Kinda heart broken. Today I discovered my chain is wore out.

Im usually pretty good about checking everything on my bikes, but the Hurricane has become my commuter and I dont ride it hard anymore at all, so I didnt pay much attention to the chain other than lubing it and checking the tension every so often. Well today I tried to tighten the chain and realized there is no more adjustment left and its still too loose.

I have owned it about 2 1/2 years and the guy I bought it from said he put a new chain and sprockets on at 38,000 miles just before I bought it. It now has right at 61,000. He said it was one tooth down in the front which I believe due to the speedo error.

The rear sprocket looks fine but I havent checked the front. Any of you guys ever just replace the chain and not the sprockets? Is it the RK 530 chain that I need? And one last question; you guys that used the clip on link have any problems yet? I saw through a search that a couple of guys went with the clips in 2008.

im ignorant on chains and sprockets! On my other bike I was able to just buy an OEM kit with an endless chain, and I pulled the swing arm at put it on.

Any schooling and advice on exactly which kit(s) to buy would be appreciated!

 

I'll go first. I've replaced the chain without replacing sprockets before, with no problems and still got decent chain life. Second, I've use the clip type master link, again with no problems. Now some guys will probably strongly disagree, but to each his own. Lastly, since your down a tooth in front, you may not actually have reached the end of your chain's life. If you drop a tooth, you should also probably drop a link from your chain, since a new chain with the correct number of links will probably adjust to about half way in the chain adjuster marks. My 2 cents. Again, some will strongly disagree. Maybe a big consideration is how long you plan to keep the bike. If you're going for the long haul, maybe spending a few extra bucks are in order. If you want to save money, well, you decide.

 

im running an RK gold chain, got it in 120 length and i think im running 115 links (could be way wrong, im drinking right now). it is an XSO, 530 chain. got it on ebay cheap. do the same. it is a clip link set, wouldn't go any other way. the rivet link is way too much work to destroy a link every time i want to take the chain off.

i changed my rear sprocket at the same time to go two teeth up, so im not sure about wearing into the new sprocket or not. honestly, id run it on the old sprocket and not care about the chain being new, but im cheap and slightly 'stupid' sometimes with how i get things done.

 

Personally I wouldn't change any single item of the final drive. They all wear together and as such should be treated as a single unit.
Of course you can fit just a chain or a sprocket or two but I think it's a false economy in the long run.
Paco's idea of taking some links out is pretty reasonable if you want to get a bit of extra life out of it but you should really consider how worn the chain is already. having a chain break on you is really not worth thinking about, even if it happened at low speed. The result could be seriously catastrophic to the bike not to mention you!
I paid £85.00 for a new DID chain and sprocket set recently and I'm very happy with the quality. I also have great peace of mind.
Your call.

 

pacojoseph, you are right. I think the reason I dont have any adjustment left is because I'm one tooth down with a stock chain. Does the number 120 mean the number of links? If so, I wonder if I could buy a chain that would be a link or so shorter that would fit perfectly with this sprocket set up. Or, do I have to remove the links I want to remove myself with a tool? Also, what tool do I need to buy to remove the chain thats on it now, because it doesnt have a clip?
Thanks for the help guys!

 

The stock chain for the 93-96 is 114 links. Unless you buy a custom order, most retail chain packages will be 120 links (need to remove 6 links). For removing the old chain: angle grinder. Cut it right in half and whip it out.

If you buy a 120 link chain, you're going to need a chain riveting combo set
Something like this: Motion Pro - Chain Breaker & Riveting Tool

You can find them cheaper online though

 

+1 to changing sprockets and chain together. 20k is respectable mileage Ronnie.

I use sprocketcenter.com for the most part and tend to opt for DID chains as they
are top quality imo $29 off a kit at the moment by the looks of it.

 

Thanks guys for the helpful info and links!

 

I'm almost at 30k on mine (changed 2+ years ago when I put a ScottOiler on), but it is time for a new set

 

Have nearly 60k on my original sprockets. I am on my third chain and have maybke 10k left on it. Rear sprockety shows little wear. Cannot comment on the front as I am too lazy to remove the cover to look at. I would guess it needs to be replaced.