No Maintenance Chain

Had to check the date, thought I might be falling for a joke, but it looks real and in one article they say it's a £100 add-on from the factory for a couple of their 4 cylinders, so not exorbitant. It would be good not to have to muck around with chain lube etc, but would I then forget to check the adjustment....?

 

Interesting, but let's see how the early adopters get on over a couple of thousand miles.

 

Unsurprisingly, no price.
Gotta be mega bucks if it lasts the lifetime of the bike. After market C&S companies won’t be pleased.
Still, I doubt you’ll need one once we’re all electric and belt driven.

 

I can understand the zero maintenance , but there's no getting around the chain stretching!

 

It says Regina on the side plates. Makes no mention of hardened sprockets. The hard reality is an exposed chain is vulnerable to everything from salt to grit and x rings physical damage. Low maintenance maybe rather than no maintenance. Suffice to say the O ring chain is itself streets ahead of the things I first encountered and the grief for boiling chains on the hob!

 

I remember spilling one of those all over mum's kitchen floor. Not a wise move.

Cannot help but wonder if the side plates of these "no maintenance" chains will rust as much as regular chains if not cleaned and oiled every now and then...

 

Exactamundo!

 

They coat the rollers in diamond ?! Does this mean it will cut through the sprockets in double "Quick" time ???

 

Chains don't really 'stretch', the link's pins and bushes wear against each other and as they wear the gap between then increases, that allows the chain to be pulled longer. Assuming the diamond like coating of these chains is also on those parts they won't wear significantly and so won't 'stretch'.

There's still sprocket wear to consider but probably they mostly wear on the side of the teeth, not affecting the chain slack. Could also be that if chain isn't 'stretching' sprocket wear will also be reduced as the pitch between links won't be increasing.

 

theres been an option its called a BELT DRIVE!! if ones made for your bike, they are clean + can go 100,000 miles if no rocks bite you. technology never rests + hi-tech coatings are used heavily especially in cutting tools. as noted how about the sprockets + dont forget the PRICE!! on road belts rule, offroad not so much, but being a reasonable cost + easy + reasonable to change ratios are the upsides.

 

So here's the question - why use chains over belts on any motorcycle?

 

Well, i had one on the xdiavel and to change it was a major pain as the swingarm has to come off if it needs changing. Dealer job at £890
Also, VERY prone to stones getting wedged in between the pulley and belt which digs in and ruins it.
quiet though but always on the back of your mind about the stone damage.

 

I've had a shaft drive bike but never one with a belt. I don't fancy the idea of worrying about the belt when a chain isn't a worry at all, as long as it's clean, lubed and tensioned. I suppose that's the trade-off. Not that a belt was your main concern with the xDiavel...

 

I agree. It's rarely wise to buy the first generation of new tech IMHO.

I've owned chain, shaft, and belt driven bikes. I liked the belt the best -smooth, quiet, and no "lash". That said, I think they all work well when properly inspected and maintained.

 

I’ve had a chain snap on an RD250
Lucky for me it just spat off into the road but I shit myself when the engine took off as I was accelerating hard in 3rd gear
Had a shaft go on my Kawasaki GT750
Was about 4mls from home absolutely knackered when I got back this was before mobile phone’s
God’s teeth I’m getting old

 

Oh, the pleasures of a 1980 RD250!!!! my foooooooker was always running out of juice!!! and because I was young, stupid and poor the regular push to the nearest pump was character and glute building.