1250 chain

Roy · Nov 3, 2008

Is it going to last forever? :clap:

I am just shy of 20k miles and I have never seen a OEM chain go this long before. Especially since its a RK :yawn:

I think its the big 18T front sprocket helping out the situation. Either way I am happy to get this kind of life out of a OEM chain. Mine never needs adjustment either, no kinking, no rust dust appearing. I don't lube it often either. I do keep it clean for the most part not like some here but clean by my standards. :mrgreen:

WD40 on a old sock and I wipe it down thats it. I use Bel-Ray Super clean lube when I do use lube. I don't run it tight either. If I can push it up to the swingarm slider while I am on the bike its good to go.

YMMV

sproggy · Nov 3, 2008

Roy said:
Is it going to last forever?

I am just shy of 20k miles and I have never seen a OEM chain go this long before. Especially since its a RK I think its the big 18T front sprocket helping out the situation. Either way I am happy to get this kind of life out of a OEM chain. Mine never needs adjustment either, no kinking, no rust dust appearing. I don't lube it often either. I do keep it clean for the most part not like some here but clean by my standards. WD40 on a old sock and I wipe it down thats it. I use Bel-Ray Super clean lube when I do use lube. I don't run it tight either. If I can push it up to the swingarm slider while I am on the bike its good to go.

YMMV

I'm on about 11k miles and my chain's not been adjusted in the 7k miles I've had the bike. The rear wheel came out for a new tyre at one point but I believe everything went back in exactly the same place. That's with mostly two-up riding, much of it stop-start in traffic in all weathers which is hard on chains. On a bike with the torque of the Bandit that's pretty good - I expect it'll last until 20k or thereabouts.

treybrad · Nov 3, 2008

Mine looks great at 21,500 miles as well. I haven't done anything special with it, I keep it relatively clean and lube it every now and again. I haven't had to adjust it in well over 10,000mi....

Good chain, I'm impressed. My old SV650 needed a chain by 18,000 miles.

trey

MetrickMetal · Nov 3, 2008

I've got over 18,000 on my stock chain and it's still going strong, so I expect to easily get 20,000 plus out of it. :rider:

Fittysom'n · Nov 4, 2008

I remember the old days when a chain was toast in 7,000 miles.... sometimes fewer. These new chains are remarkable. But to give us an idea about riding style, what are you guys getting out of a rear tire (given as how you're getting 20,000 from a chain)?

treybrad · Nov 4, 2008

Fittysom'n said:
I remember the old days when a chain was toast in 7,000 miles.... sometimes fewer. These new chains are remarkable. But to give us an idea about riding style, what are you guys getting out of a rear tire (given as how you're getting 20,000 from a chain)?

I got less than 4,000mi out of the stock rear...

I got right around 6,000mi out of a Conti RoadAttack before it was toast. I had about 6,000mi on a Shinko 009 with plenty of tread left, but I had a long trip coming up so I mounted up a fresh Mich Road2. I now have about 6,000mi on it with tons of tread left...

trey

sproggy · Nov 4, 2008

Fittysom'n said:
But to give us an idea about riding style, what are you guys getting out of a rear tire (given as how you're getting 20,000 from a chain)?

A bit under 5k miles on the OE Dunlop. About 6k miles so far on the Roadsmart with plenty of tread still left and less squaring-off than I've seen on any other tyre after that mileage.

SoCalBandit · Nov 22, 2008

Todays chains last a long time........with a little care.
I sold my 2002 Kawi ZRX with 25,000 miles and the stock chain was still good.

I lube it every 300-400 miles and clean it about every 1,000.

Don't know how you guys get so many miles out of a rear tire....my stock 218 only lasted 1,800 miles.........I do like to ride fairly hard though. :trust:

Fittysom'n · Nov 23, 2008

****!
My rear tires on bikes with less torque than the Bandit's, were dangerously bald by 5,000 miles (Avon Azarro's, Pilot Roads, Macadams, Battalax's). My chains on the FZ1 were kinked & worthless well under 20,000 miles, and I cleaned & lubricated them religiously.

I replaced my OEM Dunlop tires on the Bandit at 1,500 miles but they coulda gone another thousand (bit of a story). My Pilot Roads have 2,000 miles on 'em so far, and I'm sporting 4/32s" tread on the front and 5/32s" on the rear.....

I gotta slow down

NOT!

achesley · Feb 25, 2009

Looking at chain and sprocket prices on Bike Bandit's site. WOW! 75.56 for the front and 72.31 for the rear. With Chain and Master link included I see 314.06 not including shipping charges yet.
I am wanting to change just the front sprocket with 10,000 miles on it soon as it's the first to wear out bringing the chain and rear with it.
What are you guys seeing for front sprocket prices?

Roy · Feb 25, 2009

sprocket prices have jumped almost 50% in the last year. My chain & sprockets are at 21k miles and the chain is starting to show the death signs.

sproggy · Feb 25, 2009

Try Renthal sprockets. I know it's different over here but my front 17t one (they also do an 18t) cost me £16 which would be around US$25, I think.

achesley · Feb 25, 2009

Roy,
Jack Robinson of the Thumper fame has run over 50,000 miles on chains and rear sprockets. He was the 1st I knew of to start changing the front out at 10,000 miles. Course the front on the KLR is a 15 tooth and not an 18. I had over 30,000 on my last KLR chain using this theory before I sold it and the chain was still good to go. I was only getting about 15,000 on the other KLR before the sprockets were getting the wave effect on the tips.
It may or may not work on the Bandit but worth a try.

Thanks sproggy, will check them out.

MetrickMetal · Feb 25, 2009

achesley said:
Looking at chain and sprocket prices on Bike Bandit's site. WOW! 75.56 for the front and 72.31 for the rear. With Chain and Master link included I see 314.06 not including shipping charges yet.
I am wanting to change just the front sprocket with 10,000 miles on it soon as it's the first to wear out bringing the chain and rear with it.
What are you guys seeing for front sprocket prices?

Try Sprocket Specialties http://www.sprocketspecialists.com/

Front sprocket part number 514-18 $24.95

Rear steel sprocket part number 4825-43 $33.95

achesley · Feb 25, 2009

Sprocket Specialties just call me a few hours back on my front sprocket order. Should have one here next week sometimes. Thanks for all the comebacks.

Roy · Mar 11, 2009

okay it is time my chain is spitting the death rust dust out of the links. Still no kinking but enough mess for me to swap it all out right now.

I need a front 18T steel and a DID 530ZVM2 chain in stock length. I found a chain deal on ebay for $149 shipped prolly go with that. I do not need a rear since I have a brand new 43T rear off my B-King that is gathering dust in the garage. I swapped the B-King rear for a black vortex 44T at 800 miles so the OEM sprocket is like new and going on the Bandit. I waste nothing at my garage. I have a new OEM 17T front off my 1000 but I don't want that drastic a change on the 1250.

My chain mileage is at 21,954......... :rider:

Willie · Mar 11, 2009

Roy said:
okay it is time my chain is spitting the death rust dust out of the links. Still no kinking but enough mess for me to swap it all out right now.

My chain mileage is at 21,954.........

Great mileage Roy!!

achesley · Mar 11, 2009

Got this from Sprocketcenter.com

Looked really good and already installed it. Doesn't have all that rubber cush to dampner sound but have not found it noisy. Just did about 90 miles on it today.

Product(s) Item Price Quantity Total
AFAM 530 Chromoly Steel Front Sprocket
Front Sprocket Size: 18 $25.95 1 $25.95
Sub Total: $25.95
Shipping: $6.95
Total: $32.90

If you need any assistance, or have any queries about your recent

terrebandit · Mar 11, 2009

I got 38K out of my last chain (DID 530ZVM X-ring). My front sprockets always wears out before the chain.

achesley · Mar 12, 2009

I'm going to try changing my front sprocket at 10,000 mile intervals to see how that does for chain and rear sprocket life.

I remember my '72 K2 750 Honda. 5000 and the chain and rear tire were toast. You had to change both at that interval. Once the dealer didn't have a new chain so we put a cheap split link chain he had so I could go to work. Then I was working 7/7 for Shell and it was 281 miles one way to the landing. When I got home after my 7 out, the bike had spit 4 rollers off. :eek2:

I had less then 600 miles of straight hiway use on that one.
Thanks to God chain technology has improved LOTS. :clap:

Roy · Mar 12, 2009

The price of chains has jumped in the last year or so. I priced out a stock chain for my B-King from Suzuki through Ron Ayers. It is the nice gold RK chain but I am sure its not top of the line RK they want $249 bucks for it :eek2:

**** I used to could buy OEM sprockets and a DID VM chain for a tick over $200 bucks, yea todays economy sucks. :doh:

Willie · Mar 12, 2009

Roy said:
The price of chains has jumped in the last year or so. I priced out a stock chain for my B-King from Suzuki through Ron Ayers. It is the nice gold RK chain but I am sure its not top of the line RK they want $249 bucks for it **** I used to could buy OEM sprockets and a DID VM chain for a tick over $200 bucks, yea todays economy sucks.

Hey Roy... Remember when gas was .25 cents a gallon and then the station owners would start a price war and they would go down to .19 cents?? Oh and they gave you glassware and Green Stamps to boot!!!
Yeah, today's economy sucks big time!! I want to be placed under house arrest in a $ 7 million dollar penthouse. Oh, just a minute, the wife just walked in... Hey Honey go down and pull 16 million out of the bank for yourself :rofl:

Sorry for the interruption :trust:

Yeah those were good old days!!

achesley · Mar 16, 2009

http://www.sprocketcenter.com/c/230241/1/1200-1250-bandit-06-08.html

Roy, Check with these people. They are whom I got my front sprocket from. I have not checked their chain prices yet. What impressed me was I had ordered a 5 buck higher priced sprocket and they called me and told me that unit was on back order and due in about 2 to 3 weeks and recommended the one I got for 5 bucks less and due in the next week. Credited my Paypal account the 5 bucks and sent it to me as soon as they got in the next week. No complaints here on them.

KickLaBuka · Mar 24, 2009

Has anyone done the swap yet? I took the cover off and it exposed another sprocket cover. This one had five bolts, some sort of oil feed in the center, a sensor, and it was attached at the top to some cooling fins in front of the air filter. The cooling fins are attached at three or four points, some of them clipped in (what looks permenant) :doh:

. The cover sits behind the shifter cable, which is normal, but with all of these other features, is there a procedure to get in?

:giveup:

Oh, and I also went with sprocket center. Front (18), rear (43), DID x-ring chain, all for 187.00

MetrickMetal · Mar 24, 2009

KickLaBuka said:
Has anyone done the swap yet? I took the cover off and it exposed another sprocket cover. This one had five bolts, some sort of oil feed in the center, a sensor, and it was attached at the top to some cooling fins in front of the air filter. The cooling fins are attached at three or four points, some of them clipped in (what looks permenant). The cover sits behind the shifter cable, which is normal, but with all of these other features, is there a procedure to get in?

Oh, and I also went with sprocket center. Front (18), rear (43), DID x-ring chain, all for 187.00

That thing you call the oil feed is your clutch line going to the slave cylinder and that sensor is the speed indicator sensor and that thing with the cooling fins is your rectifier.

The rectifier bracket is two pieces and the inner section stays attached to the top of the transmission after removing the front section along with the rectifier.

There are three words for the procedure to getting in there and they are "factory service manual" which sounds like something you really need to buy as it will clearly explain how to perform this and many other types of repairs on your bike, and I highly recommend anyone who's not exactly sure how to perform repair work on their bike to by the service manual before they start. :rider:

#1 Support the motorcycle with the center stand.
#2 Remove the engine sprocket outer cover.
#3 Remove the regulator/rectifier bracket mounting bolts.
#4 Disengage the gearshift link arm by removing the pinch bolt.
Note:Mark the end of the gearshift shaft at the slit in the gearshift link
arm for correct alignment at reinstallation.
#5 Remove the speed sensor.
#6 Remove the engine sprocket inner cover along with the clutch
release cylinder.
#7 Remove the speed sensor rotor by removing its bolt while depressing
the rear brake pedal.
#8 Remove the countershaft sprocket nut while depressing the rear
brake pedal.
#9 Remove the countershaft sprocket nut washer.
#10 Remove the countershaft sprocket
Install in reverse order.

I'm actually installing new sprockets and a chain on my Bandit today.