Originally Posted by Land Rover

He done about 20,000kms....

Originally Posted by mollydog

I would never carry a spare chain, just no need .... and here is why:

1. Modern X-Ring chains (if installed correctly!) nearly double life over a standard O ring chain.

2. On my Vstrom I travelled 25,000 miles on a DID X ring Gold VM-2 and 22K on another. Both had plenty of life left. I only changed them due to big rides coming up where I'd be doing 10,000 miles or more.

Granted, big singles ridden in dirt are harder on chains but the guy only went about 8000 miles on his whole trip. The broken chain is a mystery.
If a hundred-thirty HP Ducati can't break a DID X ring, how does a 50 HP KTM? The Rivet link came out, I'd bet on it.

What wears out a chain more than anything else is a worn (hooked) countershaft sprocket. Once that sprocket begins to hook it is eating the chain up ... and pretty fast.

One only need carry a spare counter shaft sprocket along and change it out at about 10K miles (make that 7000 miles on a single in dirt) and the chain should easily make 15,000 miles (24,000 kms) or more.

NOTE: On my Vstroms I never did change out Counter Shaft sprockets because I had not learned of this little trick. Even so, 25,000 miles were done, with lots of dirt in Baja and the California Sierra Nevada.

I never oil chains when riding in dirt. To do so creates a nice grinding paste which will shorten chain/sprocket life significantly. Run your chain dry and clean daily with WD-40 only. No oil needed.

On paved roads I lightly oil my chains with either 90 wt. gear oil or ATF. I clean my chain every day or two. A clean chain will run smooth and quiet and last a LONG time.

Patrick

Originally Posted by Bill Shockley

It is the PhD of motorcycles. The ignorant ride lesser machines.
Power and handling equal saftey.
That is a KTM.
bill.