I thought I would add some general bike info to the blog this year.
Being a guy who likes a bargain, I am always looking for a good deal, but it’s not easy finding info on non-name brand gear, honest evaluations of items you might find on eBay. All the info either comes from the people selling it or is feedback on how well the sale went, but not on the item itself. So I thought I would add some posts about things like that on the site.
We will start with chains. I have two motorcycles, a 2002 Kawasaki ZZR1200 and a 2006 Suzuki V-Strom 1000, both of which have chain drives. Over the years, I have changed my fair share of motorcycle chains, but I still find the subject daunting. There are so many choices that it was difficult to get enough information.
Right now, I find myself with a lack of funds and in need a new chain for my 06 V-Strom 1000. I have wondered the net lately, looking for cheap motorcycle chains.
Finding cheap chains is easy on eBay. Trying to figure out if one is any good is the hard part. Good information on the longevity of a chain is even more confusing, so I am going to do a test. Buy a cheap chain and keep track of the service life and report back here on this post.
Right now the bike has 34,850 miles on it and is on its third chain. The first chain lasted just 13,391 miles. I was a little disappointed at that mileage, thinking it should have lasted twice as long. Hell, the original chain on my ZZR 1200 lasted about 30,000 miles, but I do some dirt road riding with the V-Strom, so that could have contributed to the low mileage.
My first replacement chain was an EK MVXZ chain that lasted a little under 15,000 miles. Better, but not by much. I then replaced it with what is on the bike now; a JT chain and sprocket set purchased on Ebay. The cost for that chain alone is about half of the EK ($66.00), and it lasted less than half of that chain life, just shy of 7000 miles. In fact, it’s been toast for about 1000 miles or more. I need to adjust it every 300 miles or less: ouch.
Before you begin to wonder if I cared for the chain, yes, I did lube the chain with spray on chain lube, I cleaned it just once, but toast in 6000 miles! I think it’s simply a piece of shit chain.
So what am I doing going and getting another cheap chain again? This one makes some claims that it is better than the JT. With a Tensile strength of 9,850 lbs, about a thousand lbs over the JT chain, it should be. We shall see. In this little test, I am going to lube it well and keep a record of that lubing, to see what kind of mileage I can get out of this chain.
How hard do I ride? That can have a bearing on the life of a chain. If I rode the bike hard and put her up wet as they say, then the chain would last significantly less than if I was a more sedate rider. It’s hard to put into words, but I would say that on a somewhere in the middle between sedate and hooligan. I am not the kind of guy who pulls wheelies and acts as if every stop light is a Christmas tree, but I’m not timid when it comes to speed and acceleration.
The chain I am buying is a Volar from a company called D2Moto, selling on eBay. One advantage, other than the price of $55.99 with shipping, is that it is already the correct amount of links for the bike. I won’t need to cut the chain to fit like I do most of the time.
Most chains come in fixed lengths, and you need to cut them to fit your setup. Getting one already cut to the 112 links that I need saves that step.
1-7-15 Update: Received the chain today, three-day shipping, not bad. I live in central California, and it came from Southern California via USPS standard shipping.
1-10-15 Mileage 34,977 0 Miles on the chain
Update: Installed the chain today. I found that the Volar came with two master links, a clip type, and a press type. I used the press type because, from what I have read, it is stronger than the clip. A bike as powerful as the V-Strom 1000 should never have a clip link. The eBay write-up never mentioned that it came with both. Nice touch, even though I didn’t need it.
I set the slack and went for a short ride and re-checked it, just to make sure. I should have 20-30 mm of slack, and it’s at 25 mm now, so it’s perfect.
A quick note. I used a Motion Pro PBR tool to removal and install the chain. I got it a year ago after messing around trying to flair the master link with a cheap tool that I had bought at harbor freight. I was not confident at how safe the chain was after using that tool. It’s the second time I have used the PBR, which stands for Punch, Break, Rivet, and I am impressed just how easy it is to use. The instructions are easy to follow and when I finished I am satisfied that I had a safe and secure chain.
1-12-15 Milage 35,093 116 Miles on the chain
First ride, up into the Sierra Foothills today. Checked the chain slack after returning home and it’s just about the same, maybe its 26mm slack, so it only stretched about 1mm in this first 100+ miles, not bad. The chain was still warm from the ride.
1-17-15 Milage 35,294 317 Miles
Road to work two days this week. I just checked chain slack again today, and it’s at 32 mm, so it’s stretched 7mm in the 317 miles that I have put on it. It’s now 2mm out tolerance so I will tighten it again today. I have never checked new chains like this before. When I have put new ones on in the past, I have forgotten about them for a couple of months before I would check the slack, so I don’t know if this is normal or not. I would expect that a new chain would stretch more in the beginning, and then settle in. We shall see how that works out.
2-15-15 Milage 36,152
Adjustment, checked and the chain was out of adjustment, 35mm where it should have been a max of 30mm, went out of adjustment about 10mm in a little over a thousand miles.
5-4-125Milage 38,353
Cleaned chain for the first time, and adjusted again. slack was about 35 mm again, after 3,376 miles the chan has needed three adjustments.
7-18-15 Milage 40,107
Cleaned chain again and it needed another adjustment. this time, it was about 37mm, getting worse.
8-10-15 Milage: 40,528 5551 Miles
This is the sixth adjustment on the chain since installing it, (I didn’t note a couple of them on this thread) and this time it’s just a little over 400 miles since the last adjustment. The chain is also getting a tight spot in it that is becoming noticeable when I am riding, so it’s about at the end of its life. We will see how it goes, but I can’t see this chain lasting to 7000 miles. Just about like the last cheap chain I bought. You do get what you pay for.
9-5-15 Replaced after just 6346 Miles
(replaced with a DID 525VX)
No real difference from the old JT chain, and by the end of its life I had to adjust it after every couple of hundred miles. You do get what you pay for. This chain is just a piece of junk chain. Adjustment is not a hard process, but it gets to be tedious if you need to do it every couple hundred miles. In my opinion, spend a little more, get a named brand chain and you won’t need to keep adjusting it after every ride.
11-29-15 Update on the DID chain @2,451 Miles
Thought I would post an update on the new DID chain. I just adjusted the chain for the first time today, and with putting 2,451 miles on it I just needed to adjust it about 5-6 mm, just a single turn of the adjustment screw was all that was needed. I learned my lesson, and will get brand named chains from now on.
How has the volar worked out. I ordered one myself and was just curious.
Jon
Missed your post, sorry. It did not work out well, I had to replace after about 7000 miles. I would not order another.
Thank you for the honest and thorough review. I bought a JT chain and I was super disappointed. I thought it was maybe I didn’t take good enough care of it but I take care of my chains. Thanks for confirming it wasn’t all my fault on the JT chain as well. Much appreciated what you out in here. Ride safe brother.
Thanks for your comment on the Volar chain post Ross. Glad that it confirmed your experience.
I was getting ready to buy one but after reading your review, I will stay away. Thanks for the update
Lucky mine lasted 1500 now it has a tight spot and makes a clunking sound my tech recommend replacing again wish I looked this up a few months ago
Thanks for you comment JohnT, sorry you had to find out the hard way. A least in motorcycle chains, you can’t get something for nothing.
What a piece of shit.. Mine lasted 4000 then rollers broke off
Ouch, not good at all..
I got three chains for volar and the lock keeps coming off is this on perpose
I bought a green volar chain for my 03 ninja and after a month and a half and barely 1500 miles on it. I have to adjust it every 50ish miles and it sounds like a rattle snake of you flick it. It barely lasted me a full month before it was completely shot.
This was hella helpful thanks bro
Thanks Nacco
Thanks for the info, I almost ordered one of this… thanks for keeping me away from it.
I’ve had three volar chains go in three to four month intervals with maybe 3-4000 miles each. Two of them snapped on me while riding my 94 vf750c magna, one didn’t make it out of my neighborhood before it started spitting rollers and snapped. Lucky they didn’t bind up around my front sprocket. Steer clear. I bought them because I was shy on cash. Now I still buy cheap chains but not volar. They last me 7000 miles each and have a pretty good early warning on wear so you have time to buy another and wait on shipping and keep riding to a minimum. As a daily driver of at least a hundred miles five days a week they are not a good choice of chain, they made it of cheap metal and the least amount of it. Good for your once in a while bike you’d take out once a month to go bar hopping. Not for anything serious. I’d keep one lying around as an emergency chain if I ever break down I can have someone run it out to me in my rescue bag with some tools I don’t carry on the bike with a master clip link or two. and use it solely until the new one arrived.
Keep the rubber side down guys.
Well this sucks I just got mine in the mail today! Should have read up before I ordered. Thanks for the info though
I purchased a Volar 530 chain for my FJ1200 2 years 10,000 miles ago. It has a tight spot and is full of rust spots and needs replacing. I kept it well lubed with Maxima chain wax lube although I’m told I should use Tri-Flow which I will do in the future. I do not recommend this chain because it is shit and has no longevity.
I purchased a Volar chain 2 years 10,000 miles ago for my FJ1200 with strictly easy riding no wheelies and such. It has already worn out has a tight spot with rust spots as well. I keep it well maintained with Maxima chain wax and tighten regularly. I have been told though the Maxima is not that good and I should use Tri-Flow form now on which I will do. Bottom line is this chain is a piece of shit and I’m still doing some research on what I’m going to buy next.
I purchased volar gold 520 o-ring chain.it only came with a rivet style master link. What a bummer,if l knew that when i bought it l would have purchased a rivet tool as well. Now i’ve got to wait for a tool on amazon. Please include a clip type link as well.
Had a Volar red chain snap on my f4i today not at the master link.. seemed like a stress fracture on the shitty Chinese metal only had 3500 miles. Yes proper tension and lubrication every 300mi Never again…
Volar is a POS. Lasted less than 11 months and less than 5000mi on my 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000. I don’t race this bike; only commuting and touring so I would have expected it to last a little longer. The failure is asymmetrical stretch. I adjust the chain on one side, roll forward by half the chain length and the chain is WAY TOO tight.
Thank you sir you saved me $55 yes. Much appreciated. Super day in Springfield Ohio wr250r
I’ve had great luck with these chains. MX and offroad applications may not be worth it but on the street mine work great. Only the master links seem to wear faster than the rest of the chain is the only downside. 1/2 the price makes it worth it.
I have to adjust it every 50ish miles and The failure is the asymmetrical stretch.
Glad I read this review. Thanks.
2003 750 magna. 16k miles. My chain is shot. I’m putting more miles on the bike now my fair weather daily driver.
Expenses pbr chain tool $87ish…
At might put 45k more miles on any combo of bikes I own. So the tool expense depreciates so so.
Is there a better chain sprocket kit than OEM???
I have a VStrom 650 Adventure. Simply put I thought I’d save some money on the Volar chain and sprocket set, shipped free and arrived in three days. I ride about 65 miles a day. The chain started wearing out immediately and after 4,300 miles needs adjusting about every 350 hundred miles tops. It was noisy from day one. I lubricate a chain every 300 hundred miles and keep it clean by wiping with a rag right after lubrication. So this piece of junk hasn’t saved me a dime. I just bought a DID VX3 and new sprockets which I’ll be installing soon. I don’t run the bike hard, but I plan on doing some hard acceleration just to wear out the existing junk Volar…never again will I try to save money on a cheap chain…LOL
Thanks for the comment Gordon, sounds familiar, I like saving money and sometimes I have found things that are inexpensive yet work just fine, but that Volar chain is not one of them.
I was looking to buy this one for myself as well, thanks now I read all the comments and your detailed unbiased review, I am not going to buy this one, can you also update it which one you bought after this chain, so new buyers can also get a look into that as well. Thanks for making this one. Keep the good work.
I have a Suzuki DR 650 only used for commuting,and concour with the above comments. I replaced the original chain, (DID) at 30K. Bought another from Suzuki,it also lasted 30K. Installed new Suzuki sprockets front and rear at 60K,along with a 525 volar o ring chain. After 5 K miles,this junk chain is just worn out. I always keep the chains well lubed,so was surprised to see the orange rust or bushing wear dust constantly appearing on a well oiled chain. Currently having to adjust slack every 200 miles,hoping to get 6K out of it,but just ordered a new DID replacement. Lesson learned.