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520 chains: O-ring, X-ring or NON O-ring
Hey guys!
I'm looking into getting a new chain for my 1990 XT600E... Right now, on ebay there is a very short list of sellers with some absurd prices! What are the main differences between NON O-ring, O-ring and X-ring? -lubrication -cleaning -strength -wear life And, are those no brand X-ring chains as good as brands such as DID, RK, etc? Will a NON O-ring chain last as long as the other types if taken really good care of? Vando beer |
Also, there are some HD 520 X-Ringchains with 38000 N (about 8500lbs)... any info on that?
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DID XW x- rings are the best for longevity, the RK x-rings don't seem to last as long.
Same with the O-ring chains Don't bother with a non-sealed chain on your XT, the torque and power pulses on a thumper make short work of non sealed chains, they are mainly used for racing purposes where drag is lost HP. There is a few good sellers try MOT-TEI Motorradteile He seems to have good prices on chains |
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Thanks!
Huan: I guess you're right on the non sealed ones. I know nothing about those other chains lol. this is the very first kit I'm going to buy for my XT. I've never changed sprockets nor chain before and the bike now has about 40k km... Jens: Thanks for the ebay item. I just sent the guy a question about the shipping costs to my island :innocent: Now it's just a question of time...Dunno if I'll ride the bike with the current chain and sprockets so I can buy the Continental TrailAttacks first or not.. I'm heading back home on Sunday and I'ma start taking pictures of the spare parts I got for sale at home in hope I can sell it all and buy the chain kit, tires, braided brake lines and the waved brake rotors... Anyone interested in some YZ-WR stuff such as swingarm, rear shock, rear shock dogbones, rear wheel hub and disc brake rotor, rear brake caliper?? :rofl: BTW Jens, how are you waved discs behaving? Vando beer |
Well, the ebay guy says he doesn't ship to the Azores...
I've asked if can ship to mainland Portugal instead and he still hasn't answered... I've just done something I might regret a bit. I've bid on this item: X-Ring Kette SFR 520 118 Glieder black YZ/CR/KX/RMZ/KTM - eBay (item 370514550317 end time Jun-05-11 11:12:27 PDT) It's for an X-ring chain but by the item description it looks like a very weak chain unless the seller might've misspelled.. it's either 3400kg or 34000N hopefully... and not the 3400N he has listed... He is listing another item like this one but it's a complete kit for an KTM LC2 and the EXC... so if it can handle those bikes, it can surely take on the XT lol Anyway, I'll see what happens and hopefully I WON'T get the chain! :oops2: Vando beer |
Well, I've been reading quite a lot these past few days about chains...
About half an hour ago I stumbled across this website: Facts you should no about Motorcycle Chains! Well, to sum up, the BEST chain out there ( in it's price range ) is the RK XSO series, namely, the RK 520 XSO for the XT600E. It costs about 50USD in the US! So, If you're in the US, GET ONE! lol I just wished I had the money right now to get it... Vando beer |
Bacardi
This is the chain and sprockets I have on mine 1 x Afam 21504-14 Steel front sprocket - 14t (this is one tooth less than standard) for Yamaha XT600 (2002) at £15.25 1 x Afam 12505-45 Steel rear sprocket - 45t for Yamaha XT600 (2002) at £25.49 1 x Renthal 520R3-106 520 Renthal R3 O ring chain - 106 links at £52.49 DELIVERY = £ 4.99 (to United Kingdom) ORDER TOTAL = £98.22 The link to the chain is here Renthal 520 R3-2 Chain The XT only has 43bhp, though it does power pulse a lot. Any O ring chain from a reputable manufacturer will be fine, so long as it is the right size. Renthal, DID, Tsubaki and AFAM are all decent brands. You can put an X-ring on, but it's just extra money for no benefit on an XT IMO. Consider whether your sprockets need changed as worn sprockets will reduce the life of a new chain. I always change the full chain and sprocket set, but then I only do 3-4000 miles per year on the bike, so it costs me an extra 40 pounds every 4 years or so, 10 pounds per year is nothing! If you are using the bike off-road consider an off-road chain like the one I have posted above. If you are struggling to get stuff shipped to the Azores, and you can send to the Azores though the post office in the UK, I would be happy to let you use my UK address as a shipping address, and take the stuff to the post office for you and send it. You'd just need to paypal the shipping cost to me. |
Ahoy!
Sorry, been away for a few days! So, I'm back at the island and hadn't had any time to come here yet! :| It seems like a managed to dodge a bullet with that ebay bid lol I'm still thinking whether I should buy the chain kit right now or the tires or anything as I'm running low on €€€ lol Ralph: I just might do that when I get to buy the Venhill front brake line for my 2002 YZ250 front end as the ebay seller won't ship it anywhere else besides the UK.. As far as the chain from the link Jens gave... the seller wants 18.5€ for shipping to MAINLAND Portugal and only by DHL Premium and it should be something like an extra 15 to 20€ to have it shipped here to the island (Portuguese post office are "thieves" I tell ya)... So either I take Ralph's offer and ship it to him so he can reship it to me is about the same (money wise)... Thing is, I can get both my tires shipped to mainland Portugal for about 126€ total which is almost the same price as the chainkit.. Either good chainkit and completely "slick" (about to see the wires) rear tire that I have now lol OR Good tires and a bad chain (sprockets are actually not that bad)... :( I'm gonna take a few more days to think about it.. Thanks guys! :thumbup1: Vando :cool4: |
I just wish I had the space to fit O ring chain to my Enfield. It craps out an Indian made chain in 4,000 miles and the better european ones barely manage 6k
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convert yourself to XT fan?? :P
how come there isn't no space to fit an o-ring chain? that's weird... :S |
Here is my personal take on the chain and sprockets.
Value of good chain on old sprockets is nil. A new chain that should be run in as they start wearing and stretching from day one, will by the very nature of the forces involved wear into what ever it runs across ie, old worn sprockets will force the new chain to comply to the teeth as they are, what ever state that might be. This will half the life of what was a good chain (even the very best of chains). I always go the whole way and purchase all three items every time. I learnt the hard way! and the hard way, I now understand cost me more in the long run. I hope you can wait just that little longer and save the $. Best of luck. Socks |
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Ive got the Xt600E, 2002, it has done 4,000 miles on tarmac, to and from the office, sensible riding, no hammering from light to light. The sprockets arent worn, however the chain is probably not in great shape due to rubbish weather and the bike being parked up outside under a bikecover. I was planning on replacing before my africa trip. By the way, I have the original yamaha bits on the bike. - Should both sprockets and the chain be replaced, or just the chain ? (Socks) - Should I buy sprockets with the same number of teeth as the originals ? - Suggestions on good durable sprockets ? Vando, hope Im not stepping on you toes here. Thanks |
Don't worry, I know. It's cool!
This is why I created this thread! :thumbup1: Actually the other guy from the brake lines should've done the same on that other thread I made... Anyway, 4000 miles on tarmac, unless you've never cleaned and lubed you're chain it should still be MINT! My chainkit has only started stretching in the last 1000km and now it has about 40 000 km on it and only now it needs replacing as some chainlinks don't even move at all without applying quite some force on'em... Bare in mind that I don't ride gently! lol Still, you can get the new chainkit for your trip and swap it back after your trip is done just to be on the safe side... I'll be getting the RK XSO with 15-47 JT sprockets and probably have my grandparents bring them with them when they come for the summer vacations... Vando beer |
Hi Steve,
-Should both sprockets and the chain be replaced, or just the chain ? Personally, the trip you are planning I would go for new chain and sprockets (always) - Should I buy sprockets with the same number of teeth as the originals ? Yep stick with the original (again my point of view) Yamaha kind of know what they are doing when fitting these bits on. Plus one might concider the stress on the well know gearbox problems Although I do'nt know which xt you ride. Along with the wieght I assume you will be carrying. - Suggestions on good durable sprockets ? Several sound recommendations can be seen in posts above. I would go with Vando's surgestion of new now and store old chain in a tin of oil for you return! Is it an o-ring chain? I was going to work on my xt Saturday, but as I have no garage, and with the weather forecast, perhaps not! Steve, I'm just east of the City if you want pm me, I'm not a mechanic qaulified, but a few years of experiance, might be fun to chat. Socks |
OK, so you're getting conflicting advice on sprocket ratios, and as Socks says, it's just different peoples point of view, so I'll tell you why I've changed mine and you can read the thread and make up your own mind whether or not a ratio change is something you want to do.
I'd agree that you don't want to change the ratios too far from standard, if you want to change them at all. IMO the XT600E's sprocket ratios are designed for road use. The reason I changed down one tooth on the front was only to sort out first gear when off-road, and doing very tight, technical stuff, I was at a speed where I was having to slip the clutch all the time as first gear was too tall. Running along over really bumpy stuff in first gear, I couldn't get the slow speed I needed without laboring the engine and the engine starting to pull the bike along at tickover, and lashing at the drive chain. Dropping one tooth on the front sorted this out and made the bike more rideable at those speeds, without using lots of clutch slip all the time to smooth things out. I'm talking about the kind of speeds needed to climb a rocky footpath, or cross a ploughed field. I have found the bike more friendly filtering in slow traffic too though, again less clutch work needed. If you are going to be sticking to "roads", though in Africa this will mean little more than a track across the ground, you shouldn't be riding at these speeds much. That said it only makes the bike rev by another 500 revs or so in 5th gear, and my bike still sits at 75-80mph all day long doing something like 5200 revs, and on African roads you'll probably be sitting at no more that 60mph anyway. So the gearing is still suitable for a long trip, if I was doing the trip I wouldn't see it necessary to change the ratios back to standard. But do you need to change your standard ratios to do the trip? No, if you are sticking to "roads" you probably don't, but you want to go exploring up mountain paths and stuff, it might be a good idea. |
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There is not enough space between the sprocket and the primary chaincase. It is so tight I have to run the split link with the fishtail on the inside surface else the ends of the rivet touch the back end of the chaincase. bit of bad design :( |
wow, that much?! Damn...
Do you think it is possible to remove some material from the casing to allow this? I have no knowledge about Enfields whatsoever.. If this was possible to do, remove material from the casing, the casing itself has to be thick so you could get at least 2mm of space.. Vando beer |
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probably wise to make several in order to carry spare(s) 1/8th to 3/16th inch would do it. |
If you have problems with shipping, you can have them sent to me here in the U.K and then I can post it to you...
Maybe cheaper, maybe easier !! Ted |
FACT - It's a complete WASTE of money fitting a expensive new chain to a set of old sprockets. Your new chain will be wasted within a couple of thousand miles. As above says - Much better to fit new CHAIN & SPROCKETS (front and rear). Here in the UK it's possible to do this for slightly less than £100 using top shelf parts (DID, Renthal etc). Well worth the extra pennies (in my humble opinion).
Personally my favourite make is DID (O Chain). |
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Your mileage, as we all know perfectly well, might vary. Mark |
Hey there!
Ted, thanks! If I need I'll let ya know, cool? ;) Right now I got 110€ saved up and I need to either get the chainkit or new F/R rubber! damn damn damn damn... What should I do first? Chainkit first? :helpsmilie: Vando :confused1: |
My tuppeny worth....
O-ring or X-ring all day long for me, either DID, Renthal, Regina, or if money is tight, EK, Izumi, etc...All will last a decent amount of miles given CORRECT lubrication (Scottoiler,etc). Beware though, most will come with a rivet link as standard especially in 520 pitch, you'll need to buy a couple of split links aswell or have the link riveted properly. The part of the chain that will fail first will ALWAYS be the split/rivet link, especially on a big single. For some reason they wear faster than all the other main links, for this reason i always carry spares and check regularly when traveling.DID chains have a very slightly different diameter link pin size so no other split links will fit DID (i can't speak for any others). The only breakdowns i've ever had when on the road were both chain breakage, both in North France on my way to the ferry home after long trips, and both were broken links. I now carry a spare "cheepo" chain at the bottom of the box! |
Well, I am decided... well, kinda..
The tires will have to wait for now! I'm just waiting for some of the ebay sellers to get back to me on the shipping as I need to be sure they ship to the Azores. Right now I'm thinking of saving some coins by just getting this chain and keep my still good sprockets and spend the money on the other parts I need so I can actually use my bike this summer at last! HD 520 X-ring 120 link chain motorbike bike motorcycle - eBay (item 280679791322 end time Jun-27-11 04:01:38 PDT) I will get the a proper chainkit later on when I get some funds... This would be my preferred one: RK CHAIN KIT & SPROCKETS YAMAHA XT600E XT 600E 90-95 | eBay It is to mind that I do not do any off-roading at all! My chain could've lasted alot longer if the bike wasn't kept outside on the rain for over 5 years with only a plastic cover on it and also because I "mistreated" the chain alot! I'd have the chains lack step up nicely for me but then I started going 2up and didn't readjust the chain and it started going.. Also, I didn't lube the chain as often as I should've. Anyway, just waiting for the ebay sellers to let me know... night night! Vando beer |
Well, the first link is out of the question... 20£quote is to mainland Portugal...
To here, the Azores it's 35£... so 70£ for a "cheapo" chain nope! Chainkit will be.. just awaiting answer by the ebay sellers for the shipping quotes.. Vando beer |
SORTED - At last! lol.... :thumbup1:
It's always difficult for "us islanders" to get parts delivered for the same price as landlubbers, here on Sheppey (in the wilds of Kent 40 miles south of London) we are cut off from the mainland 11 months a year! lol Just off to get my daily paper now - a round trip of more than 5 hours through marshes and swamps. doh Just kidding...:D |
Yup, Almost sorted!
None of the german sellers have answered to my ebay messages yet.. At least today I already received my JB WELD...which only toke 1 full week to arrive, not bad at all.. :thumbup1: So, went on to properly clean the LHS engine cover with one of those "dremel-like" conic stones with round end and spotted 3 HOLES!! I was like...WTFFF!!! I cleaned them up gently with a pointy knife and the holes just popped out on the other side and I could see right through them! WTF!! Can't believe I actually payed 35€ for that piece of crappy (NOT)Welding! never again!!! Afterwards I air sprayed clean everything perfectly on the inside of the engine cover, went on to my mom's work and got some Acetone (nail polish remover or whatever it's called) and spilled over the cleaned area while shaking the engine cover for a while until it was almost dry and then again air sprayed it... mixed up a batch of JB Weld @ 1:1 ratio and generously applied on the whole inside part that was "welded" and also on the outside of the cover... Now it's sitting in the swimming pool "house" where it's warm and dry so it settle and cure properly.. Will take some pictures tomorrow to show you guys! :thumbup1: The bike is almost rideable :scooter: Thank you guys for the help! hope I get a quote today for the chainkit! Vando beer |
Well, none of the german sellers answered me SOOOO
NO CHAINKIT FOR NOW! Going for the TrailAttack tires. 122.69€ for both tires delivered to "my brother's house" (where he is staying right now) in mainland Portugal... Vando beer |
It's official!
Just payed for the tires! 122.69€ plus 1.53 for my bank account taxes.. so, 124.22€ for new rubbers shipped to mainland Portugal.. plus 25€ give or take to have them shipped here, not bad at all! The only shop that sells motorcycle tires here wanted 120€ plus shipping charges for a metzeller tourance... I was like: "Are you kidding me?" and just left lol at least one good thing came out of today :\ will get heavily wasted tonight for sure with some homebrew liquor! Vando beer |
X ring
I fitted an x ring on my tenere 600 and drove it to eastern Kazakhstan. I didn't have to adjust it once.:thumbup1:
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Hey there.
Remember which brand chain you had? Vando beer |
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