O-Rings on original Chain...

babuski

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Okay boys and girls, after three weeks of traveling and the death of a good friend. Babuski is back in Chicago and ready to put some miles on the monster. I rode the hell out of the thing in June and July and then had to go travel all over N. America.

I was cleaning my chain the other day with Kerosene just like you kind folks told me. Chain is in mint condition and looks NEW (and Gold in color). It is the original chain. I have just short of 9000 miles on the bike. I ride like a pussy. No wheelies, no burnouts and never above 140 mph yet.

But, and this is my question, I noticed on one of my pristine links a little tiny piece of curved rubber sticking out from the roller. It was only on one roller. I checked all other rollers, pins, and links....perfect. Sprockets look great with minimal wear.

What do you "experts" think? Replace? Watch closely for signs of further rubber O-ring erosion? Or no big deal since it was only 1 ring and a very tiny piece and I ride like a pussy anyway?

Opinions much appreciated.
 
Your O-ring is starting to go.  But it has plenty of life left.  Until the O-rings start flying off, you will see them bunch up in the cover for the transmission sprocket, I wouldn't worry.  Depends how cautious you are.

I wouldn't get a new chain unless I saw a bunch of O-rings piled up in the sprocket cover(xmission), the links won't rotate freely(they don't straighten after they come off the sproket, kinked), or the chain has streched to the limit of the adjuster on the swing arm.

Hope this helps.



<!--EDIT|Charlesbusa
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Just keep an eye on the chain and make sure it is adjusted properly...
 
Young Padwan:
The chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

If you ride in wet, that missing o ring is gonna allow water in and grease out. It's-a-gonna fail on ya. Keep an eye on it. Do a search on broken chains and what they can do to yer bike. Then make a decision.

Good luck!
 
My perception of this situation is quite different, but here are my thoughts anyway...so take it for what it's worth.  Actually, I think that you have outstayed your welcome on the stock chain.  The stock chain is considered a 'break-in' chain and is rated for a 600cc bike if my memory serves me correctly.  I know for sure that the chain isn't rated for a 1300cc bike.  Most people won't run the stock chain more than 2 or 3 thousand miles.  And because you ride like a pu$$y (
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 ), it's lasted you this long.  My opinion is that you should change your chain and get something rated for your bike like a Tsubaki or a D.I.D.  I personally prefer the D.I.D. premium x-ring chain.  X-ring chains offer better performance over the standard o-ring chains and has better lubricating properties.  Another thing I like about the D.I.D. premium is that it comes already pre-stretched from the factory.
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 I've had mine on for about 3,000 miles now and do the occassional wheelie and burnout... plus I do a lot of high speed riding.  And guess what?  I haven't adjusted the chain once.  Now you'll get a lot of people here who like the Tsubaki or the Regina chain, but either way you go, I would just assume you change the stock chain.  Just my .02, but it can sometime be worth a million bucks.
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                                                                  Brian



<!--EDIT|bacharles
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Thanks folks.....but why the hell would suzuki put a chain on the fastest production bike in the world that only rates to 600cc. This is a huge liability problem and broken chains can KILL people and screw up bikes

The money savings is not that great....

Is it really only rated for a 600 cc bike?
 
Thanks folks.....but why the hell would suzuki put a chain on the fastest production bike in the world that only rates to 600cc.  This is a huge liability problem and broken chains can KILL people and screw up bikes

The money savings is not that great....

Is it really only rated for a 600 cc bike?
I think that Brian may have gotten some misinformation.

I am under the impression the stock chain is a RK530GXW O-Ring chain (10,000 tensile strength) as TimmyDuck mentioned in the new chain thread.

This chain is rated for up to a 1400 cc bike.
 
i have 15k of beating on my bike miles on stock chain .and its still hanging in there.4 rear tires but on stock chain just lube it now and then.



<!--EDIT|rob t
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Ah ! Chains--always a touchy subject.... One o-ring starting to break up..did you use a wire brush on it? Anyway..trust me on this....First of all....my stock chain lasted 16K---Been beat on, first by the dealer, then i did wheelies, speed runs, and
long road trips...it started to kink abit..near the end....Never had to adjust it..just readjust after a tire changes. Ok hear goes..if you have to adjust your chain because it is getting loose..it is already worn out!!!!! The minute it starts to kink....
very soon after that you will see rust looking stuff sneaking out past the o-rings..
chain is now siezing up...replace asap..and your sprockets can go a long time...run the stretched chain for awhile and see you rear sprocket teeth bending to oblivion...
Motorcycles are a serious hobby...watch that chain..and ride safe..sincerly PaceM.

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I say err on the side of caution...I waited to long and broke mine...I was lucky it didn't catch and throw me...It did hit my tail section and left a nasty scar...Better safe than sorry...
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Mikey D....you could be right because everytime I clean this chain I see the letters RK on a few of the links. I can't believed a finely tuned machine like the hayabusa would be saddled with a chain that is rated only to 600 cc.

Anyways, from the comments I'm getting, I should at least consider replacing this chain sooner rather than later....I will keep an eye on this thing and oil the heck out of it. I will ride in Aug and Sept and take it in sometime in the fall so I won't have to worry about next riding season.

Thanks folks....again...I have learned much.
 
1st chain <stock> lasted 18,000 miles.
I'm replacing the 2nd chain today at 42,209 miles.
I'm also replacing the original <stock> sprockets today.



<!--EDIT|RaiderDm
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Hey RaiderDM....how did you do it? Religious maintenance on the chain ? --what type of maintenance did you do?
And did you ride like a pussy like I do? I must be the most conservative rider of this board.....

About a year ago there was a thread with Johnny Cheese who mentioned that stock busa chains were not good. And that several folks broke chains in their first 3,000 miles.

Perhaps suzuki upgraded the chains for later models?
But then, I hear Raider gets 18,000 on his first and goes to 42,000 on his second.
 
Hey RaiderDM....how did you do it?  Religious maintenance on the chain ? --what type of maintenance did you do?
And did you ride like a pussy like I do?   I must be the most conservative rider of this board.....

About a year ago there was a thread with Johnny Cheese who mentioned that stock busa chains were not good.  And that several folks broke chains in their first 3,000 miles.

Perhaps suzuki upgraded the chains for later models?  
But then, I hear Raider gets 18,000 on his first and goes to 42,000 on his second.
The stock chain is OK for a stock Busa and a stock rider. It is when you start adding 50-150lbs of torque to the chains with burn outs etc. you could be getting 1,000 miles on a chain that way.
 
I may stand corrected on my first post. But I do remember reading somewhere on here, or maybe some other site that the stock chain was not rated for a 1300cc bike. Sorry if I put out any mis-info out there. I tended to believe it because only after 1800 miles or so, the adjusting blocks were at the end of the swingarm. BTW sorry again for the mis-info if it truly is mis-info.
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