high end 530 o-ring chain, 2 stiff links, minimal stretch... save or replace?

[Chuck78]

I've got an RK or EK etc high end 530 chain that my wife paid $230 for about 8 years ago that is Hayabusa-rated. I have been amazed that the thing is so tough and never seems to wear/stretch, and requires zero adjustments other than what happens by default every 4,000-5,000 miles at rear tire change intervals.


It looks to be in impeccable shape when cleaned, and has no noticeable stretch/wear, but I now definitely have two fairly stiff links.
I'm guessing water or sand ( on the o-ring/x-ring whatever) took it's toll on these two links, perhaps water got inside and it got a bit rusty?

Dare I yank the swingarm and chain off to soak the chain and try to revive these two links? These types of sealed chains are supposedly lubricated for life when new, for the internal portions on the other sides of the 0-rings, but perhaps this fine chain can be saved?
Or is this absolutely ridiculous of me to think of of doing anything but binning this thing and replacing immediately with brand new high end replacement?

I'd like to hear opinions/arguments both ways from experienced bike mechanics if possible.

THANKS!

 

[Chuck78]

Last year on my 10 day epic trek from central Ohio, zig-zagging through the Appalachians Mountains,Smoky Mountains, and most all National Forests around them in the east etc ending up at Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival, I started noticing when I am coasting, particularly when I pull in the clutch, I would feel a knocking tapping noise.
1 long day-ride this year and 1 several day long road trip through the West Virginia mountains (including some dual sporting on street tires and lots of gravel forest service roads, as usual for me when moto-camping), and the noise seemed to have resurfaced.

I did recall seeing a slightly stiff link when lubing the chain before leaving for this most recent trip. Today I jack it up for a tire change and chain / noise inspection, and I found two very stiff links. I cannot flex them by hand beyond maybe 30 or 35 degrees.

Probably will pull and soak. Need to look at my front sprocket size anyway, want to go 1T up. back when it was a 748cc, I went 2T larger in the rear. Now with the big bore and more torquey cams than the stock high rpm 750 cams, it has a lot more grunt and 5500-6000 on the highway is a bit much on fuel consumption and probably contributes a bit more to oil consumption, and I find myself at 75-85mph, always reaching for top gear, when I realize I already am in 5th, and there is no 6th!
Fancy $90 SuperSprox alloy center/steel outer rear sprocket is in immaculate condition with no wear. That's some high grade steel as well. I don't like to spare expense on critical components when possible...



So...Try and free up these two stiff links, or just replace it now? they both could have some compromised o-rings that let water in I'm speculating pretty certainly.

 

[Grimly]

If the o-rings are compromised and the internals of those two links are corroded, even re-greasing them won't buy much more time.
Otoh, the price a replacement of similar quality would be, I'd be inclined to dip the two links in Linklyfe or something similar, over a heat source and leave it overnight.
In the days of cheaper chains, that was fairly common, and stiff links were a routine occurrence. Otoh, they weren't dealing with 70, 80, or 100 hp.

 

[RichDesmond]

How many miles on chain?

 

[Chuck78]

How many miles on chain?

Yeah...
you guys are gonna laugh at me being a cheap @$$...
I exploded my original speedometer when I hit a deer at high speed, and didn't record the starting mileage of the used replacement...
but I added up the # of tires I have gone through, and I come up with an approximate mileage of 24,000-29,000 miles... LoL

Wife told me to stop being a cheap @$$!

 

[Chuck78]

It really has almost no stretch/wear in it. I suppose I'll keep it and soak it in PB blaster and maybe store it in a tub of used motor oil after that until I build up another project bike GS750/844cc to flip maybe next year...


Suggestions on new chain? RK or EK? D.I.D.? I'll probably browse RK's. 118 links, GS1100E swingarm, 17T - 47T or 48T


O-ring? X-Ring? Z-Ring? I believe the latter two are basically the same thing. More friction than an O-ring, but better sealing due to twice as many sealing lip surfaces. or maybe smaller profile sealing lips vs a big fat round o-ring, so less friction than an o-ring?

 

[Cipher]

Yeah...
you guys are gonna laugh at me being a cheap @$$...
I exploded my original speedometer when I hit a deer at high speed, and didn't record the starting mileage of the used replacement...
but I added up the # of tires I have gone through, and I come up with an approximate mileage of 24,000-29,000 miles... LoL

Wife told me to stop being a cheap @$$!

respectable service life
pull the plug

 

[RichDesmond]

...and soak it in PB blaster...

NOOOOOOOO!!!!! That will get past all the O-rings, compromise the lube inside, and the chain will be junk. The oil idea is fine, do that.

 

[Chuck78]

Wife is ordering me a new chain... She works for a big internet powersports parts seller nowadays. I'll try & rejuvenate the other chain to free up the 2 stiff links & use on a budget build of a pile of GS750 parts...

DID Gold 530VX3 Professional X-Ring Series Chain - 530VX3GX120ZB

Had to eBay an 18T Vortex sprocket for 95-05 GSF1200 Bandit (for my GS750), & their distributors seemed to carry almost all of the other SuperSprox hybrid sprockets accept the 95-05 Bandit, but they seem to be such high-quality that it suffered almost no wear in 25,000 miles-ish. I wanted to try out 1 tooth larger in the front (18-48, near stock-530-equivalent GS750 gearing, just a hair steeper) anyways for highway cruising long hauls to get to the good twisties. I might go back to a 17T however. 17/47 on the 750 gearbox ratios seems perfect for what I want, slightly deeper ratio than stock for more acceleration power but slightly higher highway rpm, but SuperSprox jumps from 46 to 48 to 50, no odd # sizes above 45.

 

[Chuck78]

Very nice pieces...
Aluminum center & hardened steel outer ring on the Supersprox, lightening holes drilled in the Vortex fronts. Fits Bandit 1200 95-05 & various GSXR and other models as well as a GS750 etc, just not advertised as fitting the older GS models.

SuperSprox # RST 816-48-GLD (for 48T in Gold)

Vortex # 3521-18 (for 18T front, 3521-17 for 17T)

95-05 Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit application spec. is identical to what we need for our 4-cylinder GS's. if your original 630 FRONT sprocket has a rubber vibration isolating cush drive piece built into it (GS1000, maybe 1100), you will need an additional spacer to take up that extra space.

 

[bobtail84]

Very nice pieces...
Aluminum center & hardened steel outer ring on the Supersprox, lightening holes drilled in the Vortex fronts. Fits Bandit 1200 95-05 & various GSXR and other models as well as a GS750 etc, just not advertised as fitting the older GS models.

SuperSprox # RST 816-48-GLD (for 48T in Gold)

Vortex # 3521-18 (for 18T front, 3521-17 for 17T)

95-05 Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit application spec. is identical to what we need for our 4-cylinder GS's. if your original 630 FRONT sprocket has a rubber vibration isolating cush drive piece built into it (GS1000, maybe 1100), you will need an additional spacer to take up that extra space.

Thank for the info Chuck I'm looking to replace my chain and sprockits on the GS1000 and I do like the supersprox. :encouragement:

 

[wymple]

All this talk about final drive chains. What are those?

 

[Chuck78]

All this talk about final drive chains. What are those?

Those things that high performance bikes run to push bikes forward at adrenaline inducing rates!

 

[Sandy]

Those things that high performance bikes run to push bikes forward at adrenaline inducing rates!

And rarely when installed properly strand you at the most inopportune time like stripped splines. LOL.

 

[Grimly]

And rarely when installed properly strand you at the most inopportune time like stripped splines. LOL.

Even when fitted with a Scotoiler, I've not come across a chain that lasted 300K miles.

 

[gustovh]

Had a couple stiff links once, washed the chain in a gas oil mix, wiped it down with a rag and went for a ride. Game over, that was 7000miles ago and still going string. It was a gold x ring chain.

V

 

[Rob S.]

All this talk about final drive chains. What are those?

In my day, nearly every motorcycle had them. Except for some weird imports, like BMWs, which were strange in so many ways. As were the guys who rode them.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

That SuperSprox rear is sexy!
Anybody ever try an aluminum rear sprocket? Lighter weight for acceleration, but short life.

 

[Tom R]

I’ve never used an aluminum sprocket, but have seen several so worn that I was amazed what was left of the teeth didn’t just shear off. Not surprisingly, they were on abused 600 crotch rockets.

 

[Cipher]

In my day, nearly every motorcycle had them. Except for some weird imports, like BMWs, which were strange in so many ways. As were the guys who rode them.

leather belts! all else is godless innovation.