Premature chain wear ???

[wrksux]

There may well be a thread related to chain wear, but I was unable to find it.

It looks like I need a new chain at 10,000 miles. It seem premature to me. I have had a number of bikes of various sizes and don't ever remember needed a chain this early.
Anyone in the same boat?

I'm considering going with an inexpensive chain only and replacing the whole set when it goes. (hopefully another 4k > 6k miles)

GDO

 

[wozza]

I'm afraid there's been a few bikes suffering from premature chain wear...

 

[Chestnut]

Replaced mine at...12k? 14k? Don't remember exactly, but it needed it for 2,000 miles before I actually got around to it. I couldn't blame it though, given the near complete lack of maintenance it'd had. Replaced the sprockets at the same time, old ones looked practically brand new so kept them for back up.

 

[jtkirk]

Hoping this is not a trend. Motorcylist did a long term test on one of these bikes and despite rigorous maintenance the chain had to be replaced at 10,000 miles. This was in the last issue that I received just last week.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I replaced my DID "O" ring chain at 12,000. Installed DID "X" ring chain. Now have about 10,000 miles on the "X" ring chain, and it still looks great. I will replace both the chain and sprockets at 24,000 miles. I replace my chain every 12,000 miles and my chain and sprockets every 24,000 miles. Never had any problems on the road this way. It is a lot cheaper to fix problems before they happen, than on the road where the price goes wild. I also change the tires every 12,000 miles, also. Easier to do both jobs at the same time.

 

[Beemerphile]

To you guys and gals putting the high miles on, keep a check on the chain slider on the pivot end of the swingarm as well. It is a wear part. I stopped for a guy on the Dempster Highway last year who had a chain failure because the slider had worn out and the chain carved a sharp place into the swing arm which promptly ate the chain.

 

[MZ5]

My chain has a number of kinked/tight links at a bit under 10k miles. I can still make them move, but they're much tighter than they should be. It hasn't even stretched enough to get to the 'new' mark on the swingarm, though. This is disappointing, but I suppose that, given how many riders only put on a couple hundred to a couple thousand miles per year, maybe most are happy with this chain? IDK.

 

[JDE]

So how does one know for sure that the chain is bad and needs replacing? The NC is the first motorcycle I've ever had with a chain before. I've got 14k+ miles on mine now and although the chain doesn't seem like it's stretched to the point of needing replacement. I have noticed some bright red stains showing up recently. Doesn't look orange like rust, but more redish. Is that a sign that the "O" Rings have failed or are failing? What are other signs of a chain needing to be replaced besides going past teh marks on the swing arm for adjustment?

 

[wrksux]

First of all check your owners manual for the proper chain movement.
To check for a bad chain I will suggest a couple things. (I'm sure you'll get a lot of input on this).
Prop your bike up so the rear wheel spins freely. Measure the chain slack from ground/floor to the bottom of the chain. Next, push the chain up taunt and measure the difference. Now, rotate your tie about 1/8 turn and check again. Continue this for a full revolution. If your chain is bad you will likely find spots where it is very tight in comparison. This would indicate the chain needs to be replaced. (And possibly the sprockets)
Another check would be to grab the chain with your thumb and index finger at the 3 o'clock location on your rear sprocket. Try to pull the chain away from the sprocket. It should NOT move.

Assuming you've had to replace a rear tire by now, I would have thought your dealer would be watching this also.

Good luck, hope your chain is OK

 

[JDE]

First of all check your owners manual for the proper chain movement.
To check for a bad chain I will suggest a couple things. (I'm sure you'll get a lot of input on this).
Prop your bike up so the rear wheel spins freely. Measure the chain slack from ground/floor to the bottom of the chain. Next, push the chain up taunt and measure the difference. Now, rotate your tie about 1/8 turn and check again. Continue this for a full revolution. If your chain is bad you will likely find spots where it is very tight in comparison. This would indicate the chain needs to be replaced. (And possibly the sprockets)
Another check would be to grab the chain with your thumb and index finger at the 3 o'clock location on your rear sprocket. Try to pull the chain away from the sprocket. It should NOT move.

Assuming you've had to replace a rear tire by now, I would have thought your dealer would be watching this also.

Good luck, hope your chain is OK

Thanks for the input. Yes, I'm on my second set of tires now. I changed them myself and did my 8,000 miles service myself. So my bike hasn't seen the dealer since the first service. I'm not very confident in my local dealer.

Sent from a WALKIE TALKIE using Morse Code

 

[BttrThnWrk]

My original chain was replaced at 13000 miles. It was stretched out a lot and kinked besides. At the time, I blamed the Loobman chain oiler I had been running, and removed it in favor of periodic spraying (cleaner & lube). However, after reading that I was not exactly alone in my troubles, I'm no longer so sure it was the Loobman oiler's fault at all - maybe it was just part and parcel of the bike's overall price point. I'll have to kick that one around some - I'm coming to dislike chain maintenance (being lazy is one of my defining characteristics!).

 

[X-Man]

My bikes going in this week for a new chain and sprockets at 15k.It has tight spots and some of the links are kinked, started showing up at around 12k.

 

[StratTuner]

To you guys and gals putting the high miles on, keep a check on the chain slider on the pivot end of the swingarm as well. It is a wear part. I stopped for a guy on the Dempster Highway last year who had a chain failure because the slider had worn out and the chain carved a sharp place into the swing arm which promptly ate the chain.

I'm up to 14K, and the sprocket teeth on the rear look flat on top and even... not chipped anywhere. The chain seems fine, but how would I know if it were worn and needed replacement?

 

[Beemerphile]

I'm up to 14K, and the sprocket teeth on the rear look flat on top and even... not chipped anywhere. The chain seems fine, but how would I know if it were worn and needed replacement?

By inspection. I am not talking about the chain and sprockets, but about the black plastic swingarm protector that wraps the front of the swingarm. It should last a couple of chains - but less if you run it loose or dirty.

 

[Heizer]

Probably unrelated, and previously mentioned, but... http://powersports.honda.com/news/090111c0810dbd65/2012/10/08/important-safety-recall-notice-2012-nc700x-xd.aspx

 

[Beemerphile]

Probably unrelated, and previously mentioned, but... RECALL 2012 NC700X/XD - IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE - Honda Powersports

The defect that caused the recall was excessive hardening of the sideplates and a possibility of them breaking. It would not affect the longevity of the chain. Also, those chains are supposed to all be collected under the recall. More likely, what we are experiencing is the implication of budget over performance - a low cost OEM chain. Similar to what they did to us on the suspension.

 

[Harald]

More likely, what we are experiencing is the implication of budget over performance - a low cost OEM chain. Similar to what they did to us on the suspension.

That's got to be the cause of such early chain replacements. I never got over 10,000 miles on chains when I lived in Florida and riding sportbikes. I was meticulous about lubing chains, but high power and lots of sand blowing around would kill chains. And this was in the 80's, so chain technology wasn't as advanced as today. New chains without the influence of sand should last much longer!

My last chain drive bike (before the NC) was a 97 Honda CBR1100XX and the chain on it lasted almost 35,000 miles. It was finally killed by the guy that bought the bike and rode it home 2000 miles with no chain maintenance. The only maintenance I ever did on that chain was very regular application of WD40 (at least weekly or immediately after riding in the rain). The chain wasn't worn to the replace line, had no rust and no stiff links.

I got the idea for WD40 from an article in a motorcycle magazine where they interviewed a rep from one of the big chain manufacturers. And it makes sense if you think about it. An O (or any other letter) ring chain has grease sealed inside the roller. So you just need to keep the chain from rusting and stop the seals from getting damaged and subsequently letting the grease out. WD40 stops the rust and flushes away crap that would cut or work under the seals.

And a centerstand is a huge help in lubing chains. Just start the bike while on the centerstand, put it in gear and let the clutch out. While the rear sprocket is spinning, spray onto the sprocket/chain junction at about 6 o'clock on both sides of the sprocket. Be very careful to not catch anything in the chain because it's very unforgiving! Centrifugal force will spread the WD40 all over the chain and flush off dirt.

 

[Harald]

I can't find the original Motorcyclist article, but here's part of it on another website:
Chain Lube

 

[OriginalRocket]

And a centerstand is a huge help in lubing chains. Just start the bike while on the centerstand, put it in gear and let the clutch out. While the rear sprocket is spinning, spray onto the sprocket/chain junction at about 6 o'clock on both sides of the sprocket. Be very careful to not catch anything in the chain because it's very unforgiving! Centrifugal force will spread the WD40 all over the chain and flush off dirt.

This may work with a liquid based spray, if you don't mind the fling off everywhere. I use Bel Ray Chain Lube now. I like the color change it gives, and I can visually see when the lube is worn away (about 500 miles). I agree the center stand is key though for easy chain maintenance.

For the people experiencing chain wear. How many times did you have to adjust the chain? And how is your tire life? My thinking is the chain with short tire life is experiencing much more force than say mine, with the DCT in cruise mode turning 3000 rpm's max most its life so far. I've adjusted the chain twice now. Once at 600 miles, and again at 2500. I have 5600 miles now and the chain has not loosened at all (maybe 1mm.)

 

[MZ5]

My original chain was replaced at 13000 miles. It was stretched out a lot and kinked besides. At the time, I blamed the Loobman chain oiler I had been running, and removed it in favor of periodic spraying (cleaner & lube). However, after reading that I was not exactly alone in my troubles, I'm no longer so sure it was the Loobman oiler's fault at all - maybe it was just part and parcel of the bike's overall price point. I'll have to kick that one around some - I'm coming to dislike chain maintenance (being lazy is one of my defining characteristics!).

I don't know whether this suggests that the Loobman was the _cause_ of the disappointing lifespan, but it certainly makes it look like it's not a particularly helpful item to install over an O- or X-ring chain.