How long did your chain last?

[vara8]

I think this has perhaps been discussed previously about a million times, still I wonder if after reading some related posts some of you had the same esperience with their chain as me:

I have a 2008 non-Abs model with now 67tkm on the clock, use it daily and ride it like a pirat on heat (?). For the first 58tkm I used a 15th front sprocket until that was worn out and now use the original 16th since then. The chain is the original one that came with the bike when bought new from the dealership.

The chain is properly adjusted with the right amount of slack and oiled well since the beginning with a automatic lubrication system (scottoiler).

I barely ever had to adjust the chain and when assessing the wear/tear status by comparing the markings on the little sticker next to the rear-axle nut (red/change-green/good-silver/new) it is still just barely touching the green that means very very new.

The rear sprocket looks perfect, no skew teeth, all even and straight.

With this in mind, I could well imagine to get it going to perhaps the 90tkm mark.

What's your experience?

[SB]

I think one of the main causes of "premature" chain stretch is people adjusting the chain and not leaving enough slack.

The Vara has a lot more suspension travel than most bikes and therefore needs more slack in the chain. If the person adjusting the chain doesn't provide enough slack the bike will create it.

Once the chain has "stretched" it will wear the sprockets a lot faster as they no longer match each other.

Perhaps you could tell us more about your riding and how you adjusted the chain.

• Without wishing to be personal are you Heavy, Average or Slim ?
• How is your suspension set up ?
• Is you daily ride on flat roads or rough/undulating roads ?
• How did you measure the free play in your chain (with the bike upright or someone sitting on the bike) ?
• How did you oil the chain ?

SB
   

[Two Plugs]

30.000-40.000 km and use the bike only for long distance touring. Only maintained with the spraycan, and never cleaned.

[Athanman]

20 000 - 30 000 in daily use + touring .

[vara8]

Some info:
Without wishing to be personal are you Heavy, Average or Slim ?
-190cm tall, 120kg in riding gear

How is your suspension set up ?
-Rear Suspension adjustment wheel in middle position of all clicks

Is you daily ride on flat roads or rough/undulating roads ?
-99% bitumen roads, whereby 75% civilized good roads and 24% used Australian roads (rough), 1% Gravel through state forest

How did you measure the free play in your chain (with the bike upright or someone sitting on the bike) ?
-On side stand only, no additional weight on the bike, 2-4cm up-down freeplay

How did you oil the chain ?
-Scottoiler filled with standard chainsaw oil from straight from the beginning, I use a fair bit of oil, it always show a fine oil film on the chain, the solution is fairly messy though


Additional data:
-Lifted the bike with extensions front and back by 4cm at 37Tkm, dropped the front by 1cm for quicker steering

Riding style:
-always first at the red lights, ripping the throttle hard open, race from robot to robot, 70km every day through town (towns and suburbs are large downunder), odd power wheelie included.

Weather:
- any weather, all the time (rain/sun)

Weather conditions in Australia/Brisbane:
-Temperature winter 18-25C, Summer 25-38C, no snow in Brisbane

Hope that helps, anything else I am happy to answer anytime.

PS: PICTURES BELOW
The pictures have been taken at night with a mobile phone camera and flash, keep that in mind when judging the pictures, there are some shadows.

[SB]

The photo of the rear sprocket shows it to still be in good condition, clean and well oiled.

The regular application of oil obviously helps to keep the chain and sprockets clean as well as lubricated

I suspect the main objection from the "anti Scottoiler" brigade would be that , as you say, it gets a bit messy.

[Two Plugs]

What is your max live span of your chain + sprockets?
30.000-40.000 km

Without wishing to be personal are you Heavy, Average or Slim ?
-204cm tall, 115kg in riding gear (105 in Adam's costume...  )

How is your suspension set up ?
-Rear Suspension adjustment wheel in 2/3 position of all clicks, with full luggage fully turned in highest position

Is you daily ride on flat roads or rough/undulating roads ?
-99% bitumen roads, whereby 75% civilized good roads and 24% used Dutch roads (rough, cobblestones and brickstone roads), 1% Gravel through state forest

How did you measure the free play in your chain (with the bike upright or someone sitting on the bike) ?
-On side stand only, no additional weight on the bike, 4-5cm up-down freeplay +/- 1

How did you oil the chain ?
-Motul spraycan Offroad Chainlube. I apply the grease on the inside of the chain after a long ride (when the chain is still warm), once every 1.000 km or once every 500 km in rain / winter conditions. I never clean the chain. It will only take away the grease

Additional data:
-Bike is fully on stock suspension. My previous bike was put on Wilbers (Technoflex) suspension, but with the same result regarding to livespan of the chain.

Riding style:
-Long distance touring on country roads, high speed touring on motorways (130 km.h with luggage, in Germany (live close to the Dutch German border) 150-160 km/h with luggage); sport touring on twisty roads and some odd BMuu GS hunting... I don't do stop-and-go's... 

Weather:
- any weather, all the time (rain/sun)

Weather conditions in The Netherlands / Groningen Province:
-Temperature (average) summer +18/+25C, winter up to -15. Wamest temperature I have used the bike: +37 (two weeks ago). Coldest temperature I have used the bike: -5. Lots of salt are trown on the road for ice prevention.

[Herghott]

What is your max live span of your chain + sprockets?
25 000 - 30 000 km (tried CZ, RK and DID sets, DID lastes longest).

Without wishing to be personal are you Heavy, Average or Slim?
188 cm tall, 100 kg in riding gear.

How is your suspension set up?
Front: Hyperpro springs with 20W Hyperpro oil, rear: Ohlins shock, standard setup (stiffer than stock Vara shock)

Is you daily ride on flat roads or rough/undulating roads?
Flat roads, but here in Slovakia are bit destroyed, bumpy and full of potholes...

How did you measure the free play in your chain (with the bike upright or someone sitting on the bike)?
On central stand without any weight.

How did you oil the chain?
Spraying when warm, depending on weather. Cleaning often.

Riding style:
40 km every working day, several 1000+ km trips per season. More sporty style (heavier acceleration), often more than 150 km/h on highways...

Weather:
Mostly if it's nice. Before I wasn't avoiding water and salt, but now I am (I use scooter in bad weather).

Weather conditions in Slovakia:
Average temperature in summer 20 - 30 dergrees, winter up to -15.

Herghott

[welshwizard]

Original chain still going strong at 12k miles on mine. Hardly been adjusted. I do have a long range scottoiler fitted.
Tony.

[djcat]

Just changed mine after 22thousand Km. Previous owner had the bike more standing in the rain than riding it so chain was stiff and rusty on the sides. New chain is a DID silver one which I will keep nice and clean.

[jackyork]

Very interested in this subject, as new bike came with a Scottoiler and after failing to get it mounted on the paddock stand with two of us, because of all the oil blathered under the swinging arm, I was planning to junk it. Maybe regular cleaning will attend to that; I will test and report. I am starting from 4,000 miles(6,000 Km) with no visible wear and I have just done 400 miles(600 Km). My technical guru advised on using chainsaw oil, which I haven't tried before so I'll see when the current reserve of Scott's runs out.
I have always attended to chains manually with oil and aerosol, like Two Plugs. Unlike him,however, I do remove muck and dirt as this acts like grinding paste if you leave it on. It is true that you don't want to affect the internal lubrication of the links and rollers so a handful of old newspaper and a swill is all you need.
When I got my old Kawasaki ZX10, the whole back end was covered in 'spray lube' which I had to scrape off with wood and plastic spatulas ! Since then, with moderate lubrication and Motul chain lube things seem fairly static. current mileage (last week) was 33,333. I don't know how old this chain is but it's done 7,000 miles with me.

[Bønne]

Varadero with ABS, 2008 model (bought new in april 2009), 76000 km.

What is your max. live span of your chain + sprockets?
- The first (original mounted), kit: 36000 km, front sprocket nearly used up but changed the whole kit with original, as i was going on vacation. Second kit: 38000 km, again the front sprocket nearly used up and again changed the whole kit with original, combined with a rear tyre shift. Both chains only adjusted a single time except for when changing rear tyre. In fact I would allways change the whole kit on the Varadero because when the front sprocket is worn out, then the chain is worn too (although it is not stretched), and i don´t go on compromise with the Varadero!

Without wishing to be personal are you Heavy, Average or Slim?
- 196 cm tall, 125 kg in riding gear (115 kg in Adam's costume...  )

How is your suspension set up ?
- Rear Suspension adjustment wheel in 2/3 position of all clicks, damping ½ turn +, front fork oil changed to ATF-oil.

Is your daily ride on flat roads or rough/undulating roads ?
- 99 % bitumen roads, whereby 40 % civilized good roads in foreign countries and 59 % typical danish standard roads (holes, cracks and badly made repairs (bumps) ), 1% gravel when in Norway and Sweden.

How did you measure the free play in your chain (with the bike upright or someone sitting on the bike)?
- On center stand only, 4 cm up-down freeplay.

How did you oil the chain ?
- Profi Dry Lube spray, sometimes with ordinary gearoil 80W90 to soften the old grease. On long rides every time i fill op the tank, at home occationally after a ride. I never clean the chain.

Additional data:
- Bike is fully on stock suspension.

Riding style:
- Everyday ride to work, 2 x 34 km on main roads, 80-120 km/h . Long distance riding on motorways, 130-150 km/h with luggage, small roads for fun. Allways (to) fast, but not wild, no burn outs, no stop and go´s.

Weather:
- Any weather (rain/sun). Not winter, here I use my Africa Twin.

Weather conditions in Denmark:
- Temperature, summer +15/+30C, winter, +5/-20.

About Scottoiler, I would recomment 80W90 gearoil instead of chainsawoil as an alternative to the awfull expensive Scottoil-oil.