stiff oem chain

[jeepaviation]

As the song says, "It never rains in Southern - California." So the next question would be - Would an X-Oring chain be better for these dry desert conditions or would I be just as well suited to run a high quality standard chain? X-oring does have better sealing qualities - at the expense of stiffness and friction and desert dry rot "weathering" on rubber o- rings. Standard chains provide less resistance - at the expense of allowing dirt, etc.. into the works. Both require maintenance to run healthy. So, is one really better than the other?

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "jeepaviation" wrote:

> X-oring does have better sealing qualities - at the expense of > stiffness and friction and desert dry rot "weathering" on rubber o- > rings.

The x-ring chains are made of better steel and have better characteristics such as hardness and tensile strength, and what keeps water out better (x-ring) also keeps oil in better (inside the links). As far as "weathering" goes, invest in WD-40. My x-ring has already lasted longer than my last o-ring chain did despite having run in much more sand. _E

[Michael Nelson]

On Sun, Nov 18, 2007 at 04:23:19PM -0000, jeepaviation wrote:

> > I do not have the time to R&D why the OEM is failing at only 13.5K I > had expected to get 20K to 30K milage out of that chain.

When I bought my used A17 it had 12,500 miles on it and the chain had lots of stiff links and the adjusters were adjusted way out near the limit. The countershaft sprocket was quite noticably hooked. The rear sprocket looked pretty OK but I replaced all three as is my habit. Looked like the PO had lubed the chain heavily and regularly because of all the heavy deposits of gunk in the countershaft area, along the swingarm and all over the rear sprocket, and he also probably never cleaned it. I am of the opinion that kind of lubing (sticky lube on a dirty, never cleaned chain) is worse for the life of the chain than doing nothing at all. I had great results on my XR650L thumper with DID 520VM chain and nothing but WD40. I think that regular cleaning with WD40 helps to remove the abrasive dirt particles and keeps the X rings pliable, and that's all the chain system really needs. I'm sticking with WD40 on this chain/sprocket setup. Yes I know it is a crappy lubricant. That's not what I'm using it for. Michael -- "It's not what I don't understand about religion that bothers me, it's what I do understand." -- Mark Twain San Francisco, CA