Hey ya'll

so I went to the mechanic bc of some grinding noise on the rear wheel, and after checking it, which thankfully they did for free, they told me that the bike needs new chain and sprocket. I looked at it and the chain has a 1in slack, and its still not in the "new chain" zone.
Also, how do you know when you have to change the sprocket?
another rookie question, do you have to obligatorily change the sprocket when you change the chain?

also, where can I get these two parts at a really good price? the bike is a 96 f3. and I was wondering what are the aspects of the chain and sprockets I need. right now I have a 520 o-ring chain, but can I go for a 520 x-ring chain?


thanks in advance

 

easy answer, change them in sets. Now on the when when the chain gets were it wont stay adjusted or as you said is in the wore out indicators on the adjusters. Can tell by the sprockets when the teeth get pointy.

 

+1 What PlayfulGod said. The common trend is to replace both the chain & sprockets as they tend to wear out together in unison. Is it mandartory? No, but it would suck to put on a new $120 chain and have it wear out prematurely because of rotten sprockets, and vice versa.
As for the size 520 "pitch" chain you have on there now, that size chain is OK for a 600cc. If you want longevity, a 525 chain would provide a little more stretch resistance. The same with aluminum vs. steel sprockets. Steel is stronger, but they also weigh more.
X-rings are supposed to be superior to o-rings. Where an o-ring only has one contact area against the side plates, the x-ring has two. The x-ring also has more flex, thus less resistance.
It's actually three (3) parts; counter sprocket (front), chain, and rear sprocket. Sportbike Solutions advertised on top of this page, seem to have reasonable deals, plus I heard they offer discounts to CBRF members.