Drive Chain Life Span?

Wondering about the drive chain:

Went to adjust the slack and did the usual. Adjusted it, checked slack a bunch of places. Tightened everything up. Then, when when I was walking it, I noticed a "tight spot" where the slack went away.

The tight spot is always exactly the same point of chain rotation (I marked the link), not a specific position of the sprockets. I checked the drive sprocket and rear sprocket and they run true (cleaned the sprockets and chain).

The chain has maybe 15k - 20k miles, but it was the best chain Dennis Kirk sold back when I bought it. I have taken very good care of it.

The slack varies as I rotate the wheel (all chains do) but this thing has a little too much variation and one noticably tight spot.

Does the chain have to go?

Yes, I think the chain is telling you that it is finished.

Time to invest in another, and maybe another set of sprockets, too (unless you have convinced yourself they are in fairly nice shape).

Mcdroid wrote:

Yes, I think the chain is telling you that it is finished.

Time to invest in another, and maybe another set of sprockets, too (unless you have convinced yourself they are in fairly nice shape).

The wierd thing is, the sprockets and chain look like they are in very good shape. The chain has not "grown" in length much since new (the stock chain did as it wore). Everything looks good, it's just this wierd "tighten up" spot.

The really bizarre thing is it's just one spot and if I rock the wheel to move the chain a link in either direction it loosens up.

It's common to have tight and loose spots. If the sprockets aren't worn I personally wouldn't worry about it. That's how I get 60K out of a chain.

RonKZ650 wrote:

It's common to have tight and loose spots. If the sprockets aren't worn I personally wouldn't worry about it. That's how I get 60K out of a chain.

How do you adjust for it: make sure the tightest spot has a tiny bit of play and just let the loose parts do what they want? That's how I adjusted mine.

The wierd thing is how quickly this spot tightens up and then loosens as the chain moves. It doesn't correlate to sprocket position, always the same chain position.

Rotate the chain checking for the tight spot. Adjust your chain at the tight spot. The rest of the chain will be a little looser of course, but rotate the chain and check at different spots and if there isn't a lot of slack in the loose spots you should be good to go. I don't think I've ever had a chain where it wasn't tighter in one spot and looser in another. You just have to adjust for it. If you adjust at the loose spot then it might be Too tight at the tight spot and put too much pressure on the bearings.

I had a tight spot in the chain on the 1000, the damn thing even made noise while riding and I could feel it also, and the sprockets did not look that bad, but I replaced the entire set with a 530 set up,,, so far so good

racer54 wrote:

Rotate the chain checking for the tight spot. Adjust your chain at the tight spot. The rest of the chain will be a little looser of course, but rotate the chain and check at different spots and if there isn't a lot of slack in the loose spots you should be good to go. I don't think I've ever had a chain where it wasn't tighter in one spot and looser in another. You just have to adjust for it. If you adjust at the loose spot then it might be Too tight at the tight spot and put too much pressure on the bearings.

That's what I did, it does get a bit too loose in some spots. If it gets too loose I hear an occasional "clack" when I let off the gas and the chain slack flips forward and bonks the metal guide on the swing arm. As long as I don't hear that, I figure I'm OK. I was hearing that before I adjusted it and I didn't hear it today.

BSKZ650 wrote:

I had a tight spot in the chain on the 1000, the damn thing even made noise while riding and I could feel it also, and the sprockets did not look that bad, but I replaced the entire set with a 530 set up,,, so far so good

Is the 530 the bigger chain? It's been so long I don't remember which one mine has.

bountyhunter wrote:

Is the 530 the bigger chain? It's been so long I don't remember which one mine has.

Quick refresher ---

Chain sizes are based on the Rule of Eighths so that with a 520 chain the 5 means 5/8" between two roller centers (the pitch) and the 20 means 2.0/8 = 2/8 = 1/4" width. Size 525 has the same 5/8" pitch and 2.5/8" = 5/16" width. Size 530 has the same 5/8" pitch and 3.0/8 = 3/8" width. Size 630 has 6/8 = 3/4" pitch and 3.0/8 = 3/8" width. And so on. Sizes 520, 525 and 530 are all wide enough to fit on a 520 sprocket, but a only the 530 chain will fit on a 530 sprocket.

630 is the "bigger". What it is is longer pitch between rollers and the same width as a 530. Stay 630 if that's what came with the bike or stay 530 if that's what came on it is my recomendation which is generally disputed here

which is generally disputed here

"Everything" is generally disputed here, that's half the fun!