From a Regina Chain (Italy) press Release
(and BMW also announced the chain will be used on new BMW's - see below)

"Regina presents the innovative and revolutionary Z-Ring chain High Performance Endurance (HPE) which eliminates the periodic re-lubrication that motorcycle riders must perform every 1,000 km. Extensive lab and street testing demonstrate that the HPE chain has a useful life that is at least equivalent, if not greater, than a traditional regularly re-lubricated Z-Ring chain. The hydrogen-free Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon (ta-C) coating, currently considered as the most advanced among DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coatings, is applied on the surface of the bushings and rollers of the HPE chain. The ta-C coating reduces energy dissipation and increases efficiency in the secondary transmission, combining the very high hardness of the coated surface with a low coefficient of friction. The elimination of chain cleaning and lubricant spatter during operation minimizes environmental impact. The innovative ta-C coating process was developed through intense R&D activity of Regina engineers and is entirely carried out in our Cernusco Lombardone (LC) plant in Italy."


“The elimination of the periodic re-lubrication and the greater efficiency of the transmission raise the HPE chain to an extremely advanced technological level compared to traditional sealed chains, unthinkable until today and unparalleled on the market;” said Paolo Garbagnati, CEO of Regina. “We would like to thank all the women and the men who made the achievement of this important goal possible, including all the passionate riders, who, confidentially and professionally, contributed to the project with many extensive test rides.”
"HPE chain transmission does not need coated front and rear sprockets. The HPE chain will be available on the aftermarket starting January 2021"


From BMW:

"Lubricating your chain was yesterday. Maintenance-free like the shaft drive for the first time.

Munich. For more than 90 years, the maintenance-free, environmentally friendly and comfortable shaft drive has been one of BMW Motorrad's immovable technical cornerstones. With the M Endurance chain, BMW Motorrad now offers a maintenance-free chain with comparable characteristics for the first time.

Like previous X-ring chains, the M Endurance chain has a resident permanent lubricant filling between the rollers and pins, enclosed by X-rings. What is completely new, however, is that the previously necessary additional lubricant addition for the rollers and thus the familiar "chain lubrication" is no longer necessary, nor is any re-tensioning required from time to time due to the usual wear.

This enormous gain in comfort was made possible by using a new coating material for the rollers: tetrahedrally amorphous carbon (ta-C), also known as industrial diamond. This coating is characterized by extreme hardness and resistance and in this respect it is placed between the well-known DLC coating (Diamond Like Carbon) and pure diamond. In contrast to the metal surfaces used so far, the coating with the ta-C industrial diamond does not wear off. At the same time, this type of coating also offers a drastically reduced friction coefficient.

Thanks to excellent dry lubrication properties and the elimination of wear, the tetrahedral amorphous carbon coated rollers of the M Endurance chain offer maintenance comfort equivalent to that of a shaft drive motorcycle. This includes all the cleaning work that is unavoidable with a conventional chain due to splashed lubricant. Accordingly, the M Endurance chain also offers maximum environmental friendliness.

The M Endurance chain in 525 pitch is now available initially for the two 4-cylinder models BMW S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR. The M Endurance chain is available as accessory or directly from the factory as an option. Further BMW Motorrad models are being prepared for this feature."

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So, what do you think? What about the lack of lube where the rollers hit the sprockets - conventional wisdom is that oil there reduces shock and therefor wear? Will this be harder on sprockets? Should you lube a little anyway? Is this the end of shaft drives?

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com