Drive chain. RK, DiD izumi. ?

[HL400]

Hi Chain experts, I'am about to put on a new chain on my CR 500 Husky and was wondering what is the go now days to mainy brands and to mainy codes  X ring, O ring, No ring, HD VMX WREX  and so on,  so what is every one using ?  HL

[LWC82PE]

DID or EK are good, as well as other brands.

In general terms HD just means thicker side plates but its still a non o-ring/x-ring chain

You would want a o-ring or x-ring chain. X-rings are just a bit better at sealing out the crap.

Just found out on Wednesday that DID are stopping making o-ring chains. Thats what the rep told me anyway. They are only going to be doing the X-ring instead.

Chains with no sealing rings tend to stretch easy and get tight & loose spots. When they get like that they become impossible to adjust and set up properly and being a HL, that is criticle as the swingarms usually bend down a lot and the chain wraps over the pivot a lot on those.

x and o-ring chains obviously do cost more but they are worth it. I only use the non sealed chains on the old english stuff mainly because the bikes dont go on dirt and you cant fit wider HD or x/o ring chains on them anyway because they are too wide and also heavy enough that they rob too much power from the engine.

[dalesween]

It pays to shop around, I went to AMX in melbourne two weeks ago and got a DID gold X-ring chain,520 size ,120 link for $99,these are usuall $199.

cheers Dale.

[Hardex]

I am on a team that races a Formula 500 speedway cars and we run a Yamaha R6 motor in it and it has a DID x-ring chain and believe me it gets a hard time on the track.We can run all season with it and usually replace it at the start of a new season.Of course we spend a lot of time inspecting the chain,cleaning ,Adjusting and use lots of oil on the chain .
If the chain can take the punishment we give it then surly the DID chain can handle anything a CR500 Husky can dish out .
Cheers.
P.S. If DID are interested in sponsoring us please call 

[Colin Jay]

I have been running a cheapo EONFINE X ring chain bought on Ebay for $75 for the past two seasons on the XT500 that I ride in Reliability trials. The chain has copped a heap of abuse, lots of riding in muddy conditions etc, but I have only had to adjust the chain once in during those two years. Of course the chain is maintained properly, being removed, cleaned and relubed after every event. I have been quite impressed with the chain and will continue to use this brand on the XT and other bike that I have.

CJ

[Davey Crocket]

I only use DID chains, you can check the wear characteristics and tensile strength in a catalogue at any good bikeshop.....remember, a quality chain is not going to be cheap, but then smashed cases, damaged swingarm, sprockets/ hubs are alot more expensive....and harder to buy. I also find DID chains dont wear the sprockets very much. Good maintainance is the key also and I usually replace the chain after a hard season or two depending on how much riding the bike has done.

[DR]

Have 'always' run RK, Izumi, Tsubaki or DID and never in my life have I snapped a chain..must ride like a pussy eh

bottom line, cheap chains are a risk I wouldn't chance

[JohnnyO]

All the well known brands are pretty good, i've been using a heavy duty RK gold chain on a few of my bikes and they've been good. I don't run o'ring chains on my vintage bikes, you can feel the extra drag when lubing the chain.

[All Things 414]

This is a good non O-ring D.I.D. chain Henry. The O ring/X ring chains definatly drag a lot more....

[HL400]

Wow what a can of worms I have opend, its good to see a healthy debate for a change. Thanks to every ones opinoin,  and of course your as well Ross.
I will go onto Ebay and see if I can find a good deal.  HL

[Lozza]

This is a good non O-ring D.I.D. chain Henry. The O ring/X ring chains definatly drag a lot more....

They do soak up few HP by being very heavy

[Nathan S]

Never had any drama with any of the brand-name chains. While there might be better/better value product out there, I have no doubt that any of the brand name chains will do the job beautifully.

Actually some of my bikes run the cheap and nasty Bizz-branded chains from that guy who advertises tyre & chain deals in Just Bikes (Aardvark Trading?!?), and they've caused me absolutely no drama (despite my initial nervousness!). They even seem to last about as well as the brand-name non-O-ring chains. That nervousness of mine means that I only put them on the lower powered bikes, but even the 428 version on the YZ125C is holding up great.
I did get one cheap o-ring from the same bloke and I never used it - straight out of the packet, it had loose and tight spots and generally failed to fill me with confidence.

The whole "O-ring chains suck too much power" is a crock of poop, as far as I can tell. Given the weight difference and increased friction as a percentage of what it takes to make a dirt bike move foward, you'd be looking a something like 0.05% loss - and anyone who can honestly say that they can feel even 1% power loss on a dirt bike is dreaming.
And remember that in a MX racing situation, most bikes are able to spin the rear wheel at will - meaning that you've got 'too much' power anyhow and losing a bit doesn't hurt.