Upgrading Your Motorcycle Chain: When and Why It’s Time

Looks may be deceiving when it comes to the status of your chain. Clean doesn’t necessarily mean there’s much life left in it, and a dirty chain may very well have some miles to go. We’ll run you through some quick steps that help you understand the condition of your chain better, and when it is time to replace it.

First things first

Because of their visual wear, sprockets can feel like a better indicator when it comes to understanding the condition of your drive chain. To understand why you need to change a chain in the first place, it’s good to know what a chain does to begin with.

A chain is built up out of plates that connect the roller bushings, which are connected using pins. The bushings run over the front and rear sprocket, thus transferring the power from the engine to the rear wheel. Because of the moving parts in a chain and the way they are connected, it is key to ensure everything moves smoothly. Cleaning your chain regularly, followed by greasing it, extends the life of your chain. The more friction occurs between all moving parts, the more resistance a chain gives in the transfer of power. Which as a result, speeds up the aging process of a chain.

X-rings vs Non-Sealed

All Tsubaki chains feature gold-coloured plating and low friction X-rings, unless otherwise specified. For example, our motocross-specific MXC chains are non-sealed to reduce friction and weight, but as they are a performance driven product, they are treated in a different way when it comes to maintenance. For optimal lubrication, Tsubaki motorcycle chains used for any street bike come with X-rings designed to create a seal between the moving parts and keep lubricant in place.

Signs to look for

Now that you’re back up to speed with the basics, there are signs to look for when evaluating your current chain. While your current chain might not be a Tsubaki chain yet, we’ll run you through the general signs that might give away the fact that your chain needs changing.

Play between bushings and pins
Although chains run in an axial movement, lateral forces are put on it during the power transfer, which puts stress on the chain. Too much lateral force, or enduring it for too many miles can result in play between the bushings and pins. When your chain shows a lot of wiggle room in a lateral way between the pins and bushings, it is time to think about a new chain.

Missing O-rings
Our X-ring chains are engineered to stay in place, but various O-ring chains can show missing O-rings over the length of the chain. This means your chain is no longer properly sealed, resulting in lubricant removing itself from the chain when riding, and allowing for play between the moving parts.

Tight spots between the links
All links of the chain need to be able to move freely in order to go over your bike’s sprockets when riding. If parts of your chain show tight spots between various links, this means power cannot be transmitted to the rear wheel in a smooth way. When the chain does not appear to show a straight line, but with some links going in different directions, it is a clear indicator that your chain is in need of proper cleaning and lubricating, or in most cases even in need of a change.

Sprocket condition
As said before, sprockets can be an easier to spot indication of the condition of your drive chain. Worn teeth, running thin at the pointy side or even slightly bent, are a definite sign of your sprockets being up for replacement. Because worn out sprockets affect your chain and vice versa, it is wise to always change your full drive train -sprockets and chain- when it’s time to replace either of them.

Time to change to Tsubaki

Why not upgrade when it’s time to change? Our chains are class leading for a reason, and regardless of your bike, you can make full use of the benefits a Tsubaki chain offers. We use only the highest quality materials when engineering and producing our chains, and all Tsubaki chains are pre-stretched which significantly reduces the need to adjust them once mounted. While maintenance remains key with all moving parts on a motorcycle, especially something that is exposed to the elements like a motorcycle chain, our incorporated X-ring technology keeps lubricant in place and prevents the buildup of dirt between the bushings and pins. Our chains guarantee the smoothest power transfer, the least loss of power in the process, and the best durability, resulting in a long lasting chain that makes your ride all the more enjoyable.

Check out our chain configurator to find the best option available for your bike or ask your local Tsubaki dealer.