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Chain size

12K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Pirate650  
#1 ·
OK .. Seeing conflicting chain sizes, 520 and 525, with 2017 15/47 gearing. Is the 2017 OEM chain a 520 or 525? Thanks
 
#3 ·
There is some confusion because at least one brand of 525 chain has 520 in the part number. The bike uses a 525 chain though.
 
#6 ·
Right. It was a sprocket brand rather than a chain brand.
 
#7 ·
Us old guys repeat most stuff so sure have said this before. In over 30 bikes in over 50 years of riding have never had a chain fail on street or on/off motorcycles. Have had shaft twice under warranty on same bike 1500 Nomad in over 82,000 miles and broke three belts on my 1700 RoadStar. To be fair my usual way to much abuse was involved.>:)You play you sometimes pay!
Still would take shaft over anything because of ease of upkeep and clean. Chain not that hard but to look at my so dirty Wee would think I oil every thing else when putting oil on the chain. Am sure I way over do it because when two bikes I had with factory oiler's were lots better. Had four GS750s,a GS1000,and two GS1100s that all saw drag strip time. They had the monster 630 chains that some of the so called japan super bikes had back then. Most that still race them have changed over to 530 and never break them so 630 was over kill I guess?
 
#9 ·
If you have any interest in saving a little unsprung weight, then you can go to a 520. You need sprockets, too. I have a 520 on the DL 1000, use it at drag strips and track days and lots of highway miles and it works fine. There are various grades of chain, too. You can get a 520 that's stronger than most 525s. the sprockets are narrower, so they will wear a hair faster. Everything has a price. If you are going to change sprockets too, then why not save some weight?
 
#10 · (Edited)
The factory original chain on my 2007 Wee snapped for no apparent reason at 12,000 miles, when shifting gently into second gear. No strain, light acceleration, it just snapped. Then it wrappped around the rear sprocket and wedged against the swing arm locking the rear wheel. Good thing I was doing 10 MPH on a secondary road so I had a little place to skid off onto the gravel shoulder. Would not have been fun at 70 MPH on the highway.

pic below
 

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