| Author | Message | ||
     Spatten1 |
Is there a reason that the guys doing inexpensive chain conversions went with non-0-ring chains, other than price? Are there any clearance issues with the o-ring chains (much more narrow than the belt, right!) Any opinions on the extra maintenance and lube required for a non-o-ring chain to make it perform and last? I know with O-Ring chains you basically only have to supply enough lube to keep it from rusting and a little on the rollers to protect the sprockets/roller mating surface. With a non-0-ring chain you have to keep the plates lubed all the time, which is much more messy and more hassle. All opinions and advice is appreciated. | ||
| Jaimec |
I may be mistaken, but I thought you had to lube O-Ring and X-ring chains as well, if nothing else to keep the rings from drying up and cracking? | ||
| Hammer71 |
O ring on mine.  | ||
| Fullpower |
Tsubaki SIGMA 530 X-ring chain on mine. 14,000 miles on this chain, it is in good shape, probably replace it in the spring anyway, keep for a spare. | ||
| Ronlv |
rk 520 x ring on mine | ||
| Spatten1 |
Awesome guys, thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
I was told by several brothers that the DID ERV3 is the strongest 520 chain on the market. It is an O Ring chain that is widely used in racing. I installed one about 2000 miles ago, and it has not stretched, and worked well. I couldn't help noticing the same chain seems to be used on the Buell XBRR that I saw at Liberty HD, if I'm not mistaken. If I recall properly, these chains cost about $120, so they are a big premium over "low test". Hard to imagine it will outlast 4 non O Ring chains. Tensile strength is 8600 lb.s Perhaps overkill, but the XB12 has a lot of torque, and the chain that was on it, a DID ERV2 was badly stretched at 1000 miles. However, I bought the bike used with the chain, so I don't know it's history. I must admit that I also like the way a gold chain looks on a black bike with orange wheels:-). BTW, there seems to be general consensus that PJ-1 is the best, or one of the best chain lubes. I apply it every 500 miles, just take a few minutes. | ||
| Slaughter |
O-ring chains. The only people racing non-o-ring chains are the 125gp people because O-ring chains DO offer a little more resistance than the non-O-ring types and those little motors need to minimize frictional losses wherever possible. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Another question: Since there is no cush drive, are there any ill effects on the engine or primary from wheelying or shifting hard with the chain? I have already broken a couple of the small links on my primary chain, found'em on the drain plug. I'll swap that out this winter when I replace my base gaskets. I know I should do it now, but no time, and it seems to be holding up just fine. | ||
| Slaughter |
I don't think the problem would be shifting or wheelying (wheelieing? wheelieng? - forget it) I think the problem of no cush drive is the more constant beating of the power pulses. It's just going to be harder on the system in the long run. That being said, I haven't read/heard many complaints. Racebikes really don't count since they're rebuilt more often and looked at more often. I haven't seen signs of problems in 3 years of racing - but I've broken a motor so can't say for sure how much it's played into it. | ||
| Diablobrian |
O ring (or x) are much cleaner than non-oring types too. PJ1 or chain wax are stickier when applied and don't fling off the chain as much as people remember on their old dirtbikes when they oiled the chains, so much of the reputation for chains being dirty is undeserved (as long as you don't go overboard with the lube) Honda also makes a good aerosol oring chain lube if you can't find the PJ1 or chainwax. I really wouldn't try to cut corners by using a cheap chain. The oring types are advertised as lasting much longer than the non-oring types. FWIW | ||
| Sweatmark |
The lack of cush drive is just one of my Belt vs. Chain considerations. Here's the whole list right now: Cost - changing (chaining?) from a 2003 OE beltdrive. $398 American Sport Bike belt kit $ 46 American Sport Bike lower belt guard (run w/o upper) $ 38 American Sport Bike transmission pulley cover ------- $482 total '06 Belt system compare with $895 American Sport Bike 520 chain kit Budget 530 chain option: $30 front + $40 rear sprockets $100 O-ring 530 chain $50 chain tool (sold mine with last GSXR) $20 chain lube/rags/kerosene $140 idler gizmo = $380 chain install w/o guards. Assume I get 2 years' service @ 5k miles/year: $170-180 for belt replacement if needed; $170-180 for sprockets & chain. It's a wash for long-term costs. If I go chain, then I'd prefer to go with mondo 530 and not worry; also want that Free Spirits idler. Hammer, you said it's $140... sourced from whom? Don't really need the multiple-sprocket choices as supplied in the chain race kits, just something close to OE ratio for now. Kinda irks me that the '03 bike came with crappy final drive! I want to minimize long-term cost, rear tire swap time, and concerns about being stranded with broken belt in middle of nowhere. Guess that's why I ride a shaft-drive Beemer for road trips... but even the shaftie's not really maintenance-free! Would appreciate comments, posted here or via PM. Mark Oregon | ||
| Diablobrian |
For those that have mentioned concerns about a lack of a crush drive making a chain harder on the Buell drive trains I submit this interesting tidbit: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=158664&post=753627#PO ST753627 So the "issue" is a non-issue  (Message edited by diablobrian on October 04, 2006) | ||
| Bake |
Who sells the $140. idler gizmo? | ||
| Diablobrian |
Is that the freespirits piece? If so Trojan and Hillbilly-Motors Motors, and Ronlv all sell it + others too. | ||
| Cycleaddict |
the "compensator" clutch spring thingie probably only keeps the motors violent vibes from destroying the transmission. seems like the compensator "cush" is too far "upstream" from the tire to provide much "cushsioning effect. a chain drive bike w/out a "cush"will break or constantly loosen the sprocket bolts or... at the very least it will be "hard" on chains. (i have never seen a jap bike w/out a "cush" drive!) | ||
| Diablobrian |
It doesn't really matter where in the process that the cushioning effect happens, as long as it happens. Engineers re-arrange components in a series all of the time for packaging, cooling, or other considerations. Kind of like our oil or gas tanks are not in the conventional locations, not to mention our front brakes or mufflers! The transmissions are incredibly stout on these bikes. Aside from a few problems with the shifter drum (not part of the drive-train, it is part of controls)these things have been nearly bulletproof. Don't worry this is not new territory. It has been tried and tested since 2002-2003. In the 03 models there have been far fewer chain problems by percentage than belt problems. Both on the street and on race bikes. When was the last time someone went through more than one chain in a season on a chain driven XB? or had a transmission fail because of the placement of the compensation springs? (not including chain swaps on race bikes for chain length) I've never heard of one and I've been watching closely so I know what to watch out for. | ||
| Trojan |
The only people racing non-o-ring chains are the 125gp people because O-ring chains DO offer a little more resistance than the non-O-ring types and those little motors need to minimize frictional losses wherever possible. We use a non O ring DID 520 chain on our Buell XB12 race bike for exactly the above reason and have never had any bother with them. They don't last as long as the O or X ring chains but to be honest they cost half as much anyway. | ||
| Ronlv |
no one sells the idler gizmo for 140 it costs more than that also it comes only in full kits, so its sold only in full kits there is a four rear sprocket kit (american sport bike and trojan) or the one rear sprocket kit (metaltek racing) later, ron | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
What if one crashes and breaks it? buy a completely new kit? | ||
| Diablobrian |
Or go with the Saintly/fullpower style of idler. Adjustment is not as easy to do on that, and some machine shop work is required to make it. (or some very very careful work with minimal power tools, but I don't advise it) | ||
| Ronlv |
you can get replacement parts customer service is number 1 (Message edited by ronlv on October 05, 2006) |
