Topic: Why pay more for chain??

[jtraceypgh]

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm cheap! 

Having said that, I've also learned over the years that often you get what you pay for. 

Not sure where I got it, but does anyone know if this site is reliable?  http://www.loudfastugly.com/

Their chain prices are a fraction of the local shop...  If they're not reliable, does anyone have any other suggestions?  Can a $25 chain really be as good as a $100 chain by the "same name"?

Thanks!

[Gordon]

Have a look at this thread in the Vendor Reviews.

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=25490.0


I've ordered from Brian many times and have always been pleased, and I recommend him often when someone is looking for inexpensive, quality chain. 

[jtraceypgh]

Sorry, guess I should have looked there first!

[SohcCBs]

My last couple chains have been "EK Sport" 630 "O-ring" chains.  Lasting well over 12k miles on my 836 SS which gets a lot of heavy twisting on the throttle....and at nearly $150 for 88 links, it's worth every dollar.

[754]

Industrial chain is designed for  steady loads without severe fluctuations.... bike chain is not..

After you have had the popcorn noise of losing 8 or 10 teeth off a 18 tooth sprocket over about 15 feet, 300 miles from home..the novelty of getting a CHEAP INDUSTRAL CHAIN will quickly wear off!!!

 Personally have never had a problem with TSUBAKI 530 QR

 Never ran an "o" ring chain .... good for riders that do not want to take care of them..

[SohcCBs]

 Never ran an "o" ring chain .... good for riders that do not want to take care of them..

That's just wrong.  Most people that pay the extra for an "O-ring" chain, like me, take very good care of them.  The fact is that a good O-ring chain in most normal conditions will last up to 20k miles....if you take care and maintain it.  I do a lot of 0 to 80 on my 836....so I get a bit less, but I take very good care to clean and lube and adjust it.

[754]

20 K so what...

 I was, in the 70,s getting  18 K to a chain while going thu 3 16 " tires..

 My buddy who rode more conservativelly got 42,000 miles out of his Diamond chain!!

 We used gear oil and oil several times a day.. every 150 -300 miles... cost per chain..about 1.00 for lube..

 So why does an "O" ring not get better than that???...simple it keeps oil in.. and makes it hard to add oil.. excellent choice for those who spend minimal time maintaining a chain... IMO

[bwaller]

Well SohcCBs I'm with you on this one, I use o-ring chains and do maintain them, maybe we are the only two riders who do!! 

But let's not get in a pissing contest, each to his own. Remember we're the chosen few who maintain these old bikes, we're all on the same side.

[Terry in Australia]

Well SohcCBs I'm with you on this one, I use o-ring chains and do maintain them, maybe we are the only two riders who do!! 

we're all on the same side.

I'm Not! 

Ha ha, actually, I like non "O" ring or "X" ring chain too, because I don't know what quality of grease the manufacturers use, and so I like to be able to add my own, but at the same time, I know that really good "sealed" chains like Tsubaki, DID and RK last just about forever (my Suzuki GS1000S has 50,000 miles on the original "O Ring" DID 630 chain) if maintained, but a lot (probably the majority) of owners think that they don't need to maintain them, and they die prematurely.

Sadly we're also sometimes limited by the clearance between the engine sprocket and the engine case, and so sometimes we can't mount a slightly wider modern chain. My only advice is to buy the best (and normally most expensive, sadly) chain you can afford. I bought a cheap Malaysian chain a couple of years ago and even though it looked reasonably well made, the side plates were a "poofteenth" thinner than the OEM DID, and that didn't inspire confidence, considering that it was a common enough problem "back in the day" for our bikes to throw OEM chains, that invariably wrapped around the front sprocket, and smashed the engine cases. Just my two cents, of course. Cheers, Terry.

[eldar]

Gee 754, you have some bitter issue eating you? Clearly everyone is lazier than you are huh. Maybe you should stuff the attitude. There is nothing wrong with an o-ring chain and it does not mean a person is lazy. I used roller chains before and cleaned them ever 2 tanks fills and lubed them every tankfull and I got about 3000 miles and that was it. This was a DID 630 roller too. I make sure the chain is straight and the sprockets are good. I do a lot of twisting on the throttle also. clearly the roller chain seems to have a defect right? My o-ring I just threw on stretched slightly and thats it and has been working great through all my throttle twisting. It is an RK 530 x-ring.

Maybe if you looked at the numbers, you would see that a comparative o-ring chain has greater tensile strength than a roller chain. Sometimes by as much as 2000 pounds. This strength helps with stretch and snap.

Or maybe you just drive like pokey old bastard?

[BobbyR]

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm cheap! 

Having said that, I've also learned over the years that often you get what you pay for. 

Not sure where I got it, but does anyone know if this site is reliable?  http://www.loudfastugly.com/

Their chain prices are a fraction of the local shop...  If they're not reliable, does anyone have any other suggestions?  Can a $25 chain really be as good as a $100 chain by the "same name"?

Thanks!

OK now that the chest pounding is over back to the original question. I work near his shop and have bought two chains and other stuff from him this year. He is a good person and the chain is excellant. He gives you a matching master link that will stay put since you truly have to press it on with a C clamp before you can put the retaining clip in. He buys the chain in bulk and cuts to to size for you.

[jtraceypgh]

Thanks, Bobby R.  That's what I needed to hear was a report on the vendor and his product. 
Of course if I would have just gone to the FAQ's I could have found the same answer, but we would have missed this wonderful display of testosterone inspired conversation! 

[angeldeville]

Remember we're the chosen few who maintain these old bikes, we're all on the same side.

We are all on the same side EXCEPT for those damn K8 riders.....

[BobbyR]

K8 rider and proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[754]

Elder , how many tires do you go through per chain?

I see/ hear poor  chain maintainence every day, mostly on bicycles.. you can hear a dry chain coming.

If you ride in rain for a few hrs, do you re-oil right away? some dont, but at that point your chain is pretty dry and will wear rapidly. Some folks wait till  the next town or later on to do so. In taht case you are better off with 0-ring. Some folks spend a lot on spray lubes..

 Consider this, if the 0-ring keeps lube in, how do you re-lube it, it is harder to get new lube back in.

 Correct me if I am wrong, but if a 0ring coast twice as much as a normal one, and does not last twice as long.. are you really saving a lot??

 Gearlube is very cheap & available, a bit messy to carry, but applied properly your wheel will stay pretty clean. But I ask this...if you are doing constant burnouts and running the bike hard do you think a thin lube will cushion shock better than thick lube??

 Btw, I was getting 6K on 16 in tires while most were getting around 10k and up..lots of burnouts and wheelies.. there were no soft tires like you see today.

 I try to share the knowledge I picked up along the way, and am willing to discuss it and take criticism if need be..

[eldar]

Does it matter how many tires I go through? I didnt think tire use was an indication of chain life. Oh wait, thats cause it isnt.  I could say I go through 4 tires but I dont. I have probably 5 - 6000 miles on my spitfires and plenty more to go.  So clearly tire file is not linked to chain life. However sprocket life is.

if I ride in the rain, I go home and let the chain dry then clean and lube it. Good enough for you?

Orings help to keep lube in and dirt out but it is not a 100% seal. This is where your thinking is wrong. You still need to soak in o-ring safe cleaner for a while and remove grime and then sit it in lube for a while and it WILL penetrate and lube the bushings.

I have seen proof of a o-ring chain hitting 20,000 but have never seen a roller do the same. Are you really sure of your mileage?

Also with lube, there is no 1 best lube. It is still best to cleanthe chain and then soak it in a lube then wipe off the excess and then apply a sticky lube to the outside.

I still fail to see why you think tire life matters any.

[754]

The point I was making was that if I got 1/2 or normal tire life it is usually an indicator of harder running..

I got 18K on a normal chain, while my buddy got 42K on a diamond chain.. so just maybe he was doing something that worked. At this time o-ring chains were not being sold yet..

 btw I was  looking at something one day online and a guy mentioned he was at a roadrace and asked the Regina rep what super lubricant they used.. his reply..gearlube....but what would they know...

[coyotecowboy]

I've found out that how you get out of the throttle and gear down has as much to do with tire life and chain stretch during normal riding than anything else I've found.

[754]

I am talking laying rubber and doing wheelies everyday, mixed with long highway rides on weekends. The point being missed here is I ran it hard and abusively, yet still got better than average chain life..

[dusterdude]

well,it looks like a chain thread has taken life like an oil thread,whoo

[78 k550]

I just picked up my bike master 120 link chain at a shop and paid $24.95 for it, and thats there standard price. Pays to call around everyone else wanted 48.00 for the same chain.

Paul

[BobbyR]

well,it looks like a chain thread has taken life like an oil thread,whoo

Chains, Oil, Guns will guarantee a heated thread.

[andy750]

I think 754 and the o-ring crowd are both correct. Sure you can get a long life out of a regular non-o-ring chain IF you lube it regularly as 754 is advocating. No one disputes this (well maybe Eldar). However the advantage of an o-ring chain is that for a little more money ($60 for an RK o-ring) you can save yourself a whole lot of time and maintenance and NOT need to lube it after ever trip or every rain storm and instead enjoy that time riding your bike.

For me I buy o-ring because Id rather ride and not have to worry about maintaining the standard chain every 500 miles or applying/carrying gear lube with me. I got 16,000 miles out of my Tsubaki o-ring by going from Boston - Mexico and back and riding in all kinds of conditions (rain/dry heat/wet heat/extreme cold/hard riding/beach riding)....the $85 I paid for that chain was certainly worth it for that trip! I adjusted it maybe 3-times and lubed it when I could (which wasnt so often) - yes it eventually did break in 2 on the highway just at the Georgia state line on the return journey but thats another story 

cheers
Andy

[eldar]

Andy, I am not disputing it but I am arguing against the claim of a roller chain lasting just as long as an oring when if you apply the same techniques, the o-ring will last longer.

As for gearlube, I have heard that but then that is also for roller chain and I would bet there is other lube that is just as good.

[754]

There probably is other lube that works as well, we are waiting to hear about.. bet it probably cost more than gearlube...

 We are not talking about the same techniques, I was talking about oiling it often, several times a day when travelling..


Andy, if I had to pack an aerosol can that would definately take up more room...