Lube Free Chains, Good or Bad?

[Billy Ricks]

Just another couple of questions about chains on race bikes? How old do the race chains get, like milage or number of races? How clean is the track they are on? Dose the chain on a race bike ever see moisture? How often do they check the chain tention?

I think that a race chain will need moretensile strenght then a o-ring chain, but I think the environment that the race bike chain lives in is nicer then that of most street bikes.

All the conditions you asked about effect ringed chains as well. If you're properly cleaning and lubing even a ringed chain then it's a non-issue with a performance non-ringed chain. The sealed chains only protect the inside of the rollers anyway, it's doing nothing to protect the plates or roller surfaces.

[lecroy]

Just another couple of questions about chains on race bikes? How old do the race chains get, like milage or number of races? How clean is the track they are on? Dose the chain on a race bike ever see moisture? How often do they check the chain tention?

I think that a race chain will need moretensile strenght then a o-ring chain, but I think the environment that the race bike chain lives in is nicer then that of most street bikes.

I would be willing to bet if you ask 10 guys this you will get 10 different answers. Every track is different. Every rider will treat their gear different and decide when it is best to change out parts. For the racing we do, the bike is backed in and out of a water box and the tire is spun, but little of the water ends up on the chain. Most of the guys have enclosed trailors, so rain is not much of an issue.

This weekend I think we made 10 passes average on each bike. If we raced every weekend for 6 months, thats 240 passes or about 240 miles when you consider pushing the bikes back. We normally change them once a season but we did just put the third chain on the kids bike this year. All of these bikes run in the 8's. I would guess that the guys running in the 6's change them much more often than us and the guys who race the street bikes (real street bikes, not shoot out bikes) have thier chains for years before they swap them out.

We check the chain tension every run for the most part and adjust them maybe every 20 passes or so. (The clutch is much worse). From what I have seen , its not so much the stretch that causes us to change a chain as that they start to bind. So, we don't change the gears like you would with a street bike every time you change the chain.

You did not ask, but we lube the chains every couple of passes on average.

The strength is going to be a question of how much power you want to plant and how often you plan to change the chain.

[Jethro]

I got a cheapo non-o-ring chain, cause I'm broke. I don't think it'll hold up like an o-ring, but I'm not overly concerned. I don't give it time to rust up and I l;ude it every 2nd tank. I'm not going to convert to 530. I like the beefier chain. I'm heavy, and so's my wrist.

Strength is a non-issue. I'm a 260lb tank arse and I beat the ever loving snot out of my 1100 with a 530 chain- wheelies, massive engine breaking, redline all the time... some of the high performance 530 chains are way higher strength than you can ever get a 630 in. Plus, if you like saving money, the 530 is the way to go. 630 chains and sprockets are more money.

[quakeholio]

The one that conviced me to go on to the 530 (quite riding the bike before it happened though) was someone mentioned that the GSXR1000 was running 530 as I recall. The bike puts out more power then most any gs1100.

Interesting note that the chains last longer on the race bikes then chains. I've always figured that the clutches on the racers didn't have an easy life, but I didn't know that was the extent of it.

[lecroy]

some of the high performance 530 chains are way higher strength than you can ever get a 630 in.

Show me! Find something with over 30000 tensile strength in a 530.

630SHB-Z: The Chain for H-D Top Fuelers
With an unsurpassed 30,000-lb. tensile strengh, the 630SHB-Z is specificaly designed to handle the brutal horsepower of today’s V-twin top fuelers.
Recommended application: V-twin top fuel drag racing
Tensile strength: 30,000 lbs.
Available lengths: cut to order though

"The one that conviced me to go on to the 530 (quite riding the bike before it happened though) was someone mentioned that the GSXR1000 was running 530 as I recall. The bike puts out more power then most any gs1100."

My GSXR1100W I think had 150 HP from the factory and has a 532 chain. I think my GS was 108 HP with the 630 chain. From that I can understand where your coming from. But these were stock low performance engines. Add some pistons and turbo to that old GS with 20 pounds of boost and then add a car tire to the mix and things start to happen. The GS can pull well over 300 HP. Way more than the stock GSXR. And while you can thrash an old GS with a little street tire all day long, a 10" drag slick tends to not be so forgiving on parts.

[Jethro]

Show me! Find something with over 30000 tensile strength in a 530.

The GS can pull well over 300 HP. Way more than the stock GSXR. And while you can thrash an old GS with a little street tire all day long, a 10" drag slick tends to not be so forgiving on parts.

Ok, ok, leave it to the drag bike master to bring in a 300hp gs with a 10" slick... this is an unusual circumstance. A little quick research on the web shows me that you are right, the average 630's are commonly around 15k tensile and the 530's are around 10.5k. The EK website suggests a 10.k tensile chain for up to 180hp, and even shows a 530 chain under the dragbike section with a tensile strength of 11.5k for a bike to 300hp.

[lecroy]

LOL

I am guessing your right and that the majority of the GS's on this site are under 100 HP and would make a good case for the smaller chains. I was just going for the black and white argument.

EK does make some very nice products.