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Cheap chains
Posted: Aug 17th, '17, 21:01
by Mervin
copied from the Honda trail bike forum
I'm just going through my new to me Transalp 700, fitting a scottoiler and have discovered a major defect in the chain. PO stated chain and sprockets were about 1k old, no discerable wear on sprocket and chain could not be pulled away from the rear sprocket teeth and plenty of adjustment left, I have no reason to doubt his word. What Ive seen is initially one cracked side plate and then after inspection at least 8 other cracked plates, cracked right the way through to the roller so effectively only one side of the chain carrying load... After fitting the oiler it would probably have been ages before I looked at the chain again, dread to think of the consequences of a snapped chain.... The chain make was Choho size 525SX. When I ground the rivets off to remove it, the rivet and side plate were noticably soft and quick to remove. Avoid Choho chains at all costs IMHO!
Re: Cheap chains
Posted: Aug 17th, '17, 23:41
by billinom8s
Good call merv.
Re: Cheap chains
Posted: Aug 18th, '17, 07:52
by Jug
I once bought a cheap chain for my trail bike, just to see.
It was a THC brand O-ring chain... up to using that I had always used main brand chains (DID etc) and never really seen an O-ring chain stretch. This THC chain stretched like a non-Oring chain and pretty soon took the sprockets out too. I now only run RK's on my trail bike.
For anyone that's not familiar with trail bike use (on proper muddy green lanes), it is a real chain killer.
If I get 3,000 miles from a chain I consider it has done well. The THC stretched a lot initially but by 1,500 it was dead.
Re: Cheap chains
Posted: Aug 18th, '17, 11:27
by scorcher
Don't think I'd touch anything called Choho TBH!
Re: Cheap chains
Posted: Aug 18th, '17, 14:28
by Ducaki
I recently bought a trail bike that had an aftermarket aluminium sprocket cover. Due to its poor design it had destroyed a renthal r3 chain, in exactly the same way Mervin explained.
Re: Cheap chains
Posted: Aug 18th, '17, 19:00
by Mervin
I have had a reply from a former chain retailer on anther forum BEWARE !!! cheap DID chains they are made in Taiwan not Japan , he said only buy the chain if it has DID Japan on the links
Re: Cheap chains
Posted: Sep 16th, '17, 06:30
by badgerKDD
scorcher wrote:Don't think I'd touch anything called Choho TBH!
My thoughts exactly
Re: Cheap chains
Posted: Sep 16th, '17, 09:46
by Mervin
badgerKDD wrote:scorcher wrote:Don't think I'd touch anything called Choho TBH!
My thoughts exactly
Might be ok to chain the missus to the bed with while you go out for a ride though