Final Drive Chain Life

[robs ss]

I have done some searching here and can't find anything to answer my question, so...

What is considered "good" chain life?
I have a 520 VX2 that appears a bit over half worn, judging by axle position in slot, at nearly 16000 miles.
I know I compromised its life early on by using an overly harsh cleaner (ended up with small hairs of x-ring protruding here and there ).
I have a VX3 ready to go on, but was wondering what is considered acceptable life?
Cheers

 

[kommando]

I was buying cheap chains and as soon as I got to showing some wear I replaced, I was getting 4 to 5K per chain. The sprockets get worn by worn chains hence changing the chain often can be cheaper in the long run. Chain wear is not determined by the amount of the adjustment slot used but by comparison to an unworn chain. For 520 that is 6 thou per link, so measure 10 links and reject at 60 thou wear.

 

[ashman]

My last heavy duty chain I got over 40k miles out of it when I threw a joining link doing a bit rev out at a set of lights, the chain rapped around the inner primary case and took a bit to get out, so ordered a new chain for Andy the chain man before he retired, I put a new joining link in the old chain while waiting for the new chain to arrive but I now run the clip on the inside of the chain and safety wire it.
As for long life out of my heavy duty chains I remover the chain every 6 month, soak in kero overnight and give the chain a good clean and inspection and any tight links I free up then soak it in a tin of hot GB oil on the stove for sometime then let it hang overnight to drain the access oil.
When the new chain arrived I laid it beside the old chain and to my surprise the old chain hadn't stretch much in the 40k miles and I cut the new chain to the same length.
Look after your chains and keep lubed they should get long life out of them, the old chain hangs in my shed as a spare if I need it, the old chain had a bit more side flex but for stretch it was still good and the rollers were still good after all those miles.
On my 2016 Thruxton I am still running the original chain with 40k kms and its still looking good, 7+ years now for the Oring chain I also keep the rollers lube for less wear on the sprockets, in 49 years I have gone through 4 heavy duty chains on the Norton, on my second rear drum/sprocket but I have a new one sitting under my bench waiting and on my second front sprocket, not bad for 49+ years of ownership and was an everyday rider till 2013 clocking up 6k to 10k mile per year sometime more on average.

 

[Tornado]

Im in the middle of a chain/sprocket/drum renewal. Unsure total miles but the setup has done 23k miles under my ownership with 30k miles total now on the clock

I used a trick I saw on Frank Del Monte's you tube channel, laying the chain on its roller side and bending it over its length into an arc...measuring the max deflection...

Thats 42 cm (16.5" in good Christian measures).
New chain (still uncut to length here)...

11 cm.

Sprockets were shark toothed, front more than rear.

 

[robs ss]

I was buying cheap chains and as soon as I got to showing some wear I replaced, I was getting 4 to 5K per chain. The sprockets get worn by worn chains hence changing the chain often can be cheaper in the long run. Chain wear is not determined by the amount of the adjustment slot used but by comparison to an unworn chain. For 520 that is 6 thou per link, so measure 10 links and reject at 60 thou wear.

Not sure where the 6 thou per link comes from - what determines that as the threshold?
But, assuming that's correct, then surely 100 links would give 600 thou. Halve that (roughly because some links are on the sprockets) and that would give 300 thou (~8mm) change in adjustment from new position? Just got to remember/record new position.
Cheers

 

[ashman]

A good chain won't stretch that much and if your adjustments need changing a few time will show how much wear is on your sprockets, my Norton very rarely needs to adjust the chain in the 40k mile and same with my 1200 Thruxton it has only been slightly adjusted in 7 years, well only once in fact, all boils down to the quality of the chain, sprocket are the first sign things aren't right.

 

[robs ss]

Just did what I should have done first.

DID website recommends replacing a chain when wear reaches 1% for sealed chains and 2% for unsealed.
520 & 530 have a pitch of 625 thou (5/8") so 1% is just over 6 thou per link!
Verifies @kommando 's number

So just measured about 11 links (outside of plates because that's easier) & 11 links because it's within the range of my verniers:
New chain = 186.7mm
Chain on bike = 187.6mm
So, that's just under 0.5% wear - or around half its life
Cheers

 

[gpzkat]

16K miles!, well, that seems good. And it's half it's life? Wow, I would love to get that on any bike I've owned, and I am pretty meticulous about chain adjustment and maintenance. My Norton has a new countershaft sprocket and Reynolds non O-ring chain, but the rear sprocket is still the original which has, if the original speedo can be trusted, 10K miles on it. Seems quite good comparatively (thankfully..$$$)

I have some huge 630 D.I.D. old school O-ring chains on my Suzukis. The countershaft is easy to change, unlike the Norton, and the rear sprocket is a separate (cheap) piece, unlike the Norton. That's the stuff that worries me, though it seems that British steel (and aluminium as well, given my experience polishing metal, ha!) is a cut above. The effort and expense of sprocket changes on Nortons is just beyond awful, IMO.

 

[ludwig]

I have a 520 VX2 that appears a bit over half worn, judging by axle position in slot, at nearly 16000 miles.

Sounds about right, but at that mileage I would check each link individually.
I use the same chain ( DID 520 VX2) but I had to replace one around 25000 km because 2 links showed excessive wear, likely due to failing seals.

 

[daveforty]

I was buying cheap chains and as soon as I got to showing some wear I replaced, I was getting 4 to 5K per chain. The sprockets get worn by worn chains hence changing the chain often can be cheaper in the long run. Chain wear is not determined by the amount of the adjustment slot used but by comparison to an unworn chain. For 520 that is 6 thou per link, so measure 10 links and reject at 60 thou wear.

I used to find similar wear when I was using my T140 as my commuting bike. I would reckon on 6000m out of a cheap-ish chain, then do the sprocket set every third chain (18000m). I didnt get an accurate measurement of stretch, but the bend - as illustrated above - was a good indication of knackeredness. Dont think it ever got as bad as the chain in Tornados picture though...

 

[jan nelder]

There was a chap at the recent Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb (UK) who had designed and was selling a short guage that measured a few links on a go/no go basis as to whether chain had stretched too much . Very neat and £4.50!

 

[motorson]

UWR Vintage Chain Specs​

RK SV530UWR VINTAGE CHAIN

UWR is specific for vintage motorcycles requiring narrow clearance chains that came with 530 non-sealed chains. SV530UWR has a max width of 22.70mm making UWR ideal for British bikes such as Norton, Triumph, also Honda 1970’s CB750, CL450 etc.

I'm running this chain on my Norton. The rear sprocket being expensive makes it worth preserving. I had been running the Andy Chain 530 with the stock oiler. I still have it as it did not wear very much at all but who runs the stock oiler anymore??

 

[robs ss]

Sounds about right, but at that mileage I would check each link individually.
I use the same chain ( DID 520 VX2) but I had to replace one around 25000 km because 2 links showed excessive wear, likely due to failing seals.

I think I will make a simple gauge (something like @jan nelder mentioned above) to fit over 2 outer plates (so, three links) to make that job simpler and more foolproof. Thanks for the heads-up!
Cheers

 

[marinatlas]

UWR Vintage Chain Specs​

RK SV530UWR VINTAGE CHAIN

UWR is specific for vintage motorcycles requiring narrow clearance chains that came with 530 non-sealed chains. SV530UWR has a max width of 22.70mm making UWR ideal for British bikes such as Norton, Triumph, also Honda 1970’s CB750, CL450 etc.

I'm running this chain on my Norton. The rear sprocket being expensive makes it worth preserving. I had been running the Andy Chain 530 with the stock oiler. I still have it as it did not wear very much at all but who runs the stock oiler anymore??

I think your Andy chain width is smaller than the RK UWR ?

 

[jan nelder]

I think I will make a simple gauge (something like @jan nelder mentioned above) to fit over 2 outer plates (so, three links) to make that job simpler and more foolproof. Thanks for the heads-up!
Cheers

and the same guage works for all 5 series chains, as rollers are same diameter.

 

[motorson]

I think your Andy chain width is smaller than the RK UWR ?

Yes, it would be a bit narrower. The UWR is very narrow by O'ring chain standards though. I have found a 100 thousandths difference in the standoff of a Commando front sprocket vs a pre-commando front sprocket. This difference is a big cause of chain rubbing I think.