bartonmd Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Well, I changed my chain today with a new ZVM2... Got the thing riveted the first time and didn't have to use my spare link! Question: Is this a stock O-ring?? I checked the entire chain and it is an "endless" chain with no rivet link, and I got the bike with 5k and the thing was rusted, on the side plates, so it'd been on there for awhile... Here's the link from my 24k mile chain... I guess it had QUITE a bit of life left in it! The small ridge isn't even enough to catch my finger nail... (Note: I lube the PISS out of my chain every 250 miles or so with the Honda spray lube) Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Well, I changed my chain today with a new ZVM2... Got the thing riveted the first time and didn't have to use my spare link! Question: Is this a stock O-ring?? I checked the entire chain and it is an "endless" chain with no rivet link, and I got the bike with 5k and the thing was rusted, on the side plates, so it'd been on there for awhile... Here's the link from my 24k mile chain... I guess it had QUITE a bit of life left in it! The small ridge isn't even enough to catch my finger nail... (Note: I lube the PISS out of my chain every 250 miles or so with the Honda spray lube) Mike Chain may have been fin .. the stocker on the XX is a tough chain, and if lubed properly and adjusted correctly over its life, no reason it can't do thirty. Now the sprockets on the other hand ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 Actually, my sprockets both looked fine... Replaced the front with the 18T, and left the rear... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 well mine wasn't that purdy when I took it off at 24k lol ... the sprockets weren't either! Of course the chain had been abused for 6500 miles before I got the bike ... and my second aftermarket chain barely did 15k ... POS, I will never skimp on a chain again.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 well mine wasn't that purdy when I took it off at 24k lol ... the sprockets weren't either! Of course the chain had been abused for 6500 miles before I got the bike ... and my second aftermarket chain barely did 15k ... POS, I will never skimp on a chain again.. Out of curiousity, what chain did you "skimp" on?? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rideonXX Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I don't know what the item in the 1st pic is----but the pin is not much of an indicator. It's the side plates that stretch. You can tell if you have binding by slowing turning the wheel on the center stand and watching the chain as it enters and exits the sprocket. If it's got a 'kink' after lubing it needs to be changed regardless of mileage or stretch. Running a chain too long is very poor economy as it adds extra load to very expensive to replace bearings and negates the otherwise smoothness of the 'Bird. Add in the risk of failure and it becomes a pretty easy, but personal decision on when to change. Happy trails kel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZDave Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 It's the side plates that stretch. Actually the side plates don't stretch. The bush wears most, then the pin. Rollers on bush wear depends on lubrication. It's the oval wear gap between the pin and the bush that makes the chain longer. There is a much larger surface area between the rollers and the bush so wear in that area is reduced if kept clean and lubricated. I have seen some rollers that you can grab between your thumb and finger and rattle back and forth, but this will not affect chain 'stretch' much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Actually you can lube all you want, the factory grease behind the o-rings is what keeps that wear down on the pin. If the chain was endless it's the factory chain. Not sure whose o-ring (brand) that is. If you clean the old chain you should be able to read the side plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 well mine wasn't that purdy when I took it off at 24k lol ... the sprockets weren't either! Of course the chain had been abused for 6500 miles before I got the bike ... and my second aftermarket chain barely did 15k ... POS, I will never skimp on a chain again.. Out of curiousity, what chain did you "skimp" on?? Mike Can't remember what brand it was ... but it wasn't OEM/D.I.D. , my current chain is tough, and so are the sprockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 RideonXX, OZdave is right... the side plates don't stretch, it's the wear between the pin and bushing that "stretch" the chain... I say "stretch" because it's not really stretching as much as wearing. Pete, You're mostly right about lubing, at least for the first 5-7k miles on a chain... See the thread in the "mods and maint" section of STN called "stottoiler" that's like 10 pages long... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZDave Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Actually you can lube all you want, the factory grease behind the o-rings is what keeps that wear down on the pin. True, but the rollers on the bushes are not protected by o-rings. This is where lubrication is necessary, and of course the rollers/ sprocket interface. Also to a lesser extent the exterior of the o-rings are supposed to benefit from lubrication. Apparently it slows down the degredation of the 0-rings which helps keep the factory grease in. The jury is still out on that one though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 RideonXX, OZdave is right... the side plates don't stretch, it's the wear between the pin and bushing that "stretch" the chain... I say "stretch" because it's not really stretching as much as wearing. Pete, You're mostly right about lubing, at least for the first 5-7k miles on a chain... See the thread in the "mods and maint" section of STN called "stottoiler" that's like 10 pages long... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MileHi Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 RideonXX, OZdave is right... the side plates don't stretch, it's the wear between the pin and bushing that "stretch" the chain... I say "stretch" because it's not really stretching as much as wearing. Pete, You're mostly right about lubing, at least for the first 5-7k miles on a chain... See the thread in the "mods and maint" section of STN called "stottoiler" that's like 10 pages long... Mike And let MR. RC45 tell you that we're all wrong and that constant/consistant lube/oil on the chain will do the chain good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dion Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Interesting enough, The shop manual for the GSXR says you're suppose to count out so many links and measure pin to pin. If it exceeds such and such measurement you're suppose to replace the chain regardless of condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 Interesting enough, The shop manual for the GSXR says you're suppose to count out so many links and measure pin to pin. If it exceeds such and such measurement you're suppose to replace the chain regardless of condition. Sounds like a good way to go... but with the stock sprockets, I was still in the "new" part of the adjustment... I figured that I had gotten my money out of the thing and it only takes one bad link to fuck your whole weekend up, so might as well replace it right? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dion Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Interesting enough, The shop manual for the GSXR says you're suppose to count out so many links and measure pin to pin. If it exceeds such and such measurement you're suppose to replace the chain regardless of condition. Sounds like a good way to go... but with the stock sprockets, I was still in the "new" part of the adjustment... I figured that I had gotten my money out of the thing and it only takes one bad link to fuck your whole weekend up, so might as well replace it right? Mike Absolutly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Mike: You went up a tooth in the front??? Any particular discussion or reason as to why? Did you like the extras I put in with the chain tool??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 Mike: You went up a tooth in the front??? Any particular discussion or reason as to why? Did you like the extras I put in with the chain tool??? Yep, there's a thread I started awhile back, and added to yesterday here in the Garage titled "18t front sprocket" where it talks about the advantages/disadvantages... I realy like it! Actually, I thank you for the extras, but wanted to wait until I actually had the time to watch some of them to let you know exactly what I thought of them... Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Yep, there's a thread I started awhile back, and added to yesterday here in the Garage titled "18t front sprocket" where it talks about the advantages/disadvantages... I realy like it! Actually, I thank you for the extras, but wanted to wait until I actually had the time to watch some of them to let you know exactly what I thought of them... Thanks, Mike Just found that thread... Was an interesting read. I'll PM you about the disks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rideonXX Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Perhaps you gents are correct on this---I will do more research----here are the instructions from a late model Triumph service manual relative to chain wear inspection. It is for the Speed Triple which uses a 530 chain same as the 'Bird. "1: Remove the chain/wheel guard for the swinging arm. 2: Stretch the chain taut by hanging a 10-20 kg weight on the chain. 3: Measure a length of 20 links on the straight part of the chain from pin centre of the 1st pin to pin centre of the 21st pin. Repeat the test at vaious sections of the chain to establish an average reading. This is because the chain may wear unevenly. 4: If the length exceeds the service limit of 319mm. the chain must be replaced." Thanks for bringing the other (bushing inside diameter wear) to my attention. Happy trails kel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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