed my chain at 34,000km..but i dunno how long the original had been on it..i got the bike with 8,000km on it..so i got abt 26k km....
and yea i change all 3 items at once..i kno Jamie does too...

re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 7:12 pm

It looks like I need new chain & sprockets, the chain has really stretched.

Does anyone know of anywhere cheaper than Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse?

DID Chain 530 X'Ring ZJ

MAW Member Price $159.84

(includes free delivery)

RRP $168.25


Anyone got a mate who's got a mate who knows someone with a bike shop who can do me a deal? Colette, I seem to recall you had the inside track on Renthals, but you were the only recipient... :)

re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 7:49 pm

Change sprokets and chain at the same time, you should get 25-30k out of them unless ya being hard or have the wrong size. :wink: Oilers are a waste of time and dollars on a bike, with o'ring chains it is not important, all the oil will do is save ya sprokets a tiny bit and thats debatable. Oil will attract grit and wear stuff out. Want to challenge my opinion, go ahead, I have spent the best years of my life as a fitter in harsh conditions such as blast furnaces, mines and boiler houses. Never use penatrene (wd) on a o'ring chain! If ya want to oil a chain don't get an o'ring chain, if ya really feel ya havta do some greasing spray some wax chain lube but I wiould doubt if it does anything great or extend the life of bad chain.
But in real terms if ya chain has streched you really should replace it, measure point to point and repeat again as you turn over the the chain. But I could go on and on and on about chains etc but I will spare you all the lesson because it just ain't worth it.

Re: re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 8:08 pm

scotty37 wrote:Change sprokets and chain at the same time, you should get 25-30k out of them unless ya being hard or have the wrong size. :wink: Oilers are a waste of time and dollars on a bike, with o'ring chains it is not important, all the oil will do is save ya sprokets a tiny bit and thats debatable.


I now have 48,000km on my OE chain and it's nowhere near worn. The only thing I do different compared to people whose chains are rooted by the 25,000km mark is overclean and overlube it; every 400-450km, or after riding in the wet or on dirt, whichever comes first... what's more, people who've fitted Scottoilers and their ilk really_do_get stupid amounts of km's from their chains and sprockets.)

Want to challenge my opinion, go ahead, I have spent the best years of my life as a fitter in harsh conditions such as blast furnaces, mines and boiler houses. Never use penatrene (wd) on a o'ring chain!


Fair enough, but how many of those industrial chains have to operate under the sorts of cadences bike chains experience?

Re: re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 8:38 pm

I-K wrote:I now have 48,000km on my OE chain and it's nowhere near worn. The only thing I do different compared to people whose chains are rooted by the 25,000km mark is overclean and overlube it; every 400-450km, or after riding in the wet or on dirt, whichever comes first... what's more, people who've fitted Scottoilers and their ilk really_do_get stupid amounts of km's from their chains and sprockets.)

I ride on dirt every day, and in winter it's always wet dirt. Some people would call it a driveway, except mine's 300m long...

I have a sneaking suspicion I didn't oil the mutha enough last winter and I killed it. :oops:

Re: re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 8:49 pm

Ratmick wrote:
I-K wrote:I now have 48,000km on my OE chain and it's nowhere near worn. The only thing I do different compared to people whose chains are rooted by the 25,000km mark is overclean and overlube it; every 400-450km, or after riding in the wet or on dirt, whichever comes first... what's more, people who've fitted Scottoilers and their ilk really_do_get stupid amounts of km's from their chains and sprockets.)

I ride on dirt every day, and in winter it's always wet dirt. Some people would call it a driveway, except mine's 300m long...

I have a sneaking suspicion I didn't oil the mutha enough last winter and I killed it. :oops:

whos mother?? bretts??...yea oil her up good!! she likes it that way...

Re: re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 8:51 pm

neka79 wrote:
Ratmick wrote:I have a sneaking suspicion I didn't oil the mutha enough last winter and I killed it. :oops:

whos mother?? bretts??...yea oil her up good!! she likes it that way...

Jezz, it ALWAYS comes(!) back to Brett's mum. Apart from Brett she's got a lot answer for... :shock:

Re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 8:54 pm

Ratmick wrote:How long do you get out of a new chain?
Do you always need to change the sprockets over at the same time?

BTW, I went back to the archives to get this info as I'm sure I asked this last time I bought a chain. Alas the archives only go back to July 2004, so I'm thinking the chain has done 15 months and probably 20-25,000km.

re: Chain life?

Wed May 11, 2005 9:37 pm

Cant be "Me Mum" she dont self lubricate like the Scotts units any more :shock: .
I get about 35k outta a chain, normally replace front sprocket as well. Every 2nd Chain, I do the complete set.
I use a Wax now though & "tiggrs" chain is looking pretty good after 25k. Worst thing you can do to a chain is overtighten it (stretches hot spots into it) & too much lube is worse then not enough.
HTH.
Cheers Brett
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