O-Ring Vs. Non-O-Ring chain

[becker]

Going to try and get a chain for my 85 ATC200X this weekend.

What advantages/disadvantages does an o-ring chain have over a non o-ring chain?

I know the O-ring chains are more but does it justify the cost?

thanks
BECKER

[NOS_350X]

An O-Ring chain will last MUCH longer. In life it will come out cheaper in the end.

BUT O-ring chains also rob hoprespower, they have alot of drag. So when power is a factor get the standard chain.

[Doc86R]

I've bought one non-o-ring chain and after one weekend in the sand - it was done.

[bones200x]

O-ring will last longer IF kept clean and lubed. But, as stated, NON o-ring gives more HP.
Neither will last long if not cleaned and oiled.

[250Rracer90]

ive had some1 tell me before if u run a non o ring chain in the sand grease it really good an then lift the back of ur trike up an put it on jackstands or anything that will hold it up without falling start it put it in gear an take a bar of soap an let the chain run threw it till its covered. anybody else ever heard of that? seems like it would just really kill ur chain if u did that

[Mr. Richard]

you don't want anything on your chain that attracts sand.. your chain will wear out FAST. i run my chains dry. no lube at all,, i also rum oring chain too ....

i have been in the aggregate industry my whole life,, i have been running conveyors with chain drives for 40 years,, so i have alot of time watching them wear out. we have done tests to see which wore out first several times,, a well lubed chain lasts only a fraction of time longer that a dry chain, in my applications the lubed chain attracted more dust and grit . the advantage of lubrication were lost in the excessive wear do to the higher levels of dusty grit collectring in the chain lube. and there is no mess to a dry chain.... i have no greasey stains under my fenders either....... :lmao:

[250Rracer90]

thats what i figured just thought id throw that one out there

[All X's]

X-ring is another step BETTER!

[250sx]

I've always wondered how the x-ring setup worked in a chain application :confused:

[Mr. Richard]

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN O RING AND X RING,, is the shape of the rubber seal instead of an oring they use a quad ring, i see no advantage,, once dirt gets into the middle of an xring it stays,,

http://www.v6z24.com/mods/howto/images/oring/oil_pump_shaft_oring.jpg


http://www.hypax.com.sg/products/images/ring_xring3.jpg

[250sx]

I guess b/c you have 2 sealing surfaces on each side of the ring to keep out debris versus one contact point per side for the o-ring.

[NOS_350X]

An X-Ring will last a long time, It does an awesome job at keeping dirt off, an O ring has a deep crevas where the debris get stuck between the chain and oring, Eventually working through, The X comes to more of a point at the contact with the chain making it harder for chit to get in.

Using no lubercant i have had chains always go out extremely quick one or 2 rides. On my banshee it gets a non o-ring and WD40 for lube but that is only for racing. All the other bikes get a good quality chain lube and typically a o-ring chain. If you dont lube you will be done withen 1 or 2 times out.

[Mr. Richard]

If you dont lube you will be done withen 1 or 2 times out.

i do not believe that,,, my yfz 450 is 6 years old it has never had anything sprayed on the chain,,, all its life has been in sand too,, the chain is still perfect,, so buy GOOD chain its worth it. it has no skid plate either,

[NINJA]

O-ring chains suck! They're for lazy people that don't want to clean or lube like they're supposed to. They definitely rob power. I run a Renthal non oring chain. I also agree with Mr. Kasey, buy a high quality chain. I've run them dry in the sand plenty, doesn't wear out excessively, just get squeaky. I guess that makes me lazy too. One really neat trick to make them hold up is to boil them in a pot of parraphin wax. They won't get squeaky and require very little maintenance if any. I swear by it.

[NOS_350X]

O-ring chains suck! They're for lazy people that don't want to clean or lube like they're supposed to. They definitely rob power. I run a Renthal non oring chain. I also agree with Mr. Kasey, buy a high quality chain. I've run them dry in the sand plenty, doesn't wear out excessively, just get squeaky. I guess that makes me lazy too. One really neat trick to make them hold up is to boil them in a pot of parraphin wax. They won't get squeaky and require very little maintenance if any. I swear by it.


I dont know about the parraphin wax. (i just dont know what it is) BUT if you start to get some links that stay kinked, just soak them in diesel fuel for a day.

Ride in some wet conditions and see how long that unlubercated chain rusts up.

Lets keep this out of an argument or bitchfest, the people reading see that there are several options, they can take there pick. I do want to try that wax stuff, where can i get that.

[Mud1m]

I dont know about the parraphin wax. (i just dont know what it is) BUT if you start to get some links that stay kinked, just soak them in diesel fuel for a day.

Ride in some wet conditions and see how long that unlubercated chain rusts up.

Lets keep this out of an argument or bitchfest, the people reading see that there are several options, they can take there pick. I do want to try that wax stuff, where can i get that.
Just keep er lubed up and ride!!!!!!!

[NINJA]

I dont know about the parraphin wax. (i just dont know what it is) BUT if you start to get some links that stay kinked, just soak them in diesel fuel for a day.

Ride in some wet conditions and see how long that unlubercated chain rusts up.

Lets keep this out of an argument or bitchfest, the people reading see that there are several options, they can take there pick. I do want to try that wax stuff, where can i get that.
http://www.candlewic.com/candle-wax/default.asp or here:http://www.peakcandle.com/category/Waxes/Paraffin-Wax.aspx
Sorry, I spelled paraffin wrong. It's a petroleum based wax used for making candles. It has some decent lubricity when warm. It also repels water. Like I said, boil your non-oring chain it and you will have no problems. It will also work in muddy conditions.
Sorry, I don't want to confuse anyone. If you are running an oring chain, clean and lube after every ride. If you are running a non-oring chain, clean and lube after every ride, unless you only ride in dry sand. But be forewarned, an oring chain on a low powered machine causes noticeable drag. If you forget or neglect to clean and lube your oring chain, the dirt on the outside works it's way inside and stays there to saw away at your pins and rollers.

[becker]

I as a farmer run lot of chain driven equipment. A combine has numerous chains on it and the only lube they get is what comes from the factory and thats a sticky grease for rust I'm pretty sure. we run them dry otherwise. They seam to last anywhere from one to five years depending on location and purpose and quality of the chain. We try to run good high quality US made roller chain most the time.

would the power rob of an o-ring chain be noticable on a basicly stock 200x, other than the pipe i have on it?

[jb2wheels]

Back when trikes were new and I lived 2 hours from Glamis, we ran the chains dry. Chains and sprockets lasted much longer and everything stayed cleaner.

O-ring chains have lube sealed into the pivots so external lube is basically only for corrosion resistance and "cushioning" for the sprockets. The grit attracted by lube defeats the purpose.

And, if you have a hardtail with chain cover, leave the cover on and give your chain and sprockets a long happy live.

[Dammit!]

Guess I'll throw my two cents in here.

I run ringed chains lubed with nothing more than WD40 after washing or wet riding (mostly to prevent rust and to keep the rings from dry rotting).

A few years ago I bought a brand new DID X-ring and a new Renthal O-ring chain at the same time. The difference in drag between those two chains was amazing. The Renthal even to this day kinks up slightly there's so much friction. The X-ring on the other hand moves damn near like a non-ringed chain. No kinks. Totally free movement.

The reduced friction of the X-ring is one of it's selling points and I'm a believer.

Tha X-ring was on my R for 4-5 years I think. Riding nothing but dry desert and dunes and never lubed with anything but WD40 after washing like I said. Only reason I replaced it was I needed a longer one for my Westcoast swingarm.

I remember reading some info from one of the chain manufacturers somewhere that thick chain lube is for non-ringed chains only. It does no good at all on a ringed chain. Ringed chains are basically "self lubricating" (their term not mine) and just need a little something sprayed on them occasionally to keep the rings from drying out and to prevent rust. That's what I've been doing ever since and no problems to report.

[86waterpumper]

I agree with NOS on this one...not everyone rides just in the dunes. Down here in TN, if you don't grease a chain and do it regular you won't have it last through two weekends, so there won't be enough wear on it to even determine which way is better. I have had a brand new o ring chain rust up sitting on my bike in the shop and not even being ridden. I do agree though not to goop grease or something on the thing that is going to attract alot of dirt. I like the clear type chain lubes, such as klotz klr or maxima chain wax etc.

[likestrikes]

Quality non oring for 200CC's and quality o ring or X ring for 250cc and up..........

Either way, keep em lubed and I'll take Dougs word on the X ring advice. If it works for him, I believe in it..........

[factoryX]

so there is no real benefit of running an o-ring chain? I run a renthal oring chain and its not bad at all but the lag it is noticeable by simply pushing it. I ride dry silty areas currently so I might look into a non oring chain then.

[Taiser]

I wouldn't be too worried about the "drag" and horsepower loss on an o-ring chain on a decent sized machine, certainly not a 200x...now if you were putting it on a 90 or 110, then I'd probably be worried, but O-ring would be overkill for those anyways as the drive is sealed, that is if you have a decent shape one! :D

[cbx1170]

since 85 86 when i was lead tech at largest ATV dealer in the world Apache Honda PHX (1200 ATV units new in stock) we ran dry non-oring chains at dunes and put oring/xring chains back on when we got home. BIG thing is to keep chain clean and lube it when chain is HOT yes after running bike a while. It sucks but it works. AFTER LUBING HOT CHAIN slowly roll down street back and forth 2 mins and park. hot thin lube gets between rollers / pins and when it all cools lube turns thicker and is trapped inside. less slings off also. that way when u start riding lube does its job. I remember Honda Tech Rep taking time to make sure everyone at the dealership trained everyone as a customer on this. He wouldn't warrantee chain/sprocket problems (yes that used to be done) unless we ALL practiced this. It works i smoked a chain on my then brand new CB750F in 3K miles next one went 18K. also years ago it was recommended to cean chain (kerosene wont hurt o-rings WD40 can sometimes) remove submerge in pan w/80-90 wt gear oil and heat to 160-200 for 1-2 hour let cool and reinstall. I used to do this on 530/630 chains and while a real hassle that chain was nearly silent for 250 miles afterward. o-ring chains are very nice , last a long time but if you mistreat it once or start it down the road to failure you cant reverse the process. set chain tension and roll bike back and forth (while in operating conditions you your passenger and gear on bike) and find tightest point and then adjust. I shut up now. Mike

[likestrikes]

^ Thank you very much for that information!! Thats great info and has allot of common sense! Many of us after a ride are tired and just put the bike/trike away dirty and tired.

From now on, I'll hit the chain AFTER the ride and probably before the ride too (can't hurt!)

Thanks again!!

DC

[Speedway73]

Renthal R3 o-ring chains. My '85 CR500 doesn't even notice the "slight" drag. LOL

[Legbah]

ive had some1 tell me before if u run a non o ring chain in the sand grease it really good an then lift the back of ur trike up an put it on jackstands or anything that will hold it up without falling start it put it in gear an take a bar of soap an let the chain run threw it till its covered. anybody else ever heard of that? seems like it would just really kill ur chain if u did that

You know even in the 21st century we still have problems with Illiteracy. Just a shame, a shame!

[Legbah]

P.S. o-ring chains only, only.

[Legbah]

since 85 86 when i was lead tech at largest ATV dealer in the world Apache Honda PHX (1200 ATV units new in stock) we ran dry non-oring chains at dunes and put oring/xring chains back on when we got home. BIG thing is to keep chain clean and lube it when chain is HOT yes after running bike a while. It sucks but it works. AFTER LUBING HOT CHAIN slowly roll down street back and forth 2 mins and park. hot thin lube gets between rollers / pins and when it all cools lube turns thicker and is trapped inside. less slings off also. that way when u start riding lube does its job. I remember Honda Tech Rep taking time to make sure everyone at the dealership trained everyone as a customer on this. He wouldn't warrantee chain/sprocket problems (yes that used to be done) unless we ALL practiced this. It works i smoked a chain on my then brand new CB750F in 3K miles next one went 18K. also years ago it was recommended to cean chain (kerosene wont hurt o-rings WD40 can sometimes) remove submerge in pan w/80-90 wt gear oil and heat to 160-200 for 1-2 hour let cool and reinstall. I used to do this on 530/630 chains and while a real hassle that chain was nearly silent for 250 miles afterward. o-ring chains are very nice , last a long time but if you mistreat it once or start it down the road to failure you cant reverse the process. set chain tension and roll bike back and forth (while in operating conditions you your passenger and gear on bike) and find tightest point and then adjust. I shut up now. Mike

Thanx cbx1170, or whatever, good advice.

[NINJA]

LOL! Grant gets banned again.