[benhur]

ok guys, help me out here...

i am really not mechanically experienced and am learning to take care of my bike as i go along.

My chain is adjusted as per manual (xl650v 2006). and the pinch test on the back sprocket can only move the chain slightly(1-2mm...nothing close to have half the sprocket tooth showing as i read on the net). also the back sprocket teeth do not look "hooked".

However the chain shows some slight bends or kinks when i am moving the wheel round to lubricate the chain. i can straighten the "kinks" out with my fingers and on no occasion have i found a "hard" kink....are these kinks which indicate that the chain should be replaced?

A more mechanically minded friend says that I am fixating, and the chain has lots of wear left in it....but its my ass on the line if the chain goes while i am riding, so I would like to be sure:thumbup:

thanks guys

 

[shack]

Are you keeping your chain clean and lubed?
How often are you using it, and are they still 'kinked' on your return?

 

[bluestoesonnose]

Depends on the chain type. I had a X Ring chain on my XR and that was stiff no matter what it never seemed to wear in. If you have stiff links then you need to adjust to these. Dunno how old the chain is or how much use the bike has had but keep and eye on it, keep it lubed and if in doubt either get is checked by a known good bike garage or replace it.

A little too loose is better than a little too tight, don't ask me how I know...

 

[benhur]

Are you keeping your chain clean and lubed?
How often are you using it, and are they still 'kinked' on your return?

i lube every 200-250 miles and every time i wash the bike....periodically i also use chain cleaner before lubing it.

I have bought the bike with 13000 miles on the clock now it has 20200. it is still the same chain from when i bought it. part of the problem is that i dont know whether this is the factory chain or not, and what type of maintanance this chain has had.

at the moment the bike is only used on weekends for "fun" riding. No dirty/muddy conditions. it also gets used for short trips in Italy quite frequently (500-1000 miles per trip)

I have always kept the chain on the loose side of the manual tolerances, it seems dual sport bikes "prefer" a looser chain because of the longer suspension travel

 

[lowflyer]

What sort of lube are you using ?
I used to use chain wax and had a problem with kinking even after cleaning.

Scot oiler now -- no worries :thumbup:

 

[benhur]

What sort of lube are you using ?
I used to use chain wax and had a problem with kinking even after cleaning.

Scot oiler now -- no worries :thumbup:

its wurth dry lube....not a wax but a PTFE based lubricant i think...

 

[Windmill John]

You're a photographer, let's see some close ups of the chain.

 

[benhur]

i apologise...i know I realized that i should have posted photos as soon as i put up my question...thing is my life is split between malta and gozo (2 sister islands). the bike lives in gozo because its a fun place with nice trails and country lanes and such (and its the place i spend my weekends in)...i work in Malta, which is the uglier, more industrial, work only all day long type of place...so i am not gonna see my bike before next friday...promise will put up some shots then.....

thanks for the help though guys...

R.

 

[jasonbc]

If you have tight spots in the chain soak it in parafin of deisel overnight then start "working" the tight links, they will free up in the end. After a really bad weather day on my offroad bikes i used to soak them overnight then blow them out with the airline and then re-oil them to prevent this sort of thing

 

[Jackdaw]

I reckon that if you have a seriously kinked chain you will feel/hear it at slow speed as it goes over the sprockets.

 

[bluestoesonnose]

Think at the least I'd be pouring EP90 onto the chain, or soaking it in oil for a few days, even better in hot wax...

 

[AIRWOLF]

If you can move the kinks easily with your fingers i would'nt worry too much. X ring and O ring chains are often stiff.

 

[benhur]

hi there...update from a newbie.

have cleaned the chain using wurth brake and chain cleaner and relubed it using the wurth dry chain lube. the chain needed a good clean up because all the links are much looser and more flexible now (you actually feel it when you ride the bike). but there is one link which still resists motion...it moves but its tight....shall try to give the chain another good clean up and lube routine. if that does not do the trick, then i shall change the chain - better safe than sorry...especially since i dont know the history of the chain before my getting the bike.

 

[tramp]

Hi ..
basically your chain is at the end of its life and so will the sprockets too..

basic chain be it o or x ring are the same ...two side plates that hold everything together [rivited] 2 inner seals [x/o] and the center pin ..

the pin is full of grease held in by the seals, when these fail the greases slowly works its way out and the whole thing corrodes and seizes up.

All lube does is help the chain slide over the sprockets as the lube cant get in behind the seal..

look at the rear sprocket and at the 3 o`clock position pull chain to the right ..it should move very little..anymore than 1/2 the sprocket tooth length and its buggered..to replace a chain and not the sprocket`s is a complete waste of money.

All using brake cleaner etc will do is loosen the seized chain..maybe you could remove the seized portion but better to get anew chain.

 

[Chad]

if you have to change the chain then do the sprockets as well , as the old sprocket WILL bugger the new chain , invest in a set now look after them and you should have 20k worth of worry free riding.

I as a rule if im not using a scott oiler will lube the chain after every ride. peace of mind and preventative maintenance :thumbup:

 

[benhur]

good solid advice guys...i actually already have a new set of sprockets and chain waiting at home...was just trying to see whether it was worth keeping the old chain on for a few more miles...thing is a couple of trips to italy are coming up now, and it would be a right pain to change the whole lot on the side of the road....

good advice about lubing the chain after every ride...thanks