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Chain Mileage


lazyeye

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About time somebody mentioned measuring stretch! Honda sticker is as useful as a ruler on cnc part. Idk the number for our chains, but a measurement of ten link pins, pulled taut, in gear is the surest way to tell when to replace. 

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I dunno about all this.  I just replace my chain when I think it needs to be replaced.  I know the average mileage for me, when that happens for reasons I can only speculate on.

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On 8/10/2017 at 2:44 AM, Skids said:

 

BLS - you've convinced me you know a lot more than I do so what sort of chain/sprocket maintenance routine would you recommend please?

 

The Honda wear sticker fell off my '15 800X the other week. :mad:

 

Mr.RC45's  interval is timed to every fill up... I employ a rag and gas to remove the grit and grime... I lube with Motual chain paste... I replace chain and sprockets after the 3rd adjustment which is about 8K to 10K miles... chains are a pain... belt spells relief...

 

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  • 4 months later...

Just to dive on to the end of a thread about chains, I need a new one.

 

Normally this doesn't cause me much trouble but for some reason, Honda appear to be keeping this all a bit hush hush.

 

Can anyone tell me what the standard chain/ sprocket set-up should be? So far, I think I've established it's a 110 link chain with a 43 tooth rear carrier but it all goes horribly wrong after that :rolleyes:

 

I'm happy with the standard gearing so nothing odd required...

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The old standard way of trying to pull the chain off the rear sprocket still stands as the single simplest check on chain wear, if it moves it's finished 
On all of my bikes, pulling a new chain from the rear sprocket at the 3 o'clock position results in a small amount of movement. I always thought that the rule of thumb was that if you pull and can see any part of the teeth, it's time to replace.
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On 12/27/2017 at 12:33 PM, Dustin said:

On all of my bikes, pulling a new chain from the rear sprocket at the 3 o'clock position results in a small amount of movement. I always thought that the rule of thumb was that if you pull and can see any part of the teeth, it's time to replace.

 

  A more accurate rule of thumb is to plan on replacing chain and sprockets after the 3rd adjustment because now there is undeniable evidence of metal to metal wear is real due to the factory installed grease failing to properly lube the critical pin and roll junction...

 

 

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If your sprocket teeth look worn down smooth like some hillybillys teeth what never seed no durn dentist,

you might need a new chain and sprocket set. :tongue:

 

That was my CBR954 some years ago. No wonder it was surging.  :goofy:

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  A more accurate rule of thumb is to plan on replacing chain and sprockets after the 3rd adjustment because now there is undeniable evidence of metal to metal wear is real due to the factory installed grease failing to properly lube the critical pin and roll junction...

 

 

You say that but you also suggest lubing the chain at every fill up. Great advice for the Sunday cruiser but not suitable for the commuter or long distance tourer.

 

It's good food for thought but unrealistic for some.

 

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16 hours ago, Dustin said:

You say that but you also suggest lubing the chain at every fill up. Great advice for the Sunday cruiser but not suitable for the commuter or long distance tourer.

 

It's good food for thought but unrealistic for some.

 

 

It's not unrealistic at all.

 

You park the bike to fill up, so pull your can of lube out of the box/luggage/tank bag/rucksack etc and lube it. Or buy a Cobbra and lube as you pull away.

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I cleaned and lubed once a month at best and changed the OE chain at about 20k, riding in all weather conditions. This was certainly neglectful, but I think it shows a quality chain is a lot more durable than some think.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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On 30/12/2017 at 1:26 PM, Skids said:

 

It's not unrealistic at all.

 

You park the bike to fill up, so pull your can of lube out of the box/luggage/tank bag/rucksack etc and lube it. Or buy a Cobbra and lube as you pull away.

 

It is definitely unrealistic for me when I'm travelling the height of the UK every day for a week on some long road trip in North America. On trips like that, I would do my chain every night at the hotel but I have a chain oiler now which has been worth every penny.

 

 

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Brand of Oiler? Using cameleon myself, mixed results but almost good enough to make me consider the investment for my other bikes that DO have a centerstand 

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22 minutes ago, airwalk said:

Brand of Oiler? Using cameleon myself, mixed results but almost good enough to make me consider the investment for my other bikes that DO have a centerstand 

 

I've got the Pro-Oiler which is electronic and uses a GPS-driven control module. I am very happy with it.

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Auto Oilers were invented before the O ring chain... they were never designed to extend the life of our modern X ring chains... 

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Auto Oilers were invented before the O ring chain... they were never designed to extend the life of our modern X ring chains... 
It sure does wonders to keep my chain clean and free of rust in winter. :)
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On 12/27/2017 at 5:12 PM, Katie said:

 

 

Lovely, thanks Dave :smile:

 

525 chain, 16 tooth front and 43 tooth rear carrier for anyone just wandering by!

 

 

Only one garage open over Xmas and my chain's tight spot had reached a dire level so have had a 520 chain put on with the existing sprockets. The garage didn't think the sprockets were worth changing so, working on the basis that no garage likes to turn money away, I went with the chain change only for the first time ever!

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12 hours ago, Dustin said:

 

It is definitely unrealistic for me when I'm travelling the height of the UK every day for a week on some long road trip in North America. On trips like that, I would do my chain every night at the hotel but I have a chain oiler now which has been worth every penny.

 

 

Agreed chain oilers are worth their weight in gold tho on a tour.   That must be some going to clock up just under 800 miles in a day,  per day on a tour.   :wink:

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9 hours ago, BusyLittleShop said:

Auto Oilers were invented before the O ring chain... they were never designed to extend the life of our modern X ring chains... 

No they were designed to keep the chain clean as well as to lubricate the o ring. 

 

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Only one garage open over Xmas and my chain's tight spot had reached a dire level so have had a 520 chain put on with the existing sprockets. The garage didn't think the sprockets were worth changing so, working on the basis that no garage likes to turn money away, I went with the chain change only for the first time ever!


Are the sprockets also 520? That'd be my only concern. Otherwise, at 20k, I couldn't find any signs of wear on my stock sprockets and would have left them if I hadn't been looking for shorter overall gearing. I replaced with steel (I see no need for and don't understand why people use aluminum on street bikes) and expect to be able to use the same sprockets when my new chain wears out.


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On 12/29/2017 at 6:02 PM, VFR4Lee said:

If your sprocket teeth look worn down smooth like some hillybillys teeth what never seed no durn dentist,

you might need a new chain and sprocket set. :tongue:

 

That was my CBR954 some years ago. No wonder it was surging.  :goofy:

Reminds me of my RC51 when it's chain was getting near it's end of life, that bike would surge at low rpm's like crazy and was very hard on chains lol!  I dont think I'll have those same issues with my RC79 now :)

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10 hours ago, fink said:

No they were designed to keep the chain clean as well as to lubricate the o ring. 

 

 

Negative... the original designer wanted keep his chain lube during his days as a London Bike Courier besides have you notice a wet chain allows more muck to stick than a dry chain??? 

 

 

 

 

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