In another thread its been discussed the benefits of the 42 tooth rear sprocket conversion. I'm keen and will want to do this at some point. I'm handy with the spanners and have all the tools, but I've never even bought a chain and sprocket set, let alone fitted one to a motorbike. So for the benefit of the novices here, can those that have done this clarify: 1) What brand(s) and model of chain we should buy, and where to buy it from ? (Ideally Id want a perfect chain for touring, I don't need a racing spec chain) 2) The procedure, things to look out for when removing and refitting. 3) Any torque settings for reassembly. Advice much appreciated
If yo u do a search on chain and sprockets you will find the subject is covered in excruciating detail
If you've never done any chain b4 make sure you get extra rivet link cos you may f#ck it up. And the tension is fairly critical. Go for it.
Read the instructions on the chain riveting kit very carefully or you'll end up having to buy another kit to replace the one you borrowed from your mate
A dremel is handy for grinding the chain pin ends down before pressing them out. A very good and decent braker and riveter tool is also recommended. Dont buy a cheap one, it will break. Loosen front sprocket nut 1st.
I use an angle grinder to remove heads from chain rivets and then a hammer and punch to drive out the old rivets. A copy DID riveting tool from eBay (have used this to do three chains now and still works well) to spread the soft dimpled heads of a DID soft link on reassembly. Wound up going for a 14/40 combo for the 1260 Mutley as there wasn't a 42T carrier rear sprocket available at the time.
If you're replacing the chain, I wouldn't bother to grind the pins down and push them out, just cut straight through the side plates of one of the links. The DID copy riveting tool is pretty good for the money, mine finally gave up after several years use, I replaced it with AFAM's Easy Riv tool, which seems to work well. I'm also trying AFAM chain for the first time, 4k miles in and it certainly requires adjustment less often than previous DID Gold chains.
Did mine without changing the chain. No problem at all. Plenty of adjustment and as it brings the back wheel in very slightly it feels like it steers a little bit quicker. Supersprox looks ace too.
Guys, any preferred suppliers of chains and sprockets out there I should check out ? What's a good make for the sprockets ?
I don't think you can do much better that a DID ZVMX chain, they always seem to last well, used them for years. I thought I'd try a RK chain on my 1200 last year, similar price and spec, it's only done 9000 miles and it's not got much life left in it disappointingly. Supersprox rear sprocket if you want a bit of bling, hard to get in the UK though. The Esjot rear sprocket I fitted is lasting well, a rear sprocket will likely cost over £100 and not many aftermarket options.
The choice of 42T sprockets is quite limited I found, especially if you're using a carrier. For this it's either a case of converting to 525 or going the 14TF/40TR route, which is what I did. If using a one piece rear sprocket then there are options with Esjot or SuperSprox (good luck finding that latter in stock).
Thanks for the info so far, I'm taking it in At the risk of sounding un educated in the world of chains (which I am) what is this 535 or 525 talk about, Id guess the chain size ???
Lastly, do/should I be ordering an extra 2 links for this job ? Will the supplier fit those for me or will I have to do this at home ? Cheers
I think 535 was an error on Andy's part. 530 is the standard fit chain for the 1260 Multistrada. Not sure if there is even a 535 size... 525 chain is apparently the same pitch and roller diameter but the width is slightly less. A good quality 525 chain will be just as strong as a poor quality 530 chain in terms of tensile strength, sprocket wear maybe marginally greater due to the reduced area of contact. Being narrower it has less weight which is a debatable point re. it being an advantage in the real world. However, in this case it does open up possibilities regarding choice of sprockets. Plenty of more powerful bikes run 525 chain including most Ducati sports bikes though maybe not designed for hauling around a heavier bike two up with luggage... If you look at the CarpiMoto kit for the 1260 you'll see that they include a 116 chain. This comes with the extra links included. If you do find the chain too long you can always cut a couple of links off, harder, though not impossible, to add to a chain that's too short... You will need an appropriate chain riveting tool to join the chain using the supplied soft link.
Thanks for that info. Seems that chain is out of stock at the moment with that supplier. Plus being shipped from Europe in Id get wacked for customs ??
