Chain Maintenance

koolaid_kid wrote: Water Displacement 40, what a joke. I used it on a 1966 Oldsmobile distributor for exactly what it was intended, and it worked. Got the engine running. Anything else, forget it.
A well maintained o-ring or x-ring chain will last many miles. I put 20k miles on my GS1100E chain with 2 adjustments, and it was still going strong when I sold it. The key is proper maintenance. Clean it, lube it, adjust it, and align it when you adjust it. Alignment is critical, as important as everything else.

Wheel Alignment?
Also, how often do you clean and lubricate the chain?
Martin mentioned 200-300 miles.

If you lube the chain about every 300 miles it will last a very long time. I like Maxima Chain Wax (see pic), but I’m sure there are other folks who each have their own favorite. PJ1 chain lube sucks. Put the bike on the center stand and spray the lube on a section of the chain. Wipe off the excess with paper towels. Rotate the tire and do the next section; etc. As you wipe off the excess lube the chain will become clean. As long as you do this on a regular basis (say 300 miles or so) there is no need to go through any other work to try to clean the chain as this method will keep the chain clean.

When installing or checking / adjusting the chain be SURE to leave the correct amount of slack in it. Consult the manual for the spec. On my KZ650 it’s about 1” of up and down movement with the bike on the center stand. A chain that is too tight will die a very early death. This is because due to the relationship between the center of the front sprocket and the swing arm pivot bolt the chain gets tighter as the rear axle moves upward. So if the chain is adjusted with insufficient slack when the bike is at rest, the chain will be stretched every time the bike is ridden, especially as the bike goes over even small bumps in the road. Ed

This is the chain I run and after about 200 pass's at the drag strip and a few thousand
street mile's never have to adjust it.
I clean and lube it with chain wax before each track trip.

I know you guys are talking 530 chains but ive had really good luck with my 630 D.I.D. o-ring race chain. If i remember correctly its a 12,000 pound chain. Ive ran it for a couple years with little to no stretch.

650ed wrote: If you lube the chain about every 300 miles it will last a very long time. I like Maxima Chain Wax (see pic), but I’m sure there are other folks who each have their own favorite. PJ1 chain lube sucks. Put the bike on the center stand and spray the lube on a section of the chain. Wipe off the excess with paper towels. Rotate the tire and do the next section; etc. As you wipe off the excess lube the chain will become clean. As long as you do this on a regular basis (say 300 miles or so) there is no need to go through any other work to try to clean the chain as this method will keep the chain clean.

When installing or checking / adjusting the chain be SURE to leave the correct amount of slack in it. Consult the manual for the spec. On my KZ650 it’s about 1” of up and down movement with the bike on the center stand. A chain that is too tight will die a very early death. This is because due to the relationship between the center of the front sprocket and the swing arm pivot bolt the chain gets tighter as the rear axle moves upward. So if the chain is adjusted with insufficient slack when the bike is at rest, the chain will be stretched every time the bike is ridden, especially as the bike goes over even small bumps in the road. Ed

This is the stuff I bought already, so I'm going to go ahead and use this.

I was under the impression that the chain would get filthy dirty like it is on mine now, but from what I'm reading from you all it will keep a nice shine to it if I take care of it every 300 miles or so.

I'm going to do what martin mentioned and get a feel for the chain I have now. After a while I'll go buy a new set and get to work.

650ed wrote: When installing or checking / adjusting the chain be SURE to leave the correct amount of slack in it. Consult the manual for the spec. On my KZ650 it’s about 1” of up and down movement with the bike on the center stand.

If you put on different shock absorbers, this may change.... guess how I learned that the hard way. The shock may have a bit more free extension, which means you set that 1" slack but when you are sitting on it the chain is too tight. I like to set my slack with me sitting on it as when riding (not on the center stand) to make sure it's not too tight, and check it in at least four or five locations by rolling forward a bit. Nothing kills a chain faster than running it tight.. If it's a shade loose, probably won't hurt but you might hear the chain clack into the swing arm when you release the throttle. That's how I know mine is too loose.