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[stinkwheel]

The OEM chains seem pretty rubbish. The one on my 350 classic snapped at about 5k miles. One link totally seized....---

I had to get a top of the range did X-ring chain to get me running again because it was the only one they had in the shop.-----

I cringed at the time because it was £100 and we joked that I should lock up the chain instead of the rest of the bike.-------

I was wrong because it's been on there for 17,000 miles now and I haven't had to adjust it at all, still on the fifth notch on the snail cam.------

Also don't believe all the argumentative old farts (who will now proceed to throw their hands up in horror). A standard 530 pitch metric chain such as are fitted to almost all modern Japanese motorcycles is EXACTLY the same size as a 5/8" x 3/8" imperial chain. I mean EXACTLY because they based the metric standard on the old imperial standard. The ONLY difference is if you get an x-ring chain, then the pins are marginally longer to accommodate the sealing rings. In real terms this may mean you need to bend the chain guard out slightly with your fingers.----

Did I mention I've had a 530 pitch X-ring chain on my 350 classic for 17,000 miles now with no appreciable wear.

[Midge]

Stu, don't ride it as it is. If it goes, at best you will have a long walk, at worse it will lock the wheel/engine - not nice. I'm sure Mr H would be pleased to send you a nice Reynolds very quickly.

[Norm]

Stu,
Just because the dealer adjusted you chain doesn't mean he got it right, it needs about 30/40mm slack when the bike is on the centre stand, and that also varies depending on your weight and if you are carrying a pillion.Broken link like yours indicates the chain was too tight

[simon]

I thought that this would put the cat in amongst the pigeons . I always get help to adjust my chain as I like to have it checked when I'm sitting on the bike. You should have at least 1/2" slack when you are sitting on the bike. I always feel that a bit loose is a whole lot better that a bit tight because as is previously mentioned the consequences of a break whilst riding is potentially severe.

[Robin]

Hi Stu - when powering my bike up a steep hill, a chain link snapped in two, just like yours. As it was on one side only, with gentle riding, I was able to nurse the bike the 20 miles back home. Closer inspection the next day revealed that I had adjusted the snail cams wrongly - there was one notch difference between them.

[PeteF]

Robin, it's not at all unusual to have the snail cams "wrong" but the wheel alignment correct. You can't just count the notches - you need to check alignment with another method (string/wooden board/laser) My bike is out one notch and I know others that are two out. Having the wheel out by one notch would not cause the chain to break anyway IMO

[Les H]

A few other facts as regards chains: a 530 chain is the same pitch as the 5/8" x 3/8" but the side plate thickness has to be checked. The standard quality DID chain uses side plates of 2.2 mm (each side) whereas the heavy duty (HD) types use 2.4 mm side plates...and increase of 0.4mm in width. This seems to be the standard that other chain manufacturers (Japan/Chinese)use. Many British bikes, will have little clearance for even the HD types let alaone the O ring type which are often wider still. Budget standard chains also have split bronze roller bushes as they are much cheaper to make than the longer wearing and stronger solid bush chains. The solid bushes are perfectly round tubes whereas the split bushes have been bent round into a tube shape and the imperfection and longitudinal split (missing metal)causes a faster wear rate. Renolds are one of the few manufacturers that make solid bush chains. This split bush v solid bush is also available in O and X ring chains, so to judge quality one needs to study the spec of each chain... Generally speaking, you get what you pay for.

[Les H]

I have checked a standard chain side plate thickness and some other specs. A standard British style 5/8" x 3/8" chain has 1.8mm side plates. The DID standard 530 chain has 2.0mm (0.4mm wider) the HD (heavy duty Non O-ring) 530 chains have 2.4mm side plates ...that is 1.2mm wider! So to say the 530 chain is identical to classic 5/8" x 3/8" chain is not correct....unless it has side plates of 1.8mm.

[Alan R]

Hi Guys------------ this might be useful ?? }-------http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_chain--------------

[stinkwheel]

There is no standardised side plate thickness for either sort of chain any more than there is a standardised pin diameter. Just pitch which is identical.... Arguing over semantics is unhelpful and doubling the effect the side plate thickness will have on the clearance is disingenuous..... The only possibly (but not very) meaningful difference here is the distance from the centre of the sprocket to the outside of the plate which is a MAXIMUM of 0.6mm for an HD chain. The equivalent of 24 thou", or roughly the diameter of a decimal point on a computer screen .