530 chain advantages

Obviously pending number of links and exact chain manufacturer & ring specs this may differ but Googling I found where 3% weight difference is being depicted...

Now, for drag/racing bikes, oh hell ya I can understand where every ounce counts but for the normal everyday runner... I don't think so...

As some of you witnessed, I researched and posted the hell out of this topic for a couple months mind you and I as well as others came to this conclusion...

I just can't see going through all the hassle, costs and worries when it's just not going to make a noticeable difference in a every day runner.

Basic math:

@ 10 lbs @ 3% that equates .3 lbs
@ 20 lbs @ 3% that equates .6 lbs.
A 1/2 lb. friggin hamburger almost weighs that!
@ 30 lbs @ 3% that equates to a 1 lb.

All in all, as in my case, I too was worried about the chain to frame clearances. Fortunately I lucked out where my setup provides 1/8-3/16" of clearance to the frame ~ 6" back from the counter sprocket so chain side movement is minimal and over 1/2" to the tire presently on the rear rim.

Now, with new chain tensile strength technologies, If I could have found a well built (milled one piece) offset 520 counter sprocket with the correct number of teeth, then I probably would have gone this route for chain colors, style of chains X Wing for example, and all the purdy rear sprockets available...

But it just didn't exist and in some of the welded on sprockets I found on the web... No thanks! I mean we're all worried about 1 friggin pound but not the tolerance of being balanced and true or if the welds are going to hold up when hitting that power band etc... :blink:

Example: One I did find had a nose on it... I asked can I get that without the nose.. Reply, "NOPE. Due to liabilities, You want it without, then you cut it off."
Ok, there goes the balance and WTF, cutting the nose off is going to weaken it! Well ya for this was designed to be used as a support. Again, no thanks!

Maybe it's just me but I just don't get it....

OK, I'm better now.... :laugh:

OMR

omr,x-wing?ah hell i'm dieing over here,yer killin me:laugh: .

Klasmo has an offset 520 countershaft sprocket for around 80-100 dollars. One piece milled. Real nice. When I get the Gixxer rear in there, I will have that on the motor.

well all i can tell you is this from personal experiance i have broken 2 530 chains and did a bit of damage to my bike both times and have never broken a 630 so i know what i'm sticking with so i guess i'm on crack buddy.

omr if you cut the nose of that offset sprocket it will have little or no effect on the balacnce there not balanced any way all they check them for is trueness so cut away if you don't want to run the outboard bearing support.

There is no appreciable difference in strength between comparable 630 and 530 chains. The key is the quality of chain you buy.

I had a darned long conversation with an RK techie about this very topic.

Quality 530 X-Ring chains (from companies like RK) will not break from routine use UNLESS they are badly worn out, or badly adjusted. None of our bikes produce that much horsepower to shred a good condition chain.

BTW, do not read anything into the wear life listed for any chain. When RK (and others) do a chain life test, they do NOT subject the chain to any environmental challenges (like dirt or water) - it's all done in a lab. You will see non o-ring chains with wear indexes similar to o-ring chains. The wear index is worthless.

For most bikes there is a decent selection of 530 converion sprockets - the only ones difficult to convert are some of the GPZ 750's and the KZ900 LTD. We are trying to get some 530 sprockets made up, but it will take a few months for them to arrive.

On my bike/power/torques, the 530 would work but considering ~ same width, why go that route...

bdog, you have a link for that 520 offset?
Now we would be speaking of an 1/8" difference in width that would make a huge difference in a lot of our projects due to chain to frame clearances.

Of course, on some of the engine mods you guys made, I'm with Timebomb, stay with the 630 for piece of mind not to mention safety.

Jeff, is there a 520 chain that you know of in speaking with your rep's that have ~ same tensile strength as the 530/630?

OMR

Old Man Rock wrote:

On my bike/power/torques, the 530 would work but considering ~ same width, why go that route...

bdog, you have a link for that 520 offset?
Now we would be speaking of an 1/8" difference in width that would make a huge difference in a lot of our projects due to chain to frame clearances.

Of course, on some of the engine mods you guys made, I'm with Timebomb, stay with the 630 for piece of mind not to mention safety.

Jeff, is there a 520 chain that you know of in speaking with your rep's that have ~ same tensile strength as the 530/630?

OMR

suddenly its all starting to make sense! :laugh:

hahahahaaha... "suddenly its all starting to make sense!"

It's true, it's true!

OMR

Outboard bearing support kit in 530 from the afore mentioned D&G Chasis; the guy is a Kawasaki well-of-knowledge, ships immediately, and is as cool as the other-side-of-the-pillow. 530 quality is the way to go...you buy a junk chain, you get junk results...what do all performance sport-bikes (let alone super-powered liter-bikes and open-bores) come with stock (and get a b-zillion miles out of)? What do ALL AMA and WSB Superbike teams race on? Hell, you've even seen a built 'Bus sporting the 530...the dependability is factual.

The weight issue is interesting,:dry: less weight is easier to push, but I don't know of any direct comparisons that anyone has done to point to. I WILL have some data this summer when I make my conversions, I'll be sure to weigh sprockets as well. Does anyone think that the greater surface areas of the 630 would provide more friction and resistance?:huh: ...probably nit-picking there, eh?

Anyway, this whole issue is a little like watching retards have sex: disturbing...but I can't take my eyes off it.

i have broken a ek drzz 530 drag chain and also have broken a did x-ring chain as soon as i went back to the ek630 ms chain i have had no problems since .the one thing no body can ever accuse me of is buying junk chain buy what you want and run what you want it's no sweat off my ass i'm just relaying personal experiances so make up your own mind chain and sprockets are cheap compared to the price of a set of cases and the labour and time to fix the broken stuff.