Primary chain

[Geezer]

has anyone else noticed that partsNmore now has new primary chains for our beloved XS11?

I'm not sure if I want to be the first to buy one at $130 a pop. Anybody have any info on these?

I'm going to be blueprinting the gearbox in my spare engine and I'm thinking seriously about a new primary chain. I'm going to have it apart anyway, how much more work would it be to swap out the chain???

Geezer

[ClarkGriswald]

Wow I didnt know they were still available, I think I looked em up on bike bandit and they are over 200 bucks. 130 not bad. I would take one, cause mine is quite loose. When I get around to tearing the top end out to swap jugs ect, I sure would like to at least check the crank/rods but also throw in a new cam chain for sure but a primary would really be the icing on the cake as it were.

Its nothing to pay that or more for the chains in a 4 wheel drive transfer case, in fact they are pretty much identical. Id say good price. But I wonder who makes them.. Theres a difference between good oem chains like morse or I think borg warner compared to cheaper aftermarket ones.. the good oem type always last longer before getting loose.

[Montreux_Blue]

Probably Chinese if it is coming from Parts-N-More, at least the parts I just got from them were.

[ClarkGriswald]

Oh probably made with lead, and coated in lead based grease with a nice marinade of melamine. I noticed the cam chain for 32 bucks, much cheaper than the 70 something I thought they were.

[Geezer]

Talking about the chains in a transfer case reminded me that many years ago a friend of mine bought a roll of #530 equivalent sized chain at a place that sold automatic transmission parts.

Could it be that the XS11 primary chain is a standard sized chain and all we need to do is get it cut to length?

I don't mind putting an extra hundred into fixing the engine but I don't want to put in a POS primary chain...

Geezer

[andreashweiss]

primary chains

I currently have 4 primary chains in the parts pile, all used,all in good condition,$30 includes shipping in continental USA. Chains came out of bikes that were running engines, mileage range 17500- 40,000 miles.thanx andreas

[mro]

From the few XS engines I've had apart
(with 30,000 to 60, 000 miles on em)
the primary chain was very "flexable" but none seem to be stretched.


mro

[trbig]

If you have the motor tore apart and the cases split, just one more shaft taken out will get the primary chain off. The crank will just lift off the bearing halves it sits in.

I don't know where Partsnmore gets their chains from, but I know the gasket kits they have are from one the makers that supplied Yamaha with the OEM ones..???


Tod

[ClarkGriswald]

Just curious if anyone has a spec on the lash for that chain.. Just like a drive chain there should be a limit of how loose they can get before they supposedly be replaced. Of course not in the manual. From what Ive read, theres not much chance of the chain slapping around and breaking anything but its still loose.. You sure can tell the difference in a jeep/truck when you put in a new chain. (and those will grenade if they get to loose). Mabye they will go forever like that but I would rather have a fresher one that doesnt move so much when you suddenly decelerate and or then accel. Quick throttle movements are an excersize in sloppiness on my bike. So ya just learn not to drive like that but Id rather have it fresh. (like a morning breeze, haha)

[Shappers]

I've just put my engine together using parts from two engines.

My original engine had 40k on the clock and the chain was in very good shape, with the chain in place I had about 3/4" of slack in the middle of the chain and no wear on the slipper block below it.

The 2nd engine had about 50k on the clock and the upper half was all new but when I drained the oil it was full of metal filings..

I finally traced it to the primary chain, it had worn so much that the teeth on the inside of the chain were all shiny with very sharp edges to them. It looked like it had been eating itself on the inside. There was a lot of slack in the chain and when I removed it I noticed that the slipper block below it was half worn through.

So they do wear, I guess from infrequent oil changes. If you're pulling apart the crankcases then a good inspection of the teeth on the inside, the amount of slack in the chain and a check on the slipper block will indicate how healthy the chain is.

Here is a picture of what a good one looks like!