What is normal chain wear?

[Cipher]

alright we need pics
your saying the top side is that loose
I measure ,y slack from the bottom

[sam000lee]

It's like this pretty much all the time I basically try to adjust it as loose as possible so that it isn't outrageously loose. Right now it hits the swingarm and I can lift it at least four fingers worth above the swingarm


image.jpg

[sam000lee]

Lifted image.jpg

[Gorminrider]

I measure ,y slack from the bottom

That's what I do..a double check after adjusting on center stand-just like that, sitting on the bike.
If you are super curious as to why chain slack you can disconnect shocks and move swingarm up and down to see how the geometry of the differing axes of rotation make a minimum slack requirement... but given this:

and there are bits of flaked metal all over the swingarm

I've never seen filings coming off! That has to be pretty obvious where it's coming from...either chain is too narrow for sprockets or entirely wrong per link length and .All the 5's are same "pitch" but it's a matter of width..."520, 525, and 530 will all fit on a 520 sprocket, but a
530 sprocket will only fit 530 chain"

chainspecs.jpg

[bobgroger]

That is a non o-ring chain. Are you lubing it every day? With what? IIRC back in the day 5k was a lot for a standard chain.

[Who Dat?]

Motorcycles have chains?! LOL

I haven't adjusted a chain in 25 years, but it's obvious that something very odd is going on.

I was thinking pretty much the same thing, but it's been almost 40 years since I had a bike with a chain to the rear wheel.

However, they have all had a cam chain, but it was adjusted automatically.

[bwringer]

That is a non o-ring chain. Are you lubing it every day? With what? IIRC back in the day 5k was a lot for a standard chain.

Yep, there's your trouble.

Unsealed chains are totally inappropriate for street use; they're essentially disposable chains for racing, where that .000001 horsepower you might lose to o-rings is important, and where quick, easy gearing changes are important. EK makes great chains, but that one is only intended to go a few laps on a track or runs up a dragstrip and then get thrown out, not street riding. They really should make this clearer in the literature, catalogs, and websites.

A high quality o-ring or x-ring chain and sprocket set should last a minimum of 20,000 to 30,000 miles, even on a powerful bike ridden hard. You shouldn't need to clean and lube the chain all that often (whatever you spritz on a sealed chain is only really needed to keep it from rusting and maybe knock off any accumulated dirt), and after you install it, you might need one minor adjustment after a few hundred miles. After that, it shouldn't need adjustment again until 20,000 to 30,000 miles have passed and it's just about worn out and time to order another.

[sam000lee]

Okay great thanks for the info glad I know why the one lasted such a short time. I'm in Olympia, WA and ordered new chain and sprockets to a shop here which will arrive tomorrow. I'm guessing they ordered an appropriate street use chain... I guess we'll see.

[sam000lee]

Front sprocket but is 32mm, right?

[sam000lee]

Okay got my new chain and sprockets on. Jt sprockets and pretty sure it's the same chain as the last one... At least it's new and only has to make it ~3500 miles home...

image.jpg

[eil]

EK makes a variety of chains, is there a model number on the new one that we can look up?

[sam000lee]

The chain that the Suzuki dealer in Olympia ordered for me was in fact another non O-ring chain. I got the same results, worked great for about 2,300 miles and then needed adjustment every 200 miles or would be extremely loose. Just got back to Boston and am replacing it again with an O ring or X ring one so hopefully I won't have to deal with this for several years now. I think I'm going with this one which costs about as much as the other two combined but I'm sure will outlast them.

https://www.z1enterprises.com/630-chain-rk-96-link-xw-ring.html

Thanks all for the input.

[JJ]

The chain that the Suzuki dealer in Olympia ordered for me was in fact another non O-ring chain. I got the same results, worked great for about 2,300 miles and then needed adjustment every 200 miles or would be extremely loose. Just got back to Boston and am replacing it again with an O ring or X ring one so hopefully I won't have to deal with this for several years now. I think I'm going with this one which costs about as much as the other two combined but I'm sure will outlast them.

https://www.z1enterprises.com/630-chain-rk-96-link-xw-ring.html

Thanks all for the input.

I'm glad that you made it back in good shape. That chain should easily last you exponentially longer than the cheap ones you were using, provided that it is lubed and adjusted correctly. Inexpensive chains like the ones you burned through on your trip is false economy.

[Who Dat?]

One other thing to consider is ... how tight is your chain after you adjust it?

A chain that is too tight will wear out a LOT faster than one that is a bit loose.

[fastbysuzuki]

The chain that the Suzuki dealer in Olympia ordered for me was in fact another non O-ring chain. I got the same results, worked great for about 2,300 miles and then needed adjustment every 200 miles or would be extremely loose. Just got back to Boston and am replacing it again with an O ring or X ring one so hopefully I won't have to deal with this for several years now. I think I'm going with this one which costs about as much as the other two combined but I'm sure will outlast them.

https://www.z1enterprises.com/630-chain-rk-96-link-xw-ring.html

Thanks all for the input.

The new chain looks good would be even better if you use an auto oiler really they are good I have used the Scott oiler for many years and they extend the chain life no end

https://www.scottoiler.com/