OEM or Aftermarket chains and sprockets

Seems to me there is little agreement about what lasts longer, OEM or after market chains and sprockets. Is there a definative answer? Can someone point me to the set up on Sprocketcenter.com that is the best (most OEM-like) kit for the 6th gen VFR? Thanks guys...

[image: View Post]2thdr, on 21 May 2011 - 11:18 AM, said:

Seems to me there is little agreement about what lasts longer, OEM or after market chains and sprockets. Is there a definative answer? Can someone point me to the set up on Sprocketcenter.com that is the best (most OEM-like) kit for the 6th gen VFR? Thanks guys...


The DID zvm1 XRING, meets or exceeds oem , and this is in Real Time experience. There is no finer CS procket than stock. The Sunstar steel rears (stock) really cant be beat. You can pay more for an eye popper, like IRON Man and is usable, but you judge the cost.

I dont deal with sprocket center

[image: View Post]spud786, on 21 May 2011 - 11:54 AM, said:

[image: View Post]2thdr, on 21 May 2011 - 11:18 AM, said:

Seems to me there is little agreement about what lasts longer, OEM or after market chains and sprockets. Is there a definative answer? Can someone point me to the set up on Sprocketcenter.com that is the best (most OEM-like) kit for the 6th gen VFR? Thanks guys...


The DID zvm1 XRING, meets or exceeds oem , and this is in Real Time experience. There is no finer CS procket than stock. The Sunstar steel rears (stock) really cant be beat. You can pay more for an eye popper, like IRON Man and is usable, but you judge the cost.

I dont deal with sprocket center


Thanks for that Spud. So another newbie type question: when ordering the OEM sprockets, should I order replacement nuts and bolts as well?

No ageement, there are so many variables it is difficult to compare ones experence with another.
My experience is 40k miles on stock OEM chain.
I read on here that almost all get much more mileage on OEM than aftermarket.
I buy the best DID X-ring chain and OEM sprockets and only get 23k miles, same chain care regime.
So then I went all OEM and so far with 25k miles It looks like the extra I paid for the OEM will pay off.
I should get 40k again out of this chain at the rate it has needed adjustment.

My conclusion is that manufacturers are ripping us off only offering us shortened life chains to boost sales.
Honda must spec higher quality than what is being offered aftermarket.
I don't know if anyone agrees. I can't argue with the results.

The old nuts and bolts should be reused if not damaged.

Bad Boy:
Sent you a PM.

While OEM is usually more durable, i chose to go with aftermarket. I bought The Vortex set, steel alloy front(-2) and Aluminum alloy rear (+2). The reduced unsprung weight from the rear sprocket makes me all warm and fuzzy. I also coverted to 520 pitch.

[image: View Post]spud786, on 21 May 2011 - 11:54 AM, said:

[image: View Post]2thdr, on 21 May 2011 - 11:18 AM, said:

Seems to me there is little agreement about what lasts longer, OEM or after market chains and sprockets. Is there a definative answer? Can someone point me to the set up on Sprocketcenter.com that is the best (most OEM-like) kit for the 6th gen VFR? Thanks guys...


The DID zvm1 XRING, meets or exceeds oem , and this is in Real Time experience. There is no finer CS procket than stock. The Sunstar steel rears (stock) really cant be beat. You can pay more for an eye popper, like IRON Man and is usable, but you judge the cost.

I dont deal with sprocket center






Having dealt with Spocket Center, what he said. ^

Mac

Thanks again guys...nothing like experience here to help with buying decisions. I think I'll just go with the OEM stuff since I've got 37,000 miles on original OEM and I'm not seeing demonstrable sprocket wear, I'm just getting some of that red colored rust developing on the chain and some sticky feeling links.

Okay,

Theres no way, I will ever get 40,000 out of an oem chain ,


So what ever you get out of oem, you'll get out of the High end DID xrings.

That simple


Some people do and will get 40,000 mile out of a DID

But for me, oem or DID xring, is still a sub 20,000 mile chain

OK, RonAyers.com part fiche lists two chains and two master link sets. Does anyone know the difference? 2004 non-ABS model...

#06405-MZ1-P01 CHAIN
#06405-MZ1-P11 CHAIN

40535-MZ1-316 MASTER LINK
40535-MZ1-317 MASTER LINK

[image: View Post]NakedViffer, on 21 May 2011 - 05:18 PM, said:

While OEM is usually more durable, i chose to go with aftermarket. I bought The Vortex set, steel alloy front(-2) and Aluminum alloy rear (+2). The reduced unsprung weight from the rear sprocket makes me all warm and fuzzy. I also coverted to 520 pitch.



520 and luminum sprockets on a vfr?

:beatdeadhorse:

[image: View Post]2thdr, on 21 May 2011 - 06:20 PM, said:

OK, RonAyers.com part fiche lists two chains and two master link sets. Does anyone know the difference? 2004 non-ABS model...

#06405-MZ1-P01 CHAIN
#06405-MZ1-P11 CHAIN

40535-MZ1-316 MASTER LINK
40535-MZ1-317 MASTER LINK


DID or RK chain. Can not remember which is which. Go to the dealer and they can run the numbers on Hondacom and find out.

Engineered shortened product life is standard industry practice now. How fast can we make our crap wear out and you suckers keep buying it. The average life of "durable goods", cars and appliances and the like is down to about 8 years and all of it is made for the dump, practically un-repairable. Rather than adding much durability on higher end items they add features that appear quality like, shinny gold finishes, and fancy twisted X-rings for chains that for me lasted 60% of OEM old fashion O-ring chain.

Even Spud could get 30 to 40k out of a chain, under 20k is disgraceful. Buy Honda OEM made by DID with OEM sprockets. Lube to keep it from surface rusting. Stop washing the internal lube out of it. Do not over tighten chain adjustment.

Use old school 90w gear oil just like the Honda manual recommends. Oil chain about every 600 miles, after rain, before washing bike, and when ever it looks dry. Bike on center stand in neutral apply oil to old half of a sock, press the sock to the bottom of the chain and spin the wheel by hand, couple of revolutions of chain, then repeat by oiling the top of the chain. With experience find how much oil one can use and not get too much fling off on the wheel.

Never clean your chain, do not use kerosene or penetrating spray chain lube. The chain is already internally lubricated. Any solvents would dilute the internal lube. The only purpose of the external lube is to prevent surface rust from starting and spreading to the internals of the chain. So consistency is more important than thoroughness. I ride hard and often in the rain year around in Seattle area. 88k miles in my 2002 VFR. It is working for me.

Your missing the point, oem chains last me the same comperable aftermarket chain. All under 20,000 mile. This veiw of OEM getting big life over after market oem is simply not true, unless the aftermarket is a lower quality chain, when speaking of the same quality aftermarket chain or higher, theres no life loss.

Depending how the chain is operated is also a factor, that can mean 10,000 , 20,000,30,000 or 40,000 mile , which is the normal range seen with various riders, assuming equal care. But the average is closer in the middle.

You would not expect to see a bike subjected to track conditions, get the same as somone who commutes down the highway, under 80 mph?


An example, the only chain that exceeds the OEM RK, is the GB530 wx , but most buy the xso as an oem replacement, its not quite the oem.

But the DID zvm1 does meet the VFR OEM easily, the DID ZMV2 is a big Upgrade over an oem DID.

I noticed your posting a DRZ, the Regina 520 ors2 I found an nice up grade over the Rk 520 XSO.

The Regina ORS2 in the 530, for vfr, doesnt live up to the oem, which was alittle shocking since the 520 ors2 was such a better chain than oem for the DRZ.

[image: View Post]spud786, on 21 May 2011 - 06:27 PM, said:

[image: View Post]NakedViffer, on 21 May 2011 - 05:18 PM, said:

While OEM is usually more durable, i chose to go with aftermarket. I bought The Vortex set, steel alloy front(-2) and Aluminum alloy rear (+2). The reduced unsprung weight from the rear sprocket makes me all warm and fuzzy. I also coverted to 520 pitch.



520 and luminum sprockets on a vfr?

:beatdeadhorse:

I have about 15K on my 520 RK chain kit. It's still going but at almost maximum adjustment. I have the DID 530 xring sitting on the bench waiting for install, probably this weekend. They're no name sprockets from sprocket center but I'd expect around 25K miles from them, hopefully.

I suspect that something is causing premature chain wear if some are getting under 20k miles while others are getting 30-40k. Unfortunately there are multiple factors involved so I can only speculate.
Chain care regimes differs a lot between riders, use of cleaning solvents or spray on chain lubes that dilute the internal lube, or inconsistent lubrication allowing surface rust to take hold.
Environmental conditions could contribute to differing results. High amount of abrasive dust, corrosive road de-icers, or humidity.
Driving style and rain are less significant factors as my chains get overly abused in that regard yet with good results.
Reading through the many chain thread here I have observed that members have consistently reported getting significantly higher mileage from their OEM chains than aftermarkets.
I do not think I am missing anything here. My experience is DID's best X-ring chain lasted 23k and OEM 40k all factors being equal.
Sorry but can't help being suspicious of anecdotal evidence of one that contradicts the trends and gets less than stellar results.
I suspect that if the factor that is causing the rapid chain wear was eliminated the OEM chain would have lasted longer.
I admit this is my opinion based on inconclusive but compelling evidence, my conclusion is manufacturers are not providing the same quality to aftermarket consumers that Honda demands for OEM.

[image: View Post]2thdr, on 21 May 2011 - 06:12 PM, said:

Thanks again guys...nothing like experience here to help with buying decisions. I think I'll just go with the OEM stuff since I've got 37,000 miles on original OEM and I'm not seeing demonstrable sprocket wear, I'm just getting some of that red colored rust developing on the chain and some sticky feeling links.


You really have to match up identical sprocket to see wear, it has to be really bad to see with the eyeball. Your front sprocket is going to wear faster than your rear, its possible the rear has little to no wear, but Id be very suspect on the front .

As far as the bolts, some guys are saying theres an issue with easy stripping, so you choose. I only know I had a suzuki once with Butter nuts, and they were junk(had to replace), Ive not seen a Honda display shoddy reusable material, so I was suprised hearing this in a thread, people were having issue, with nuts or bolts stripping. Keep in mind the bolts and sprocket is a matched set , some aftermarket sprocket companies, have not been fitting the bolt and sprocket mesh correctly..

I do not think I am missing anything here. My experience is DID's best X-ring chain lasted 23k and OEM 40k all factors being equal))))))))))))

This is what you got or what someone else got?

You know some people can get 8,000 miles off a Bridgestone rear tire, others it may last only 2,500 mile. But having ridden that tire, I can tell anyone thats also ridden that tire, what milege they will get off any other tire Ive run. To say I have to get 8,000 or something is wrong, is a tough pill to swallow. >G especially being the concious reliability extender I am.

My near 40 years of replacing chains , I luved the orings when I first tired in 92, really aided chain life. But the 06 vfr with its 86,0000 miles alone, Ive seen anywhere from 7,500 miles to near 20,000 mile depending on the type of chain. They were All 530 xrings or orings, but all 530's are not equal, but the oem can defitely be beat or atleast matched, what ever milege is your normal.

Running totally dry, my experience eats cs sprockets very quickly. I simply cant do that.

[image: View Post]spud786, on 22 May 2011 - 12:28 AM, said:

I do not think I am missing anything here. My experience is DID's best X-ring chain lasted 23k and OEM 40k all factors being equal))))))))))))

This is what you got or what someone else got?



That is my experience on my 2002 VFR. Stock OEM chain by DID lasted 40k miles, my second chain was DID's best X-ring chain with new OEM sprockets lasted 23K. Same bike, same use, same care. So for my third chain I went OEM with new OEM spockets and at 25K it is still running smooth and strong. I do not communte, all is recreational canyon carving, not easy use.

This is almost as amusing as the oil threads. :biggrin:

[image: View Post]Hatter, on 23 May 2011 - 01:29 AM, said:

This is almost as amusing as the oil threads. :biggrin:


Yup it is, and now I'm going to screw you all up because my OEM chain only lasted 15k and my aftermarket DID has got 25k on it and its still going strong. And mine came from Sprocket Centre, some of the best people I've ever dealt with.

So like oil, and tires. It all comes down to what you like and what seems to work the best for you. The same type of topic just worked its way around the OntarioVFR club's news group. K&N air filters actually let more dirt in to your engine over OEM. Thats what one of the members has been told and thats what he lives by.

Sometimes there is more than one right answer.

Any recommendations as to best place to order OEM chain & sprockets?

[image: View Post]dweese, on 23 May 2011 - 07:52 AM, said:

Yup it is, and now I'm going to screw you all up because my OEM chain only lasted 15k and my aftermarket DID has got 25k on it and its still going strong. And mine came from Sprocket Centre, some of the best people I've ever dealt with.

:+1: My OEM chain lasted 18k and the aftermarket DID lasted 20k. Of course I only get anywhere between 2500-3500 miles out of a rear tire (even the sport touring tires), so I'm probably not as easy on it as someone that gets 8k miles out of a tire.

I'm treating chains as an item that should be changed every 20k miles, maximum. So far so good as I'm at 36k miles on my second chain and I haven't had to adjust it more than a few times, it's a DID X-ring. For cleaning and lubing, I usually just take an old clean sock and scrub the chain down with it dry, I'll take some heat for this comment but if there's some really caked on grease and crud I'll hit that spot with some non-chlorinated brake cleaner. I also spray the thing liberally with Maxima Synthetic Chain Wax. Again, just what I do, not saying it is the best way or not. I do get fling off and I do not care outside of it mucking up the inside of the rear wheel, chain guard, etc.

I would be scared of a chain that is nearly to the maximum of adjustment as was mentioned in this thread. The last chain, a Regina fit by Honda at the factory, had a few tight joints and some general slop to it when I got it off the bike. I'll probably replace both sprockets with factory parts at 60k.

[image: View Post]Twox48, on 23 May 2011 - 09:59 AM, said:

Any recommendations as to best place to order OEM chain & sprockets?


ServiceHonda.com is a great way to find out what parts "should" be priced at and the few things I have ordered from them were easy to deal with.

[image: View Post]2thdr, on 21 May 2011 - 11:18 AM, said:

Seems to me there is little agreement about what lasts longer, OEM or after market chains and sprockets.

I can all but promise that Honda is not manufacturing their own chain, they are sourcing it from one of the major chain manufacturers. So if you buy an OEM chain you are most likely just buying one of the major manufacturer's products that has not had the side plate stamped with thier logo.

[image: View Post]Lee 2002, on 23 May 2011 - 12:46 PM, said:

[image: View Post]2thdr, on 21 May 2011 - 11:18 AM, said:

Seems to me there is little agreement about what lasts longer, OEM or after market chains and sprockets.

I can all but promise that Honda is not manufacturing their own chain, they are sourcing it from one of the major chain manufacturers. So if you buy an OEM chain you are most likely just buying one of the major manufacturer's products that has not had the side plate stamped with thier logo.


Bingo!!!!

So your paying more for the samething.