Which chain to get???

Hey everyone.. I picked up my 92 seca 2 xj600 today.. been riding it around town with no plates.. I live in a town of about 100 people lol. Well one problem is which is the main one is the chain.. It stretched and can not be tightened anymore. I have been looking at chains on ebay. I have found 2 different types. Which one should I buy? The O-ring one or the none O-ring one? Any help is appreciated..

 

First off, you need not only a chain but both sprockets. If you only replace the chain, your new chain will wear right out.

From our parts guru chacal's article on chains:

"Your original chain is what is now known as a STANDARD CHAIN, and it has no additional rings or seals to help extend the life of the pins and rollers. A good basic chain such these will last about as long as an original chain, somewhere between 10,000 to 15,000 miles.

The first step upwards in "performance" chain is an O-RING CHAIN, which uses rubber o-rings to seal off the pins from the chain side plates. Since it's the PINS that stretch and wear (and not the rollers, as is commonly assumed), anything that can be done to prevent wear to the pins is a Good Thing.......and an o-ring which seals off the pin from where it enters the roller, thus keeping dirt and grit out while helping to retain lubrication in.......greatly improves the life of the chain. O-Ring style chains can generally be expected to last about 30% longer than a standard type chain, but..........with the introduction a few years ago of the X-ring style chains, there is no longer any meaningful price-to-performance difference between O-ring and X-ring style chains. Bottom line: the very small difference in price between an o-ring chain and an x-ring chain isn't worth the cost savings, in terms of the much greater strength and longevity of the x-ring style chains. Thus we do not offer any o-ring style chains!

The top-of-the-line style chain is an X-RING CHAIN, which is really an enhanced version of the o-ring type chain. X-rings are merely o-rings that feature two or more additional sealing "faces" molded into the rubber surface of the ring, thus giving more contact and thus more lubrication sealing points for the rubber ring----which means, in the case of drive chains, more dirt and grit being sealed OUT, and more lubrication "pooling" points to hold the lube IN. X-Ring style chains cost a bit more, but you can normally expect an additional 25-40% chain life over an o-ring style chain.

And once again----the life expectancy of any type of chain will be dramatically reduced by failing to lubricate often enough (once every two weeks is recommended for regularly driven bikes) or in a proper manner (clean first, then lubricate the from both sides at the bottom of the rear sprocket) or with a proper high-quality lubricant (such as the PJ1 chain lubes that we offer).

And of course, it should go without saying, but here goes anyway!: the quickest way to wear out a chain is to use it with worn or misaligned sprockets. You should ALWAYS replace your sprockets (both of them, front and rear) when you replace the chain. And you should follow the proper alignment, tightening, and adjustment procedures and schedules in your service manual in order to realize the maximum chain life."

Those are the basic differences; the biggest being initial price. Personally, I'm not sold on o-ring and x-ring chains being all that great of an improvement over a properly cared for standard chain; I don't know if you really get enough of a "life extension" to justify the cost difference.

 

+1 on that fitz.. ... let me also add the its prudent to buy and keep a spare chain of any type..... there are more then a couple people on here that had thrown a chain. so get a good o-ring chain as the primary and buy a spare chain to have on hand in-case of a break down.

 

well the guy I bought the bike from said that he just put a new chain and sprocket on the bike about 2 years ago. I looked at the sprocket and it doesnt look all that worn. I will take a picture and post it on here. I am just hearing alot of clanking going on from it. I dont think it can be tightened anymore but im not sure. I have never done anything to chains on my bikes except grease them up. I am thinking of taking it into my local shop and having them take a look at it and see what they say.

 

Standard 530 Chains can be purchased for $30 Oring ones from $50.
Be aware that an Oring chain is one large chain Looking more like caterpillar track than pore old Motorcycle chain... It's also heavy and causes significant drag.
Sure you can but fancy ring chains... I have a DID Enduro Race chain which is almost identical in size to a non o-ring chain BUT it cost over $130.
Depends on how much you ride and whether you even care if the chain sux a HP or possibly 2.

 

well right now im just trying to get the bike to where I can ride it. I bought the bike to get me back and forth to work and college since me and my wife only have one car and she works full time and also goes to college full time. I am going to my local shop tomorrow to look for helmets so im giong to ask them.

 

I just picked up and installed a new Parts Unlimited 530 chain from Dennis Kirk for my Seca for around 30 bucks (shipping included). Sprockets were in like new condition so I kept 'em. Don't put a lot of miles on the Seca, so it should last a few years. If cost is what's keeping you from riding, buy the PU chain now and save up for your new x-ring chain and sprockets for next season.

 

NOT RECOMMENDED.

If the chain was worn out enough to merit replacing, then the sprockets should have been replaced too.

To check for chain/sprocket wear: Grasp the pin of a link at the 3:00 position on the rear sprocket and pull hard on it straight rearward. If you expose more than 1/2 of the sprocket tooth then it is time for a new chain AND sprockets.

Replacing only the chain is false economy; your new chain will quickly wear out to match the worn sprockets.

Trust me on this; I've been riding exclusively chain-driven bikes for over 41 years.