IWIS Chains

Brooking 850

Brooking 850

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Is Jason the Chain Man still marketing IWIS chains, have emailed although no answer as yet?
 
Thanks, just checked that site, looks like shipping is expensive from the UK to NZ
 
Go to 520 easy to cut down sprockets and run US Tsubaki chain it's extremely tuff! If you get sprockets cut down on the inside you get a little extra tire clearance!
 
mean gene said:
Go to 520 easy to cut down sprockets and run US Tsubaki chain it's extremely tuff! If you get sprockets cut down on the inside you get a little extra tire clearance!
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No need to cut them down. cNw has one-stop shopping for them. RGM has rear cush type 520 drum/sprockets in stock, AN has front 520 sprockets in stock, and I have 19T and 21T front 520 sprockets and I have one bolt-up 520 drum/sprocket in stock.

I use DID chains I buy on Amazon (so far, the lowest price I can find).

If you turn them, the case hardening will be gone. Not positive that the front ones have been case hardened, but I'm told that the rear are.
 
If you run IWIS chains no need to cut down or use 520, I run a 130 wide tyre on my race bike with standard Commando swing arm and standard 530 sprockets with an IWIS chain , plenty of room between tyres and chain and inside if the inner primary case.
 
Brooking 850 said:
If you run IWIS chains no need to cut down or use 520, I run a 130 wide tyre on my race bike with standard Commando swing arm and standard 530 sprockets with an IWIS chain , plenty of room between tyres and chain and inside if the inner primary case.
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The value in modern 520 chains is that you can use x-Ring chains which are nearly maintenance free, are stronger than the chains from IWIS that have no clearance issues, last longer, and will always be available.

BTW, most all IWIS chains do not work with Commandos. Only the ones they make in the 10B-1 size do and they confuse that as they sell IWIS Elite in both. I made the mistake of buying six IWIS Elite chains from Wassell, the "exclusive provider" only to find out that they are wider than the IWIS Elite chains from AN and the master links are way wider.

BTW2, there are no "standard 530 sprockets" for Commandos! The standard sprockets work with 530 chains but Most British bikes from the Commando era did not use 530 chains - they used 10B-1 chains. 10B-1 chains are still 5/8" between links and nominally 3/8" wide between the inside, side plates but the side plates are thinner, and the pins are shorter which makes the overall width less. 10B-1 chains do not fit actual 530 sprockets properly - insufficient clearance.
 
I brought a new rear chain from Andy before he retired in standard Commando size 5/8 x 3/8, my last chain was just a heavy duty chain in the same size and had 40k + miles on it and only replaced it when it threw the retaining clip, it hadn't stretched much at all but it had big side movement compared to the new chain, but I look after my chains, I have always had long life out of my chains and sprockets on my Norton, well on all my bikes in fact and this be the 3rd replacement chain in 48 years of ownership, the original Norton chain only had a short life from doing burnouts in my youth with 6 links breaking, young and silly.
I see a lot on here only getting low mileage out of their chains before replacing them, every 10k mile or yearly which ever comes first I pull my chain off, soak it in a tub of kero over night, give it a good clean and fix any tight links, before soaking it in hot gearbox oil that I cook on the gas stove and let it soak over night, next day hang it to let the access oil drip off into a container before refitting it, just part of yearly maintenance, never needed to upgrade to a X or O ring chain for my Norton, but was the first time I ever lost a retaining chain clip in 48 years of ownership so the new chain I have the clip on the inside of the chain and is now safety wired, but when it did throw the chain I was sticking into it from a stand still at lights lol.

Ashley
 
I am confused about original sprockets not fitting a 530 chain. If both chains are 5/8 X 3/8 how can one fit the sprocket and the other does not? As stated the 10B-1 has thinner side plates. That should not affect fitting the sprockets. Possibly affect clearance to the chaincase or gearbox case, but not the sprocket. Personally I have run Diamond 530 XDL chain for probably more than 25 years on all my Commandos and P11s with no clearance issues. My chains are properly adjusted and lubricated.
 
Ron L said:
I am confused about original sprockets not fitting a 530 chain. If both chains are 5/8 X 3/8 how can one fit the sprocket and the other does not? As stated the 10B-1 has thinner side plates. That should not affect fitting the sprockets. Possibly affect clearance to the chaincase or gearbox case, but not the sprocket. Personally I have run Diamond 530 XDL chain for probably more than 25 years on all my Commandos and P11s with no clearance issues. My chains are properly adjusted and lubricated.
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They do fit.
Lots and lots of superfluous data floating about.
 
Ron L said:
I am confused about original sprockets not fitting a 530 chain. If both chains are 5/8 X 3/8 how can one fit the sprocket and the other does not? As stated the 10B-1 has thinner side plates. That should not affect fitting the sprockets. Possibly affect clearance to the chaincase or gearbox case, but not the sprocket. Personally I have run Diamond 530 XDL chain for probably more than 25 years on all my Commandos and P11s with no clearance issues. My chains are properly adjusted and lubricated.
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The original sprockets have no trouble with 530 chains. 10B-1 chains are too tight, tolerance wise for 530 sprockets. The sprockets on Nortons, Triumphs, and BSAs at least in a Commando era were meant for 10B-1 chains.

Both chains are exactly 5/8" between links. Neither are exactly 3/8" between the inner plates. Much more important is the thickness of the plates and therefore the length of the pins. Most standard 530 chains will just clear on 750s and just clear on 850s with two chaincase to engine gaskets; AND, with the master link put in from the drive side to the timing side (backwards). That keeps them from ripping the sealing discs apart and the small damage that can happen to the gearbox case is livable.

Also, an improperly aligned inner primary can give extra clearance.

Change from standard to heavy duty and it doesn't work. O-Ring and x-ring 530 chains to not work on standard Commandos. I have no idea how you and the few others have them working but I promise that thousands do not.

The chain man would have no business if you could simply buy a standard 530 chain and slap it on the bike!

BTW, I'm not sure about any of this with MK3s.
 
To clarify, the 530 XDL chain that Ron mentioned is a nonsealed chain with oil impregnated bushings. The pin length is
.89"

Glen
 
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To clarify, the wassell chain is made by Elite to an older motorcycle spec, it is unique to Wassell and does not fit a Commando other than a MK3 - I have one fitted on my bike to test it, a good chain but not ideal for many Commando's.
IWIS elite strength - look it up on the IWIS website and compare to the German made chain from IWIS for the same size - it might surprise you. A well maintained IWIS elite chain will outlast a poorly maintained quality IWIS German chain, no surprise there.
520 chain - yes it works but, recently a few modern manufacturers found that out and being lighter and most probably cheaper fitted it to bikes that even a 5 year would question. They had warranty issues as the chain did not last, I believe they reverted back to 530.
From above there are many chains out there that fit and work, some may last longer than others, you can machine a sprocket but it invariable removes the case hardening, no real issues except it may wear out quicker.
 
Jason took over the business on Andy's retirement. We've had a few threads on this topic and I usually come out the other end just as confused :). I contacted Jason and explained my set up and my replacement chain arrived a couple of days later. It's now done over 4,000 miles with one minor adjustment. No rust.

I contacted him again last year, for a replacement chain for my CB750K6.
 
Can someone share Jason's (the Andy the chain guy replacement chain guy) contact info with me. I'm just a newbie mk3 owner with an over stretched renold chain. Need the best replacement.
 
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