had to tighten my chain the past 2 weekends. ride about 750 miles per week. rode to work and back today and my chain is loose again.

not real loose, but not the spec i like to have it at.

is this a sign that she's going bye bye rapidly? chain's got 28k on it, mostly commuting.... and i just ordered a new one from kneedraggers.com ....

how much longer do i have? :???:

Not very long unless you change it soon :) I would ride easy till you do JS

28K?! Daaayum...

I got about 9K on my current DID 530VM (ZVM was backordered and I wanted to ride...) and it's ready to be retired.

8 miles eh? lol....

i changed to a 16t front sprocket at about 13-15k, can't remember exactly, but have another 16t ready to go when i get the chain....

unfortunately i'm stranded with only motorsickle transport for the next 300 miles :shock: ... guess i better get up early to have mellow traffic to ride in vs warfare traffic ....

is 9k miles what i should expect from my new ZVM DID X 530 whatever chain i just ordered for $128?????

yeh, i can really hear mine, noticed last weekend. getting rid of the old CCT cleared out some noise as well to let me hear how bad the chain was....

No no no, 9K is what I got out of the VM. I wanted the ZVM, but it was backordered, and I needed one right away. So, I got the VM. It was only rated for up to 1000cc's. The ZVM is the one to get.

Your rant is well justified. I've always thought the displacement rating of a chain was total bullshit.

I got in a hurry going to Cody this year and bought the VM.
Sorry I did. 7k and it's on it's way out. Will buy the ZVM next time.

I think the Cody and Northwest riding bunch made me use more throttle than the chain was designed for. It's all their fault.

They should all pitch in and get me a new chain for Christmas.
Just dropping a few hints guys. Later, Cal

Nice rant, I have to agree. But don't get me started on another consumer rant...


:shock: You're plain out of chain karma there. In fact, in your next lifetime you're going to come back as an abused motorcycle chain.

I think the average life for the 530ZVM is around 17-20k. I've gone 21k, and it was thoroughly shagged, and also replaced one at 18 before it really had to be replaced (but was tired of the noise and surging). I think I'm at 15k on a VM (ZVM out of stock, got a great discount), and it's time. The indicator marks don't say it is stretched, but it's got tight spots and surges.

Carlos, You've got 15k on the VM? What chain lube do you use?

I've been using chain-wax and I don't think it works. So now I'm
using Maxima Synthetic Chain Gard. Hope it's better.

Cal

My next chain (ZVM), I'm not lubing it, EVER! :shock:

Maxima Chain Wax, and never clean it. Looks like I'm at just under 14k actually. While it hasn't stretched much, it has a lot of tight spots. The wheelies don't help that at all I guess.

Ok so noise ,surging ,tight spots....got all that. time for a new chain, I guess I should change the sprockets too , What type of sprocket do you recommend.
I am getting the DID 530ZVM chain

what is the best source for purchasing the DID 530ZVM chain?

got mine at kneedraggers.com - dont' want to know if i could get it cheaper cuz obviously i need it :shock:

working hard right now to make the change this week.....

Stock rear. Don't bother replacing it with your first chain replacement; it will easily do double that. For the front I use an AFAM 16 tooth. For stock teeth, use the stock sprocket.

OK....I got a DID gold chain. I was told it is rated for 1100cc's and under. I have about 4500 on it now and no problems so far. (Although people tell me it is a bit loud when they are riding next to me)But....people were so worried (including myself) that I was in danger because the chain wasn't to spec....So I quickly bought a RK XW ring chain. It is the GB530GXW chain. It has the gold links that I wanted, and it is a heavy duty, long life chain. I will run the DID gold until the end of the season and then get my new chain and tires put on..DONE !

Dave

Oh fuck... here we go again... <<looking for cover...>> :poke: :lol:

/quote]I think the average life for the 530ZVM is around 17-20k. I've gone 21k, and it was thoroughly shagged, and also replaced one at 18 before it really had to be replaced (but was tired of the noise and surging). I think I'm at 15k on a VM (ZVM out of stock, got a great discount), and it's time. The indicator marks don't say it is stretched, but it's got tight spots and surges.[/quote]

So I should reconsider doing my SS1000 on Friday. The bike has 20K on it and I'm pretty sure it's still the stock chain and sprockets. :sad:

on the other hand.....what's another 1k? I'm no chain expert but I'd have to think that most of the wear on a chain occurs with a change in tension.....accelerating or decel. IF you're running on the highway and not whacking it all the time.....staying steady....then why not?

(...assuming that your chain still meets all of the standard criteria...)

I'll look at it closely tonight as well as the front sprocket. If things don't look real bad I'll just ride like hell. If it looks questionable I'll give some thought to delaying the ride for a week. I spent the past 2 weeks getting everything (except the driveline) ready to go now I'm stressing out over the first thing I should have addressed. I've been watching the wear indicators on the rear and I'm almost 2/3 of the way there according to those but I've never looked at the front sprocket.

don't let my poor example sway you, BUT i've inadvertantly ridden 8k miles on my stock chain with my 16T front sprocket, prolly 50% splitting lanes on and off the throttle.... no wheelies though :wink:

but it would suck to get stranded anywheres!

It's a chain thread so I thought I'd post my experience - and I am bored at work :grin: :

Stock chain -> 11 kmiles (dead stretched)
530 ZVM -> 19 (noisy with tight spots, not too stretched)


Hugo

Just finished checking out the drive line. At 20K the rear sprocket looks great, the front looks just as good (I wish I could compare it to a new one though). Chain has a few tight spots. The wear indicator is just barely past the halfway mark in the green with the chain adjusted on the tighter side of the spec. The tight spots in the chain appear to equate to about 1/4" less play when on the center stand. I ran it through the gears at idle while on the centerstand and nothing concerned me as it was all pretty smooth. I'm pretty sure that everything is still original but there is no way for me to be sure. So with that said I'm gonna rip up the Nevada desert on Friday. I'll try to get a pic of my buddy and I in front of the Whore House in Fallon (the 1/2 way point) and I'll post it if any of you are interested. :bike:

bring it on!

Okay, so kneedraggers.com is the cheapest source for this chain?

i didn't shop much but from the looks of the responses on this message i think so (hope so) :wink:

got mine from kneedraggers.com, they had to drop ship it from some place in MO though :roll:

whitebuffalo couldn't get 'em.. i think they had a better price, and are right up the street from me :???:

i'm thinking those precarious thoughts of buying the tools to do it myself instead of having to go to a DEALER.... hmmpppffff.... :mad:

I'm in the market for a chain too. I don't know what it is with the dealers around here. I went to one that I normally don't buy from a while back and he quoted me for a 530 VM. He seemed kinda dumb so I just said thanks and left.

Today I go to my perferred dealer. They are Honda only and are great guys. I ask how much a chain is for a Blackbird...the guy can't remember what size the chain is so I tell him 530. Not that big of a deal except he is the parts guy AND he rides a bird. :roll:

He quotes me $102. Immediately I know that its the wrong chain so I ask which one he is quoting me for. He says DID. :roll:
No I mean which model is it? Oh...its the standard one. Yes but which one...what model number. 530VM. No thats the wrong one. So then he says...but its what I use on my bike. <sigh> Just look up the ZVM for me please. $180. Thats about what I figured it would be from them. I asked him if that was the best he could do because I wanted to give them my money as opposed to ordering it but that was simply too much of a difference. He asks how much I can order it for. I tell him $130. He says $155 is the best he can do...and HE cant even order them for 130.
Then the other parts buy throws in with HEY...RK makes a good chain...its what I use on my RC51. Its about 100 bucks. Ok...which one? The RK XSO. At that point I was just irritated because they were trying tell me these were good and blah blah they used them and yadda yadda. I said I didnt think that was the right model for the RK either but I would check and let them know.
Fuck it. I think Ill just buy the chain tools and do it myself.

From reading everyones posts here there is a significant difference in the VM and the ZVM and Ill assume the XSO and GWX are the similarly different.
I think Ill heed the advice of those who have been there and done that over the advice of someone who wants to sell me somthing. It just bugs me because I like those guys and want to think that in this case they may just not be too familiar with the difference rather than just trying to bullshit me.

Good decision. You do want the ZVM. Check to see what they will charge you to install the ZVM for you just to avoid the purchase of the Chain riveter, maybe. The ZVM comes with the riveted master link.

Done????

The place charges $30 to put the chain on. My bro in law needs a chain too...so I figured we could just buy the chain tool and come out ahead in the long run.

I know its been discussed somewhere before but what is a good chain tool? I checked on line and the motion pro looked decent and was like $75 or so.

$75 is good. JCWhitney has them for $87.

$75 for the tool that will do the whole change?

except maybe cut the old chain off with a dremel tool?

this tool will remove the extra links that i won't need because i run a 16t front sprocket?

and do the rivet stuff?
and press the plate stuff?

geesh, i'm SURE that the honda dealer will charge me that to put the thing on... but haven't called yet, might as well buy the tool and do it myself.

anybody see the chain install article in the last 'RoadBike'?

me new chain showed today :grin:

off to the dealer tomorrow to see if i can get drive thru service, otherwise, hopefully wednesday!!!!

approachin 29k.... and i can feel the chain now, kinda like those marbles we talk about being in the engine with the CCT goes bad?.....

.... and hopefully it's just the chain makin those noises, as i DID just change my old CCT for a new X-11 CCT :shock:

OK, BOTTOM LINE QUESTION...........CAN THE VM BE RUN OR NOT????

Just bought one from this guy, it was at the house in 3 days. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...sspagename=WDVW

And yes, it's gold.

G2

That's a good price, G2, but I didn't think that they made the ZVM in gold?

I got my last chain (ZVM) from MAW for $136 including shipping last fall, but am looking for another for a buddy. Is that definately a ZVM as stated in the auction?

Just got my DID 530 ZVM chain (in 1 week) from White Buffalo.

FOR $108 DELIVERED!

GET YOUR'S NOW!!!

Wow, smokin' deal! :shock:

Thanks Pete! I'll call them on Mon.

White Buffalo.... great price and good people to deal with.

My chain is the 530ZVM in gold. Want a pic?

G2

Yes, post a pic.

Kneedraggers.com drop shipped me one this winter.
Good price. $124 Kinda fast shipping. Lister recommendation. I'm happy.
-Suf Daddy

i got my 530ZVM and stock front and back sprockets whole set plus installation at $310 singapore dollars.

Richard

If anything the RK XSO is worse than a DID ZM. I currently have the RK XSO [Honda dealer claimed it was an upgrade]. It's done about 17000km [10,500 miles] and is COMPLETELY SHAGGED [as in well into Replace chain, surging, noisy. And I just commute!

I got 24,000km on the stock.

Bought my ZVM yesterday from DMTA, $103 + $20 for a 16 tooth JT front sprocket + $9 shipping.

I'm happy,
gcp

Hey G2, are you sure you have a gold ZVM or a VM? I haven't seen a gold ZVM yet.

The one I just got isn't gold.

Mine will be black soon with chain lube anyway why bother. :roll:

chaparral motorsports installs chains for 35-40 bucks. I called one time it was 35 this time it was 40 :) heheh. They offer drive in service on first come first serve during the week and on Sat all they do is simple maint so if you get there later in the day you may only have a short wait.

I have not used them but plan on being there Sat for the chain swap. They also have a 114link did zvm530 at $133.

I HOPE this fixes my surge problems :)

I just got mine also,DID50ZVM in gold. JS

Not just gold. I have a DID 530ZVM that's silver. Or was it black? I don't recall. It's dirty now. But I do remember that it wasn't gold.

:) new chian and NO SURGES I am happy other than waiting 3 hours :( to get it done.