LogoMan Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Probably been covered a thousand times before but... I take good care of my chains, but don't seem to get that much mileage out of them. I'm setting the slack correctly and I keep the chain lubed often. The sprockets are in good shape, too. The current chain - RK, I think - was big bucks and put on by the stealership. I've been hearing a clacking sound and knew it was my chain so I gave it a good look today. I found out that one half of the chain is loose and the other is tight as a drum. Just turning the rear wheel by hand, I can see the chain jump a good half an inch when it goes tight. I'm going to sign up for the pro oiler group buy when it gets going. Meanwhile, I think I'd better get a new chain. Any suggestions on brand and maintenance tips? Apparently, I'm doing something wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneXX Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 What do you use to clean the chain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXTi Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I tried an EK ZZZ this time. It only has a few thousand miles on it so far, but it seems to be holding up pretty well. I hope the Pro-Oiler helps this chain last quite a while longer than normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warchild Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Right before departing for the Utah 1088 last week, I staked on a splendid Tsubaki 530 Sigma X-ring chain with brushed nickel side plates, and some fresh OEM sprockets: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Para045 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Right before departing for the Utah 1088 last week, I staked on a splendid Tsubaki 530 Sigma X-ring chain with brushed nickel side plates, and some fresh OEM sprockets: I am guessing that is the last time iot will ever look that clean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogoMan Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 What do you use to clean the chain? I use kerosene, a toothbrush, and a rag when I clean the chain. I use Belray SuperClean as a lube. I don't clean it that often. Mostly just spray lube on it every other time I ride. The SuperClean says put and doesn't seem to attract dirt or sand. I could be mistaken about that, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockmeupto125 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Probably been covered a thousand times before but... I take good care of my chains, but don't seem to get that much mileage out of them. I'm setting the slack correctly and I keep the chain lubed often. The sprockets are in good shape, too. The current chain - RK, I think - was big bucks and put on by the stealership. I've been hearing a clacking sound and knew it was my chain so I gave it a good look today. I found out that one half of the chain is loose and the other is tight as a drum. Just turning the rear wheel by hand, I can see the chain jump a good half an inch when it goes tight. I'm going to sign up for the pro oiler group buy when it gets going. Meanwhile, I think I'd better get a new chain. Any suggestions on brand and maintenance tips? Apparently, I'm doing something wrong. No offense, but did you really get down on your hands and knees and examine the rear sprocket, and pull the cover off to check the front? Bad sprockets aren't that different from good sprockets under casual observation. Or did the dealer replace the sprockets, so your sure they're in good shape? RK doesn't hold the best rep for longevity. Most folks here like the DID ZVM. And stop using kerosene on the chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogoMan Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 Probably been covered a thousand times before but... I take good care of my chains, but don't seem to get that much mileage out of them. I'm setting the slack correctly and I keep the chain lubed often. The sprockets are in good shape, too. The current chain - RK, I think - was big bucks and put on by the stealership. I've been hearing a clacking sound and knew it was my chain so I gave it a good look today. I found out that one half of the chain is loose and the other is tight as a drum. Just turning the rear wheel by hand, I can see the chain jump a good half an inch when it goes tight. I'm going to sign up for the pro oiler group buy when it gets going. Meanwhile, I think I'd better get a new chain. Any suggestions on brand and maintenance tips? Apparently, I'm doing something wrong. No offense, but did you really get down on your hands and knees and examine the rear sprocket, and pull the cover off to check the front? Bad sprockets aren't that different from good sprockets under casual observation. Or did the dealer replace the sprockets, so your sure they're in good shape? RK doesn't hold the best rep for longevity. Most folks here like the DID ZVM. And stop using kerosene on the chain. No offense taken. Yes, I get down on my hands and knees alot when fiddling with the bike. I haven't had a look at the front sprocket, but the stealership said it was fine when the chain was replaced. What it looks like now I couldn't tell you. The rear sprocket doesn't look bad. I'll examine it closer to see if it's starting to cup. I'll put a DID ZVM on it next time. Or maybe the Tsubaki Warchild put on his bike. Plus a fresh set of OEM sprockets. Might even be tempted to drop the front one tooth. I don't really clean the chain that often. Mostly just lube it. But when I do clean it, I use Kerosene. Why do you say not to? Does it attack the rubber o-rings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockmeupto125 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 A front sprocket typically lasts through a chain. Do the math...a rear 45 tooth lasts 2-3 chains. The front 17 tooth should last 17/45ths that long. The "jumping" phenomena you describe is more probably attributable to a bad sprocket rather than a frozen link. I use kerosene as a solvent....not as a lubricant. I'm unsure if the kerosene would degrade the rubber seals in the chain, but I wouldn't make an effort to find out...nor would I try to see if it would slip past the rings and denature the lubricant behind the seal. Wipe your chain off if you must, but don't try to REMOVE lubricant from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rideonXX Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Turning the wheel by hand and watching is a pretty poor way to check for tight and loose sections as the countershaft sprocket is free to 'run ahead' & give the illusion of a bad chain. To see how extreme this condition can be, put the bike on the center stand, start it, put it in gear and let the clutch out---you will see what I'm talking about. To properly check chain tension and for loose and tight sections you have to get down, locate midpoint between sprockets, place a ruler or something with measurement graduations on it, and pull the chain down as far as it will go---then push it up as far as it will go, noting the difference in the measurements. Repeat in as many different sections as it takes you to feel confident you know the condition of your chain. Adjust at the tightest section for 1 inch and you'll be good to go. The thing is, it's real hard to imagine a chain that is loose for half and tight for half. In 48+ years of riding I have never seen anything close to that condition, so can only guess that it has something to do with the method of measurement. Happy trails kel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogoMan Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 Thanks for your help, Joe. I'll take a look at the front. It's probably shot. Now, if I have a bad sprocket or sprockets, do I assume this has damaged the chain as well? I know this would depend on the severity of the problem, but would it be wise to change everything as a group? BTW, what do you think about dropping the front a tooth? Seems a lot of guys do that. I'm happy with the gearing as it is, but ignorance is bliss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockmeupto125 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Bad sprocket damages chain, and vice versa. At this point, I'd plan to replace all except possibly the rear. Dropping a tooth is fun. Its like a permanant downshift. Personally, I'm enjoying a tooth up, but its not the best in the twisty stuff. To each their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBBXX Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 A front sprocket typically lasts through a chain. Do the math...a rear 45 tooth lasts 2-3 chains. The front 17 tooth should last 17/45ths that long. The "jumping" phenomena you describe is more probably attributable to a bad sprocket rather than a frozen link. I use kerosene as a solvent....not as a lubricant. I'm unsure if the kerosene would degrade the rubber seals in the chain, but I wouldn't make an effort to find out...nor would I try to see if it would slip past the rings and denature the lubricant behind the seal. Wipe your chain off if you must, but don't try to REMOVE lubricant from it. Joe, I think you hit the nail right on the head here. I'm willing to bet that's exactly what happened. A combination of both no doubt. Clean to get rid of dirt and sand, not oil. I use WD-40, and rarely at that. Spray on - wipe-off. For lube I use gear oil. Messy, but my chains last a long time. 80,000 km and my second chain is still in pretty good shape. I found out that one half of the chain is loose and the other is tight as a drum. Just turning the rear wheel by hand, I can see the chain jump a good half an inch when it goes tight. Your chain is too tight. It should never tighten up like that when on the centre stand. It will bind up even more when you drop it down and put weight on it. When you're adjusting, err on the side of loose everytime, especially if you've installed a shim and you're two-up and loaded a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVLXX Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 The reason your chain is tight half of it's revolution is.... because that half of the chain has the most Sticky Links. As the Links go around the sprocket they bend in relation to one another... then as they straighten out to go to the next sprocket... they stick and don't return all the way to straight. If you have alot of these Sticky Links on one side of the chain.... one side will seem tight while the other side loose... just as you described. Now... with that said... there are three things that can lead to this... 1. Rust... from lack of riding, care, and lube 2. Debri biuld-up... from useing a bad chain lube that doesn't clean of well and slowly and constantly builds more debri & dirt. 3. Expanded O-rings.... yes I'm serious, if you leave the solvent, such as kerosene, on your chain too long, those little rubber O-rings will absorb and swell up, wich will cause the change to be stiff and resistant to move, also giving you the above mentioned effect. The bad part is there is no way of shrinking the O-rings back down to there original size, but on the good news side... they are still working. ...My sugestion...Gear-oil... and lots of it... Period. ( if you use enough gear lube... you won't need to clean your chain,it'll clean itself, ask anyone here with an auto-luber.. like Dale.) + 1 on the Pro- oiler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogoMan Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 Thanks guys! The Belray SuperClean could be building up and attracting dirt and I haven't realized it. I use the same method as outlined in the Honda shop manual to check the slack in the chain. And, no, I guess an entire 50% of the chain links would not be tight and the other 50% loose. Probably just lined up the bad links just right to get that impression. The Honda Shop Manual recommends using 80-90 weight oil as you guys have suggested, so I'll do that. Some folks say to stay away from WD-40 because that product is supposed to attack the rubber o-rings. Don't know if there is any truth to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redxxrdr Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I only have 25K miles on my bike. OEM DID chain failed as you describe at 18K. The problem is, I think I created the failure. At 16K I cleaned the chain with a household grease away product. Just a few miles later, I had sticking links. The chain was still in the green for length. The same product had also gotten on the stator cover, and left streak marks. I suspect that I removed all the old lub, and did not get a good coating when I reapplied. Then the links rusted between the plates. Only 7k on the new DID XVM, but after 500 miles, it has not needed adjustment. New sprokets at the same time. I now clean the Honda Lube HP off with a shop towel after a long ride, or every 500 miles. I will leave solvents for cleaning my shop rags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MileHi Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Let me throw out another option...I have the EK ZZZ chain and love it! 5000+ miles and zero adjustments. Of course as mentioned... A chain oiler makes a big difference. I think the EK ZZZ would be the PERFECT choice for those '02 owners in need of a chain that can handle all that additional power!!! And it comes in gold... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXTi Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I tried an EK ZZZ this time. It only has a few thousand miles on it so far, but it seems to be holding up pretty well. I hope the Pro-Oiler helps this chain last quite a while longer than normal. I got my ZZZ in metallic silver. They advertize it as the strongest chain available with "Zero Stretch Technology". I don't really know what that means, but I'm guessing the pins are a little heavier to reduce wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogoMan Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 I tried an EK ZZZ this time. It only has a few thousand miles on it so far, but it seems to be holding up pretty well. I hope the Pro-Oiler helps this chain last quite a while longer than normal. I got my ZZZ in metallic silver. They advertize it as the strongest chain available with "Zero Stretch Technology". I don't really know what that means, but I'm guessing the pins are a little heavier to reduce wear. I've seen the ads for these. Are you running the 525 or the 530? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXTi Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I stayed with the 530. I don't see a reason to change to the smaller chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loingrader Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 i've stretched chains on bikes with a lot less horsepower than my trusty xx. do the stretch very often on the bird? also, dale, and anyone else with an auto-oiler. do you ever suffer from any loss of traction when in a steep turn that hits the very edge of your rear tire when it is covered with chain lube, and not worn off like the parts of the tire in more common contact with the road? with all that lube running down the wheel and tire sidewall, (like in dale's pic) there has bound to be some on the tread surface. just wondering. -b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warchild Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 also, dale, and anyone else with an auto-oiler. do you ever suffer from any loss of traction when in a steep turn that hits the very edge of your rear tire when it is covered with chain lube, and not worn off like the parts of the tire in more common contact with the road? with all that lube running down the wheel and tire sidewall, (like in dale's pic) there has bound to be some on the tread surface. That is not lube you see on my tire in the lower left corner of the photo I posted. What you're seeing is the remants from the Yamaha Tire Mounting Lubricate I used a few hours earlier when I mounted up some fresh Pilot Roads (you can see how it appears to emerge from under the rim). The Yammy Tire Lubricate comes in an aerosol can (comprised mostly of linseed oil, IIRC), It is very good stuff for mounting tires, and washes right off with soap-n-water. I just hadn't washed off the sidewall before I snapped off that photo of the chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimXX Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 I have over 35,000km on my original chain [what is it?] and it still is good. It took a few adjustments when new but I just did a 5,000 km trip, including the TBME run, and needed NO adjustments on the whole trip. I adjusted the chain just before the trip- mostly to align the back wheel. I use MAxim clear spray on lube and only clean the chain and sprockets in December when I put the XX to bed for the winter. When this chain goes, I would like to get the same kind- very little hassle and great durability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblackbird2000 Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I use kerosene as a solvent....not as a lubricant. I'm unsure if the kerosene would degrade the rubber seals in the chain, but I wouldn't make an effort to find out...nor would I try to see if it would slip past the rings and denature the lubricant behind the seal. Wipe your chain off if you must, but don't try to REMOVE lubricant from it. Joe's right on here. I've used kerosene to clean my chain once too, and the o-rings started to go. I started to notice a red dust-like substance all over the rear of my bike when my o-rings were going. Check your rear rim for a light coating of this red dust, looks like it might have come from grinding bricks, a sure sign your o-rings are in bad shape. I'm not sure all o-rings are the same so YMMV. But one thing I was told to check before using any cleaning agents on the chain was to test it first. Either soak a couple of links that you took off the chain when you originally installed it, or just go pick up some o-rings and soak them in your test solution. Again, not sure if all o-rings are made equal, but my guess is they probably are. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman_40 Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I put a RK Racing XW O-Ring Gold Color on last year with a new set of sprockets. I'll never put another one on. The thing keeps streaching WAY too much even after 4-5000 miles on it. I took a 300-400 mile trip last weekend, I checked and adjusted the chain before I left. The thing streached enough to touch my center stand by the time I got there. (my bad for not checking it I guess but shouldn't streach that much) tightened it and relubed it while there. Rode back Monday and it's amost touching my centre stand again. The factory chain was still 1/2 decent after 15,000 miles but got a few sticky links from the mechanic that changed my tire. He tightened the chain way too much. :icon_wall: Can't wait for the group by for the automatic oiler, cause I'm getting a new chain and sprockets and throwing this one in the lake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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