How old is too old for a chain?

[tkent02]

Thanks again, The original chain is an O-ring chain. I may just put it back together, after cleaning up the swing arm bearings, and see what happens. Not much riding will be done this Fall so a new chain may be a winter project.

No it is not. If you have an O-ring chain on a '77 550 it is NOT original. I have had a bunch of '77 550s, none had O rings. Swapped out by someone, maybe in about 1980, more likely a few years ago. Do you know when it was last ridden/maintained? There is a huge change in technology between an early and late O ring chain, they have really gotten good in recent years. X rings and other shapes, far better materials in both the steel of the chain and the rubber of the rings.

A new chain and sprockets takes about an hour if you're slow, what are you going to do with the rest of the winter?

[JEEPRUSTY]

You must also be wary of online vendors.
On aliexpress there are a lot of D.I.D x ring chains for amazingly little money.
Badly printed graphics on the box
chains made of cheese.

[mikenh]

I am just going by what is stated in my GS550 Service Manual which was bought with the bike in 1977. Page 106 figure 3-71 shows an enlarged drawing of a section of chain and points to the 'O' ring and how the grease is held in place by the ring. It states the chain is either a DAIDO (DID 50HDL) or TAKSAGO (RK 50SHO) chain. The chain was never replaced. The manual also has warnings about cleaning with gas and other solvents so as the o-rings are vulnerable to these cleaners.

Could be that Suzuki thought about using o-rings and spec'ed them but actually installed something different.

[tkent02]

I see that picture, and it is correct for the later 550s. Not for the '77. That manual covers the 550 until 1982, by then every bike came with O ring chains. In 1977 almost none did.

I have had a LOT of 550s, none had O rings as original equipment...
Again if you have O rings it is not original.

[mikenh]

Thanks. My manual was printed in 1977 and not the one posted on the bikeclif page, it does not reference other sub models. It will be interesting to see what is really on the bike. It is 150+ miles away so I can't go look right now.

Either way an o or x will be the replacement.