D.I.D. vs. RK chains

[Honda26]

I am about to replace my stock chain with a higher quality one.. i was told RK is a very good chain and i know from experience D.I.D. is awesome too. My question is which is the best?

i have narrowed it down to the RK GB520K2 Gold Heavy duty racing chain, and the D.I.D. 520 ERT chain...

i ride mx and have a 2003 CR125... and help would be appreciated..

BTW i can get both chains for $55 at 120 links so ...
thanks

 

[125 rider]

Both are good chains. I have a D.I.D Vector Supreme (V) series on my 125 and both chain and sprocket life are excellent.

 

[marcusgunby]

My std 02 Cr chain is still on the bike-its done about 25hours riding and is now due for replacement-i would use the std one till its worn.

 

[Jaybird]

I agree with marcus, lots of life on the new chain. It's all relative to how you maintain them anyway.

125 rider, out of curiosity, what do you consider "excellent service"?

 

[125 rider]

Well, i put the chain and sprockets on at the same time about a year ago. The sprockets have plenty of meat left and the chain shows only little signs of wear.

 

[Jaybird]

So, the teeth still aren't hooked or pointed yet, but there is a just a small show of wear?
What little signs of wear are you seeing on the chain?

 

[125 rider]

The last time i took the chain off and cleaned it, i checked for overall regidity of the chain. I layed it flat and tried to bend it to check side to side play, checked for tightness of bushings etc.

 

[marcusgunby]

I knew Jaybird would be into this thread like a bent politition and a multimillion building contract.
;)

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Originally posted by marcusgunby
I knew Jaybird would be into this thread like a bent politition and a multimillion building contract.
;)

:) LOL :)

I have used the RK and DID and they are both good. I could not tell that one was better in any way than the other

 

[xrsforever]

There are lots of good chains out there. I have had good luck(offroad not mx racing )with the DID X Chain.

 

[Jaybird]

I have been building a "Chain Testing Machine". I will make available the results I find.

hey, marcus...that would be a "right winged" politician...thankewverymuch! :)

 

[marcusgunby]

Not sure about your right and left wings-i have enough trouble with our systems without getting into yours;)

 

[Jaybird]

Hmmm...well lets just say I'd be just slightly more conservative than say....Atilla the Hun. :)

 

[smb_racing]

DID chains appear to require more adjustment (on my machine with my particular style) than have equivalent RK chains. I run sunstar steels and clean/lube my chain frequently as well.

BTW Jay, love the chain lube but it's an all afternoon process with the bottle and needle ;)

 

[Jaybird]

Ha! Four minutes tops! :) (one second per link side @ 120 links)

When my site is up, there will be other options available, Jeff.

 

[Tony Eeds]

Originally posted by Jaybird
Hmmm...well lets just say I'd be just slightly more conservative than say....Atilla the Hun. :)

Hey, That's my line!!!

Keep us posted on your site, and I'll get back to you on the chain lube as soon as I can use it. :whiner:

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Jay - I'm going to test the lube out on my bicycles where it's a little easier to track things as well as testing on my CRF.

 

[marcusgunby]

Ive used one RK on a 94KX125 and it easily lasted one season with minimal care.I would buy another.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Originally posted by Jaybird
I have been building a "Chain Testing Machine". I will make available the results I find.

Jay, will your machine also be able to compare drag? It would be interesting to see how different brands compare, as well as new vs. worn, o-ring vs. no ring, etc...

 

[Rooster]

"Chain Testing Machine".

I've got a chain stretcher out in the warehouse ;)

 

[jeb]

Here's one chain stretch tester.

 

[Jaybird]

Looks more like a guage than a tester. What is the principle of this gadget?

My tester will actually test chains for longevity. I can run two seperate chains at the same time continuously on two different weldments that will apply the same working pressure on both chains and will measure the growth individualy.
To be able to measure the drag that a chain produces would require a bit more engineering and dignostic equipment. To me, it would not be worth the effort. I can already tell you from dyno reports that a ring chain produces more resistance than a standard chain, some to higher degrees than others. In the relm of standard chains, there will be minimal difference in any high-end chain. The only time you will see a marked difference in drag of standard chains is when you have a faulty piece of equipment...bent plate, mis-alignment, etc...
Even the drag of a ring chain will change as the unit warms up.

My intial tests will be to see how chains comparitvely perform without lube. Then I want to test the actual longevity of a ring chain against a standard chain. (I have automatic equipment that will lubricate the standard on a periodic basis during testing...initially every 2 hours of run)

Rich, I found the fluid to work very nicely for bikes. I only ride the three wheeled "granny trikes" in factories, but there is a considerable difference in resistance immediatley after application. Hope you enjoy!

 

[CAL]

Originally posted by Jaybird
there is a considerable difference in resistance immediatley after application

You got that right! I've been using Jay's lube around the house (in place of WD-40) for months now. My entertainment center doors won't stay open after using Jay's lube! :)