Chain question

[tl rookie]

I have a 2 inch extension on my bike & going to run a 16 front & 41 rear sprocket 520 conversion so my question is what size chain do i need? as in how many links?

[Steve TLS]

Re: Chain question

All the ones I've bought have been 120 links and I cut it down to suit.

(You should run a 17T front and a 530 )

[Wingnut11]

Re: Chain question

I'm wondering why you'd want to use a 520 chain. 530 is the way to go, I'm planning on converting my dl1000 to 530 when it comes time to replace the chain and sprockets. I plan on using the same type of rk chain as well. That chain is supposed to be used on busa's and zx14's and the like. I've only adjusted it once in the few years it's been on the bike and that was premature.

[tl rookie]

Re: Chain question

The project that i got already was converted to 520 so i was just going to go with it. Is 530 better? I dont really know about it. If you guys could give me a little education it would be much appreciated.

[Wingnut11]

Re: Chain question

The simple explination is 530 is bigger and stronger (tensile strength) by bigger I mean wider. I'm not sure about roller size (diameter). Now I have heard of using a 525 chain on a track bike to get more power to the ground because the chain weighs less. However on a street bike where (for me) durability is the primary factor the 530 chain wins hands down. You'll eventually have to change sprockets (use steel sprockets as well, cheap, very durable, how can you go wrong with that) anyway so why not change it back to a 530 chain.

[Loki-TLR]

Re: Chain question

I believe tensile strenght might not make that much of a difference. But 530 should last longer

[LoveMyTLR]

Re: Chain question

I just changed my sprockets and chain today. I went with a 17/42 ratio. Up to this point, I have always gone with stock gearing and all I can say is WOW!! The front tire all of a sudden hates touching the road.

As far as why yosh runs the blue and white......... because the AMA deemed that if they ran yellow it would be an unfair power advantage for suzuki so they had to go with the B/W scheme.

[cyclecamper]

Re: Chain question

520 and associated sprockets are nearly as strong and much lighter, so it will work, and is a very popular conversion for 4-cyl bikes. All 4 of my used TL engines came with 520 sprockets installed by the previous owners. Same distance between rollers and same pin size and same roller diameter. The 5 is 5/8 between pin centers. The 20 or 30 relates to distance between inner side plates. Though the 520 chain may not 'stretch' from side plate bushes and pins wearing, the narrow rollers and narrow sprockets wear more quickly, especially aluminum rear sprockets if they are small and not hard-anodized very well. 520 is great for racing at the track if you get really good components. For drag it is debatable, depending on how good the chain and sprockets are and how much money you have and often you replace them. The thinner 520 front sprockets are almost always drilled to make them even lighter, and the 520 chain side plates are often more radically narrowed in the middle. If you use 520 to reduce weight and inertia you will have to debate whether to use larger sprockets to reduce the strain on the chain and sprockets and make them last longer or to use smaller ones to further reduce the weight and inertia. Also consider the size of your cush, as twins have jerkier power delivery and that's really hard on chain and extremely hard on chain with aftermarket wheels that have a small cush to absorb shocks.

I always used D.I.D. ZVM 530 with very hard tool steel front sprockets and large drilled hard-anodized hard-alloy aluminum rear sprockets. Worked great, then the bike got stolen. I tried to drill holes in the tool steel front sprocket to lighten it a little and I ended up having to use EDM because it was too hard for my drill bits.

This time I got Krause 530 chain in its strongest rating, and a 2-piece rear sprocket that has a hard tool steel tooth ring riveted onto an aluminum center carrier, and a steel/titanium alloy front sprocket (not light but never wears out). I'm running 18/45 because the larger your front and rear sprockets the more inertial mass but it also makes a huge reduction in the stress on your chain. I have Van's offset swingarm pivot to keep the upper chain run closer to the swingarm pivot despite larger sprockes, but you don't need it for 18/45; in fact it's probably better without it unless you have even bigger sprockets like for stunting. I would like to have the front sprocket lightened via EDM again, but probably won't bother. It is pretty heavy and nearly impossible to drill.

[cyclecamper]

Re: Chain question

One problem with the Krause chain...buy an extra master link when you buy the chain. If you need one later, they only sell them in sets of four except with a chain in the same order. A set of four master links costs over $50 with shipping. $17 if you buy a spare with the chain.

[LoveMyTLR]

Re: Chain question

One problem with the Krause chain...buy an extra master link when you buy the chain. If you need one later, they only sell them in sets of four except with a chain in the same order. A set of four master links costs over $50 with shipping. $17 if you buy a spare with the chain.

Damn thats a lot of money for a few links. Whats the difference between those and the ones you can pick up at Lowes or Home Depot?

[cyclecamper]

Re: Chain question

Whats the difference between those and the ones you can pick up at Lowes or Home Depot?

Everything. The master is already the weakest part of the cheain, why would I put a 2,000 lb master link on a 17,000 lb chain? Harder stronger pins, thicker stronger side plates, o-ring seals, speical o-ring material that excretes lube, quad-stake on the rivets, plating, better bushings in the link, titanium alloy rollers, etc.

Krause XP chain is 17,000
D.I.D. ZVM is 10,408

[cyclecamper]

Re: Chain question

Note that the Krause chains usually have the same strength rating for 520 and 530. So theyr'e just as safe. The issue is wear over time.

[LoveMyTLR]

Re: Chain question

Everything. The master is already the weakest part of the cheain, why would I put a 2,000 lb master link on a 17,000 lb chain? Harder stronger pins, thicker stronger side plates, o-ring seals, speical o-ring material that excretes lube, quad-stake on the rivets, plating, better bushings in the link, titanium alloy rollers, etc.

Krause XP chain is 17,000
D.I.D. ZVM is 10,408

Makes sense. I was asking because I was at Lowes the other day for something totally different. But when I was going through the nuts and bolts section, they have a drawer set up that you go through and they had links in them. So that raised my curiosity. Thanks for clarifying the reason.

[dirtybird750]

Re: Chain question

I would stay clear of the 520. I destroyed the cases on my last TLS from a broken well oiled stock chain.Get a good RK,EK,DID something tuff worth the money.

[Patch11]

I would stay clear of the 520. I destroyed the cases on my last TLS from a broken well oiled stock chain.Get a good RK,EK,DID something tuff worth the money.

Things wear out, you can oil a worn chain all you like - it won't stop it from breaking.


There is nothing wrong with using a good quality 520 chain.

Here is a little fact for the thread:

EK ZZZ 530=11,400 (Strongest 530)
EK MVXZ 530=9,900
DID ZVM2 530=10,370
EK MVXZ 520=9,400 (Strongest 520)
RK GXW 520=8,800
DID ERV3=8,660
Regina's GPZ 520=8,204