Replaced chain with RK 520 XW at 9947 miles!

[MotoKam]

My RC 390 was receiving a light dusting of rusty powder around the rapidly stretching stock chain.

I replaced the chain this afternoon with an RK 520 XW.

The new chain was more than a full link shorter in length.

When I ground the stock rivets out, I imagined the old chain was throwing sparks of its own on the freeway earlier today!

The new chain went right on. The Stockton Tools chain tool was brilliant pressing the new links together.

A quick sag adjustment and rear wheel alignment, followed by test ride that was almost silent and with virtually no driveline slop.

My wife took the RC to her play practice and was all smiles. She loves being the coolest one there!

I probably should have done this job at 7500 miles. Can I expect this chain to last longer?

Thanks,
Kam

 

[Fasteddy]

Umm, your commuting 195 miles daily according to a previous post, what kind of chain maintenance have you been doing? How worn are your sprockets?

(Note: chain maintenance will lead to many opinions and philosophies)

I would expect the chain to last considerably longer, I just replaced the OEM chain on a bike that had NO maintenance by previous owner at 20,000 miles, replaced just because it had tight spots and wanted to re gear so new sprockets. Last year I replaced the OEM chain and sprockets on another bike I bought with 15,000 miles on it, put another 7000 on it and probably could have got some more.

The rust dust tells the story of dry chain and reminds me it is time to go spray some 'PJ1' before my commute tomorrow....

 

[MotoKam]

Umm, your commuting 195 miles daily according to a previous post, what kind of chain maintenance have you been doing? How worn are your sprockets?

.

The sprockets look good. No pointy tips or weird shapes. Every 500 - 700 miles or so I spray the chain with PJ1.

Since I never had a chain bike that I rode this much before, the notion of chain longevity has never come up in my riding career. But for the last 2000 miles or so, the sag adjustment has needed much more frequent attention.

Fascinating stuff. Perhaps I'll explore some of the wilder notions regarding the black art of chain maintenance.

Cheers,
Kam

 

[Ryanthegreat1]

I am amazed you got that sort of miles out of the stock chain. I was thinking the stock chain was a rather cheap piece, mine has been noisy from day one.

 

[Fasteddy]

Have you been riding in rain / wet roads? Do you wash it frequently exposing chain to water?

"Every 500 - 700 miles or so I spray the chain with PJ1."

Is about same as I do, I seldom use a hose to wash my bikes, if I do end up riding in the wet for a long period of time I do a touch up of PJ1.
I only have two bikes with 520 chains, the RC and a 1971 SL175, the rest are 525 and 530 but I would expect more out of the RC's OEM chain....

 

[Fasteddy]

I am amazed you got that sort of miles out of the stock chain. I was thinking the stock chain was a rather cheap piece, mine has been noisy from day one.

Interesting, was more worried about the sprockets being cheap steel then the chain, Did you grind a link to change yours and did it seem like soft mild steel if you did?

 

[MotoKam]

Interesting, was more worried about the sprockets being cheap steel then the chain, Did you grind a link to change yours and did it seem like soft mild steel if you did?

I ground both chains, the stock one to get it off and the new chain to take out the extra links. They both cut easily with a grinder wheel on the Dremel.

I've only ridden it in the rain once on a trip to Alice's Restaurant in Woodside. And I've never washed it.

This was totally worth it. I highly recommend replacing the stock chain. The whole ride felt much better today.

 

[RobbiRob76]

I ground both chains, the stock one to get it off and the new chain to take out the extra links. They both cut easily with a grinder wheel on the Dremel.

I've only ridden it in the rain once on a trip to Alice's Restaurant in Woodside. And I've never washed it.

This was totally worth it. I highly recommend replacing the stock chain. The whole ride felt much better today.

You say "XW" chain? Would that be GXW chain? Do you live the US? I am not familiar with "Woodside". If you live the US and the RK chain you just installed is our GXW, XSO, or any other RK Japan not Malaysia chain the chain comes with a 20,000 mile warranty. You must maintain the chain correctly, but if you clean and lube the chain with Mineral based cleaners and O Ring safe lubes you are covered for 20,000 miles. I do not normally post about this on here but since the question was asked i feel it is acceptable to give you the information you are asking. I am the Sales Manager for North America for RK CHAIN & EXCEL RIMS. Any questions hit me up.
Robbi

 

[Ryanthegreat1]

Mineral based cleaners? So not something petroleum based like wd-40 or diesel?

 

[RobbiRob76]

Mineral based cleaners? So not something petroleum based like wd-40 or diesel?

WD-40 is not really a very good cleaner. It is acceptable to use especially after washing a bike to remove the water. As far as Petroleum, most of that works well also. Believe it or not we get people who use Brake Cleaner to clean the chains, and the O/X ring material is compromised. We do have an approved process on our website. Moderation is the key, do not soak and do not use a wire brush...Kerosene, diesel, used on a rag or with a "soft brush" will work best, and is more than what the majority of consumers are willing to do to maintain a chain. It's the folks who blast Brake Cleaner or worse and then seals start coming out one by one...

 

[Ryanthegreat1]

Cool thanks for the info!

Looks like the RK website lists kerosene as a cleaner and WD-40 as a rust preventer after rinsing the chain with water.

My favorite thus far has been WD-40 or diesel as the cleaner and Maxima Chain Wax as the lube. Seems to work well in the wet PNW. Only downside to the wax is it can collect dirt. Chains seem to run quiet and smooth and last well.

I am open to new ideas though, PJ1 seems to be a favorite on here. How is the fling on that stuff?

 

[Fasteddy]

Not too bad on the newer stuff, they also have some excellent cleaner, both for chains and general use. Much better then brake parts cleaner!

 

[RobbiRob76]

Cool thanks for the info!

Looks like the RK website lists kerosene as a cleaner and WD-40 as a rust preventer after rinsing the chain with water.

My favorite thus far has been WD-40 or diesel as the cleaner and Maxima Chain Wax as the lube. Seems to work well in the wet PNW. Only downside to the wax is it can collect dirt. Chains seem to run quiet and smooth and last well.

I am open to new ideas though, PJ1 seems to be a favorite on here. How is the fling on that stuff?

I'm a big fan of Maxima Chain Wax.

 

[RobbiRob76]

Not too bad on the newer stuff, they also have some excellent cleaner, both for chains and general use. Much better then brake parts cleaner!

One last thing always lube after ride while chain is hot... Way less "Fling Factor"

 

[MotoKam]

Great! Thanks for the advice.

I've done 600 miles on the new chain so far and I love it! The ride is so much better.