Who makes the lightest 520 chain?

 

there's all kinds of chains out there but if you ask me i think they all weigh the same. you don't want a chain that's too light or you'll snap it like nothing. I run a D.I.D X-ring chain and i think it's by far the best chain on the market. you can check it out at www.rockymountainatv.com plus you can view a bunch of other brands they have.
-87 Warrior

 

yeah i have a DID also and it works really well....even if there was a difference it wouldn't a big difference to where your goin to gain speed

 

No, I dont want an x ring or an oring. I've been reading up on them at EK chains and DID and I've decided I want a regular racing chain, but I want the lightest one made. There can be a pound or 2 difference in a regular chain and a sealed chain. Plus the sealed chain has friction losses. My quad is only 250cc, so strength is not important. Saving every ounce of chain and tire weight is very important.

Try taking a 1lb hammer and swing it around as fast as you can from a dead stop to full speed. Now take just the hammer handle w/o the head and do it. See the difference? Much better throttle response.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: JustRandy


Try taking a 1lb hammer and swing it around as fast as you can from a dead stop to full speed. Now take just the hammer handle w/o the head and do it. See the difference? Much better throttle response.</end quote></div>

actually, it's more like taking a 1 lb hammer and swinging it, and then shaving an ounce off the hammer and swinging it again... you wouldn't notice a difference bud.

The rolling resistance you get out of a ringed chain is extremely minimal too, to a 300+ pound machine with a 150 lb rider the amount of resistance is so small it can't be measured. To me that rolling resistance that will never impact anything can be dealt with when the chain is going to last 5 times as long... but it's your call.

 

No, the difference in weight of the chain is a pound, not an ounce. A 100 link o-ring or x-ring can weigh 3.5-4.5 lbs. The same chain w/o o-rings can weigh 2.5lbs according to EK's and DID's spec page. Yes, you will notice a difference. That's why most all the competitors run non-oring chains. That's why DID calls their super light chains "Exclusive Racing" and says they provide the winning edge in worldclass competition.

And,,, if the frictional difference is so small, then why do people pay $100-$200 for x-ring chains? The main benefit of an x-ring is the friction difference of an o-ring (the fact that they last longer is a side effect of less friction). If you want the benfits of an o-ring, but don't want the friction, then you have to pay the loot for an x-ring. But even the x-ring still can't beat the regular chain,,, if it could, everybody would be racing with them.

This is why I've decided on regular racing chain:

1) The x-rings and o-rings are heavier than a regular chain (by a pound or so). A 250 needs all the help it can get and a light chain will get more throttle response and better acceleration.
2) The x-rings and o-rings have more friction than a regular chain. Who needs more of that? The faster you drive, the more friction you get. Maybe its negligible at low speeds, but there's a point where it becomes a factor. The weight of the machine and rider has nothing to do with frictional losses. Only power can offset that. And a 250 doesn't have much to loan out to friction.
3) A 250 doesn't need the same chain a 700 raptor uses. So, a regular chain on a 250 that is properly cared for may last about as long as an o-ring chain on a 700 raptor.
4) You could buy 10 regular chains for the price of 1 x-ring chain.

All I want to know is who makes the lightest chain. Not if its a good idea to run a regular chain or not. I've already decided that, lol.

 

Don't know where you're shopping but if you're paying 10x the cost of a regular chain for an x-ring then you're getting screwed. Sidewinder is the only one that makes anything that expensive, at least that I know of.

IMO there's not much weight difference b/w non-oring chains. I run a DID non-oring but have also run renthal and a couple of more generic brands and while I didn't bust out the scale there was no noticeable difference in weight between them.

Good non oring chains go for 30 bucks on up, you can get good x ring chains for 60-80.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote> 3) A 250 doesn't need the same chain a 700 raptor uses. So, a regular chain on a 250 that is properly cared for may last about as long as an o-ring chain on a 700 raptor.

4) You could buy 10 regular chains for the price of 1 x-ring chain.


All I want to know is who makes the lightest chain. Not if its a good idea to run a regular chain or not. I've already decided that, lol.</end quote></div>

I have to still argue your info a bit. Especially the pricing. My x-ring chain cost me $65 and with almost 2 years on it with no maintenance at all, it's still like new. On a little 250 that's raced and seldom sees creek crossings or mud, an x ring would probably last 8 years or more.

And have you considered the difference involved in maintenance on them? If you don't mind cleaning and re-oiling a non-ringed chain after every race you must have more free time than me, because whenever I get some precious free time i'd rather be riding, not working on the quad. Maybe if you're racing the chain doesn't get real dirty or wet, but where I ride, and the way I ride, I bet a standard chain would last me 1 ride before it started getting loose and the pivots started binding up regardless of how well that chain was oiled.

Hey, like I said, it's your call. I'm not trying to fuel an argument, it just looks like you don't have all the correct info. Hard to believe that a pile of little rubber o-rings make up 20% of the weight of an o-ring chain either, doesn't make much sense to me how there's a 1 lb difference.

If you're worried about weight that much, you could get a drill press and run a small hole through every link to shave off a little more weight [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

lol if you want something lite hell run a belt drive if your so worried about chain weight.

 

really man you need to think about this for a second ....how much speed or HP are you gunna gain for being a pound lighter and not have any friction...i mean its there and its always goin to be there weather you run through mud or your bikes soakin wet....you can't get away with such a small amount of weight loss its not possible....but hey like recon said its your call