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Replacing chain and sprockets; go cheap or go Honda?

Paulplex

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Hi all,

I've a mechanically minded friend who services cars and bikes and is happy to help me with my chain and sprockets, which are reaching the end of their life. If I source the hardware, he'll fit it - but the question is which is a good bet to buy?

I could spend more for the Honda parts, or go cheap with something off of eBay (ooo, shiny gold chain!)

Is something like a £60 chain and sprockets from eBay a false economy - and I'll be replacing them again in a few thousand miles? Any recommendations of a good brand to look for?
 
Going cheap on chains means going with the Honda parts. Honda chose a mid quality version of chain for the NC from various suppliers. Those same suppliers to Honda along with other suppliers sell better grade chains than what Honda chose. You can buy a better aftermarket chain for probably less than the OEM part. DID VX2 chains have been popular amongst owners on this forum. Whether they’re gold or black makes no difference.

The OEM Honda sprockets are fine and probably reasonably priced.

In other aftermarket news, JT sprockets are OK but JT chains are reportedly very short lived.
 
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Dont go cheap.

you'll pay in the end, especially on the sprockets. I went with a more heavy duty chain and it was the best decision - the "cheap" one lasted half as long as the OEM.
 
It’s worth pointing out here, for anyone that isn’t aware, that the NC700X DCT chain is 112 links while the manual trans chain is 114 links.
 
Going cheap on chains means going with the Honda parts. Honda chose a mid quality version of chain for the NC from various suppliers. Those same suppliers to Honda along with other suppliers sell better grade chains than what Honda chose. You can buy a better aftermarket chain for probably less than the OEM part. DID VX2 chains have been popular amongst owners on this forum.

The OEM Honda sprockets are fine and probably reasonably priced.

In other aftermarket news, JT sprockets are OK but JT chains are reportedly very short lived.

I got my OEM sprockets off RockyMountainATV&MC for about the same price as sprocketcenter sells JT sprockets for.
Whether they’re gold or black makes no difference.
Woah, I strongly disagree here. I had a chain with gold outer plates for my last chain, the current one is 'natural'. The gold one complemented the Honda Red paint and that made it 5% faster
 
I question whether that ebay chain is real. I've seen forum posts by people who got knockoff chains that didn't last. The price seems too good to be true.
 
Master clip or staked?

This is all a personal preference; while some riders state never to use the master clip and do rivets only-I have never riveted a chain-always use the master clip and never have had a problem. I do one thing though after I put the master clip on, I take a pinch of JBWeld for boats and put it over the area of the master clip where the pins are and wait 24 hours before riding..60 years old and never used a rivet gun and not going to learn how....
 
I use JP sprockets but their chains are junk...last JP chain I used lasted 4000 miles before getting a crimp....last DID chain I bought lasted 8000 miles...changed up and went with a dual sport/adv chain-put it on last spring (before KSL) and still good...didnt buy it from Amazon or ebay, trying to remember where or find it...I will edit this if I find where I bought it from...

Found it: EK Chain
EK Chain 520 SRX-2 X'ring Chain - 3 COLORS (choose length)
 
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I dont understand your question.
the two common methods of joining the ends of a chain are a clip style master link or what I'd refer to as a riveted master link. The riveting process is similar to staking, so I think that's what he means.
 
Go original Honda on the front sprocket and get a better chain than the OEM. Personally I am ok with most brands of rear sprocket as they are the slowest wearing item of the drive train.
 
the two common methods of joining the ends of a chain are a clip style master link or what I'd refer to as a riveted master link. The riveting process is similar to staking, so I think that's what he means.

Ah, yeah. I just bought the item, followed the instructions (what little they were) and was done. The one I linked has a Master Link.
 
Ah, yeah. I just bought the item, followed the instructions (what little they were) and was done. The one I linked has a Master Link.
Almost all chains have a master link (some bikes leave the factory with a chain without a master link, but you have to remove the swingarm to install it).

What style master link does your chain have?
 
Almost all chains have a master link (some bikes leave the factory with a chain without a master link, but you have to remove the swingarm to install it).

What style master link does your chain have?

Click the link and you will quickly see that the master link has a clip.

JT
 
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