I just put a new EK X-Ring chain on my SV650 and was irritated to see it took up half the adjustment rate on the swingarm. And yes, it was the right amount of links, 110. Essentially, I am being robbed of half the value my hard-earned money paid for. And this is the 2nd time. Before I bought the manufacturer's OEM chain with the same result. But I thought before I raised this issue with the chain manufacturer I should be sure of my assumptions. I assume that chain links are standardized in size acording to some international agreement the same as bolts, etc. So the natural suspicion is that some chain company's are purposely "fudging", I.E., incrementally increasing chain length so that hapless consumers will line their pockets... So my questions to all you Moto-scribes and backyard mechanics out there are: 1) Is there a standard chain link length? 2) What company produces an honest chain length? If anyone knows, think of the pain you could prevent. Thankyou!
What year is your SV? Is it an N or S model? What sprockets size, front and back, are you using? Did you try adjusting the sprocket all the way forward and seeing if you could take off a link? This being said, with my '09 SV650S, I went one tooth down on the rear (15/44) and ended up about halfway through my adjustments once I got my chain slack set correctly. This was an RK x-ring chain. It was shot well before I maxed out on adjustments. The next chain I put on was an EK, and I went plus one on the front (16/45), and it also ended up about halfway through the adjustments. I personally wouldn't worry about it too much. In my (albeit limited) experience the chain has developed tight spots that warrant replacing well before 'stretching' beyond swingarm adjustments. I just installed a Scottoiler a few thousand miles ago though, so maybe this will be put to the test! EDIT: I was going through some of my posts on svrider.com and saw that I did actually run out of swingarm adjustment on my stock chain. Hmmmm....
yes, the length is standard and has been for a very long time...MC chains are typically 520, 525, 530, type etc. and the first digit is the pitch in 1/8" multiples, i.e. 5/8"...some common specs for wear are 1%-3% elongation for replacement and as was said that would occur long before adjustment limits were reached on most bikes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_chain
Well Max, everything is strictly stock. I've found in 60,000 miles on my Sv and more than a million on my other bikes that the standard size and manufacture's sprockets give the best mileage and power charecteristic's. Victor 441 - Thankyou for your info and the wikipedia article. But it seems to me that the Chain makers are not being fair as my chain with the standard links should be at the begining of adjustment, not half-way through. I used to ride a Victor 441. My hands tingle and my right ankle hurts every time I think of it. Probably the premier motorcycle for developing mechanical skills. I went for A CL450 instead ...
Most people complain when they buy a product and it's "less" than what they thought they were getting.... in this case you're getting more than you paid for,,,,, and your complaining????
I thought about this some more and started to wonder if It's possible the swing arm has a manufacturing defect. Possibly the adjustment slots were cut in wrong?
No, I don't think so Kenny! I suspect it's just plain old fraud, complimented by a silent agreement by all the parties involved. They get away with it because no one complains. So, I've put this thread out both to warn and to learn ... Since Victor441 has substantiated a common standard for chains, then they should all be at the beginning of the adjustment mark on the swingarm. My Regina chain was, if memory serves me, my DID and EK were half-way through. I've sent e-mails to EK and Regina to see what they have to say about it ... Thanks for your concern. If I can ferret through the nonsense, lies, and blather about this, we may learn something that could save us big bucks over time.
Are you serious? I'm sort of getting the feeling your not serious. Hard to believe a guy with over a million miles riding bikes would make a post like this. If the chain manufacturers were all in cahoots they would need the sprocket manufacturers to be with them. Sprockets with the wrong spec chains would get worn a out pretty quick.
I think he's on to something.. my sprockets dont seem to last as long as they used to. Gas doesn't give the same mpg either and my bikes oil consumption has gone up from .25 quart to .30quart... I eagerly await his investigation into the matter
Many chain companies make sprockets too so they wouldn't have to be in cohoots with each other because they are in fact one and the same... For example http://www.bikebandit.com/regina-ch...campaign=pla&gclid=CNKZ0K3ipLYCFYSe4AodlDgA7g
my dad was a machinist I may have to break out some of his measuring tools and verify whats going on..does anyone have a link to what the standard is?
In that many miles, this is the first time that this has happened? What about the other times that you changed the chain on your SV? Do you have an N or S model?
Are you saying the chain is too long? Are you saying they made the links shorter to sell more links? The links will be made to a standardized dimension.
LMAO!! I don't know if notrivia is jerking our chains (pun intended) or a clueless nimrod. Either way, this thread is hilarious! :sly::sly:
Hey RWF and Max - Yes, RWF, I am saying that they are incrementally increasing the size of each link so that the adjustment cycle will be shorter so they can sell more chain. And Max, this is my 4th chain. The stock chain got me 33,000, my second was a Regina which gave about 18,000- but I was traveling a lot and did not give it the care it deserved. My third was reportedly the stock DID with sunstar sprockets, about 8,000, lovingly cared for. I noticed at installation the adjustment was in the middle. The EK X-Ring doing the same has prompted this "investigation". I also went back to the stock sprockets ... I've e-mailed both Regina and EK with precise information, and especially asked EK to "explain the technical fact that causes the chain to be in the middle rather than the start of the adjustment mark". THANKYOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
Did you replace both sprockets at the time you installed the new chain? If not that may account for your problem.
Yes, Railbender, everything is as it should be, correct sprockets with the right tooth count, and stock chain link amount. And my version is the "N" Max.
