Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Drive Chain

I'm thinking of replacing my chain without changing the sprockets.....they seem to be in very good condition (for 21,000 miles), but the chain has become difficult to adjust due to an extremely tight spot.....when I adjust it at its tightest position, it has a very loose position as well....who makes a good replacement chain - with a master link?

Lots o' good info in the tech vault pertaining to chains and such.

After reading the "truth about chains" article that is linked in the tech vault I can see that the RK XSO chains are less expensive and indeed offer a great deal more tensile strength than some of the other "premium" chains.

I still have yet to purchase my chain and my bike has just under 22K on it now and it does have a fairly significant differential between the loosest point and the tightest point when the rear wheel is rotated. In all honesty the sprockets seem near flawless but it seems to make good sense to go ahead and R & R them at the same time.

Seems you can get a RK 530 XSO for a lot less , get more tensile strength and potentially if maintained properly get as much as 30K of life from said chain. ?

I am not sure if this is just "hype"

I am curious if anyone in our forum has gotten more than 25,000 miles out of chain that has been properly lubed or cleaned regularly.

I use a scottoiler now so I am really considering getting the premium sprockets from the chain Gang vendor in
Australia and mating them with an RK 530 XSO.

Always a good idea to treat the chain and sprockets as a single unit when replacing any portion. Chances are that the rollers in your current chain are fine (unless the o/x ring is leaking lube) and it's just side plate "stretch" that's affecting your current chain; that said a significant difference in tension suggests a replacement in the near future.

I found it interesting in the article on standard O-ring chains that most of the lube is gone by 5000 miles.

I use chainwax every 300-500 miles. When I replaced my chain I cleaned up and scrutinized my old front sprocket (19,500 mi), the teeth were worn on one side just like the picture in the manual. The rear looked much better. I guess it lasts longer having 2 1/2 times as many teeth. I turned my rear around and re-used it because the dealer sold me the wrong one.

Kevin,

Have you considered going to a 530 chain? From what Ben posted in the tech vault honda makes sprockets that bolt up to our bikes. Who was it that had some made? Was that Sandmann? Anyway I would think the 530 size would last longer. Me? I am at 62K and on my fourth chain kit. (I'm old school on replacing the sprocket and chain ring with every new chain.)

Another trick. I flip or change my front sprocket ($19) about every oil change. The front wears out, as said, about 2 1/2 times faster. Keeping a "fresh" pulling side on the front sprocket should make the chain last much longer. Also, like Moe said, going to the 530 size as a set would also help. I am going to change my front sprocket (17 teet original Triumph sprocket) this weekend, if anyone wants it. It will have about 5,000 miles on each side. ( I also went through a 16T sprocket.)

Thanks for reminding me about those Honda sprockets fitting ours. I found a ganga deal on a 17 tooth countershaft front sprocket and a rear 42 tooth for 1996 CBR 1000F and then went ahead and ordered a GB530XSO x 120 links at a great price as well.

I placed my order for these sprockets at Motorcyclesuperstore.com

Front 17 tooth part number 87612. (may just be a stock number for motorcyclesuperstore I am not sure if this is a Honda part number

Rear 42 tooth 86521 ...both sprockets for a 1996 Honda CBR1000F

The front is 19.99 and the rear is on sale now for 41.99.

Be sure to give us a report in another 20K miles. And thanks for the information!

will do. I'd like that report to be in at least 26-29 thousand miles and be able to say I still have some wear to go.