Topic: CB400F drive chain recommendations

[Six Speeder]

Hi guys, as you can see, I'm a newbie here with my first post (but not a newbie biker - 36 years now...). Surprisingly, I've never actually owned a Honda four, despite all my bikes having been Hondas!

Now, I'm putting my dad's slightly neglected 1978 CB400F back on the road (he always was a bit of a tightwad when it came to spending money on his bike, a throwback to him starting riding in the late 1940s, a bit of a make-do-and-mend era of motorcycling). Last year he decided it wise to give up riding (he's 88 now, with rapidly failing eyesight), and it would break his heart to sell his beloved bike - I think he's happier to leave the bike behind rather than the bike leave him! He'd like to see it remain in use, by me, but I've pointed out that if I'm going to ride it, it needs a bit of money spent on it, by way of service-type maintenance! 

Anyway, among other things, the chain is really shot and needs replacing. The sprockets are the originals, although not seriously worn. I have a new, genuine Honda rear sprocket and will use that, and I will have to get a new front sprocket. Measurements suggest the old chain is a Standard, and it's marked DID 50.

I'm a bit out of touch with chains for smaller bikes, so, can anyone recommend a good drive chain?
At the moment I've considered both DID and EK (530x96). As far as I can determine, both DID and EK do a Standard, EK does a Heavy Duty, and DID does a Non-O-Ring Super Heavy Duty (but oddly not just a Heavy Duty).

Can anyone please advise if there there any advantages, apart from wear resistance, to choose anything other than a Standard chain? The bike's not going to get a great deal of use, will be relatively gently treated, and in the dry. More importantly, are there likely to be any problems clearance-wise when fitting anything other than a Standard chain, such as DID's Super Heavy Duty (specs state pin length is 22.55mm)? Obviously I don't need an o-ring type - overkill of the 400 - I expect there would be clearance problems with one anyway.

Thanks in anticipation,
Six Speeder   

[Tim2005]

Hi, and welcome aboard. In my experience I've found that heavy duty chains last relatively much better on a 400f than standard ones, although I have never had much luck with EK chains, my favoured makes being DID, RK, Tsubaki and Regina. There are no clearance problems with 400f chains, but the problem with standard type ones is that you'll forever be adjusting them.

This looks a very good option

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/530H-KSx106-Heavy-Duty-RK-Chain-/261196082493?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item3cd07fed3d     though of course would need shortening.

btw, if you can find anywhere that sells Kal-Gard Chain Kote spray then even better.

[Six Speeder]

Thanks for that Tim.  Funny how you say you've never had much luck with EK chains, as the current one fitted to my VFR750 has been excellent (nearly 22K at present), and has outlasted the previous DID one by quite a margin, but then obviously, they are o-ring types.
I do remember that standard chains on my lightweight bikes in the late 70s and early 80s didn't seem to last very long, but looking back it was probably due my lack of having a good maintenance routine, and the fact the bikes got ridden in all weathers, all year! But then, even done properly, a session with a can of hot Linklyfe (or similar) only lasted ONE wet ride to work and back before it was all washed out...it was crap!

Guess I'll probably be better off getting at least a Heavy Duty type then, whatever make, despite the extra cost and low usage the bike will get.

Anyone else out there got any specific recommendations?

[flybox1]

DID, RK, EK heavy duty (standard chain, not O or X ring) will be plenty for a 400F
new sprockets at the same time is recommended.

[Six Speeder]

DID, RK, EK heavy duty standard chain (not O or X ring) will be plenty for a 400F
new sprockets at the same time is recommended.

So, do you mean "Heavy Duty", or "Standard"?     These are both different grades of non-o-ring chain.

BTW, I did say I don't need an o-ring type anyway (and I guess there would be a clearance problem anyway), and I also said I will have to get a new front sprocket to go with the new rear I already have....    

[flybox1]

DID, RK, EK heavy duty (standard chain, not O or X ring) will be plenty for a 400F
new sprockets at the same time is recommended.

So, do you mean "Heavy Duty", or "Standard"?     These are both different grades of non-o-ring chain.

BTW, I did say I don't need an o-ring type anyway (and I guess there would be a clearance problem anyway), and I also said I will have to get a new front sprocket to go with the new rear I already have....

Sorry, my parenthesis was in the wrong spot.  post above amended....

[Six Speeder]

Right, new chain and front sprocket have arrived ( I aready got a new rear sprocket).

Can anyone please advise what the torque setting for the drive sprocket (gearbox) bolts is?
Oddly the Honda Workshop Manual only quotes for the driven sprocket nuts (on the wheel), as does Haynes (guess they copied Honda's manual), not the drive sprocket... 

[Deltarider]

This 'Heavy Duty', what does that mean? Is there something like the SAE overlooking that the qualification isn't misused? I recently bought a standard 50 DID chain and a heavy duty isn't even on offer. Heavy Duty intrigues me. Is there something like Heavy Duty coffee, jeans, chewing gum, icecream?

[Bodi]

Torque: the common service manual has torque specs for "normal" fasteners, including 6mm bolts. The Honda service manuals mostly show torque specs when different from the standard spec.
Tighten the sprocket retainer bolts fairly tight and use red Loctite. Download the Honda common service manual if you really care about the "specified" torque. Since they are steel bolts in a steel sprocket there's not much risk of stripping the threads out like when you attempt the spec torque on engine case bolts.

[Six Speeder]

Torque: the common service manual has torque specs for "normal" fasteners, including 6mm bolts. The Honda service manuals mostly show torque specs when different from the standard spec.
Tighten the sprocket retainer bolts fairly tight and use red Loctite. Download the Honda common service manual if you really care about the "specified" torque. Since they are steel bolts in a steel sprocket there's not much risk of stripping the threads out like when you attempt the spec torque on engine case bolts.

Thanks, I was thinking about doing as you suggest, but as I've got a CSM (and mine's got more content than the the download version, for some reason), I'll go have a look there to see what it says.

[Six Speeder]

This 'Heavy Duty', what does that mean? Is there something like the SAE overlooking that the qualification isn't misused? I recently bought a standard 50 DID chain and a heavy duty isn't even on offer. Heavy Duty intrigues me. Is there something like Heavy Duty coffee, jeans, chewing gum, icecream?

Oh, really helpful - not. Did you not read my first post, re: DID "Heavy Duty" chain?

[Deltarider]

So... there's 'standard', then there's is 'heavy duty' and now I learn there's even 'super heavy duty'. Is there also 'super heavy duty deluxe' or 'super heavy duty deluxe special'?
Can you go back to the shop and say: "Hey, this chain you've sold me turns out to be not heavy duty at all"? 

[Six Speeder]

So... there's 'standard', then there's is 'heavy duty' and now I learn there's even 'super heavy duty'. Is there also 'super heavy duty deluxe' or 'super heavy duty deluxe special'?
Can you go back to the shop and say: "Hey, this chain you've sold me turns out to be not heavy duty at all"?

Oh, you're sooooo not funny. Obviously nothing better to do than talk total bollocks.....

[bjbuchanan]

Use blue loctite, red is permanent

I go by tensile strength,not hd,hd doesn't mean anything.

[Deltarider]

Oh, you're sooooo not funny. Obviously nothing better to do than talk total bollocks.....

Contrary to what you seem to think, I was serious. Here I never see things advertised as 'heavy duty'. Maybe it means something overthere and I would like to learn the origin. But I suspect it means nothing. Heavy duty motoroil? Does that exist? What are the criteria? I mean this 'heavy duty' must have originated somewhere.

[bjbuchanan]

Oh, you're sooooo not funny. Obviously nothing better to do than talk total bollocks.....

Contrary to what you seem to think, I was serious. Here I never see things advertised as 'heavy duty'. Maybe it means something overthere and I would like to learn the origin. But I suspect it means nothing. Heavy duty motoroil? Does that exist? What are the criteria? I mean this 'heavy duty' must have originated somewhere.

HD is just buzzword kinda stuff. It gets thrown around for everything. Just like how everything here is supercharged, supercharged milk shakes, supercharged cable..