Clutch kit and Chain recommendations
 

Hello all,

This is my first post so hopefully I don't botch it (I tried searching the forums already for an answer to my question but I didn't find one.

I'm new to riding and I picked up a 1990 XT 600 as my first bike. I'm loving it so far and I've already had it out in the dirt and out on the road. I plan on using the bike to commute to and from work eventually but I want to make sure I give it a nice tune up before relying on it heavily.

Some of the first items I'm looking to replace on the bike are the chain, the air filter, spark plug, and I'd also like to purchase a clutch kit so when this clutch goes I'm ready to slap on a new one. I'm looking for some recommendations from those of you who have owned this bike before (I'm not too concerned about the spark plug, I'll just pick one up from Advanced).

For the chain, I'd like to go with an o-ring chain and I was looking at -

http://www.d2moto.com/p-9268-yamaha-...LAID=879058725

For the air filter I was looking at -

K&N High Flow Off Road Air Filter for Yamaha XT 600 E 1990-1999 and XTZ 660 Tenere Models

And finally for the clutch kit I was thinking -

EBC Fiber Plates CK2297

The clutch kit is what I'm concerned with the most in regards to whether it is what I need or not. I've seen clutch kits online such as - https://www.denniskirk.com/ebc/drc-s...prd/382056.sku - which seem to contain more components than the one I found. I'd also like to avoid spending $115 if I can, but if I need to spend that much I am willing to.

Are there any other recommendations on things to replace on the bike / any problems specific to this bike to watch out for? So far I'm loving the bike but I want to make sure I take good care of it so I can get keep it running for a long time.

My buddy and I (he's a mechanic and works on bikes all the time / owns a yamaha dirt bike (not sure which model, I just know it has 650ccs) already checked the fluids and they looked good. The sprockets are a little worn / beat up from the last chain but he doesn't think they are bad enough to warrant replacement. He also said the tires are fine but I should consider some replacements down the road.

So now I leave it up to you guys, the experts. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Happy riding, be safe!

-Zach

I'd buy a new chainkit, it the chain is bad, the sprocket prabably are aswell. If they're fine, change then anyway, and use them as spares when the new ones go bad.

You cant go wrong with did, i'd seriously consider something like this is if was you: eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Good quality chain, and you chan choose ya' own gearing.

As for airfilter, go stock, it works, and its cheap.

As for the clutch, it doesnt really wear out. Dont bother if there arent any signs of a dying clutch.

Now lets see som pics of her =)

Thanks for the advice, I'll plan on replacing the sprockets and chain then. I'm located in the US so I want to order in the states if possible, and the kit you recommended is pretty darn expensive and I don't want to think about what shipping would come out to.

I'm looking at a set of these JT sprockets - 1990 Yamaha XT600 Adventure Touring Parts - Motorcycle Superstore

Now in terms of the sprocket size I'm obviously going with 15 in the front and I believe that's the # of teeth that came from the OEM. What size would you recommend for the rear sprocket and how will it affect the bike (sorry I'm a noob so please bear with me)? I guess my available options are - 38, 40, 42, and 45.

As far as the chain goes, do you think the one I linked earlier would be alright? It's a 520 chain / 106 links like the OEM specifies. I don't know about the brand so if anyone has any past experience with them I'd love to hear it, although they seem to get pretty good reviews.

If I could find a DID or AFAM chain for this bike over here in the US that would be ideal but so far I'm coming up short.

The bike is at my friends house and I don't have any pictures of it on this machine yet (I just picked it up last Tuesday and then went to get my motorcycle license over the weekend so I haven't had a lot of time) but I'll post some as soon as I have access to them.

Thanks again for the tips, I really appreciate them!

Hi don`t know if you can get sunstar sprockets in the USA but we use them on all our adventure trips (they seam to last forever) but in the uk they are avaliable at www.wemoto.com

go to are web page and see what we do to them
www.motoloco.eu

zebb

I think that chainkit is dirtcheap, for a good durable chain and sprockets....


Anyhoot: 15-45 sprockets are stock, stay with that unless youre gonna see a lot of offroad.

A cheap chain can very fast become a very expensive chain. But on the other hand, the xt isnt particular powerfull, so it might be fine, the tensile strength seems fine. Perhaps google it.

If you buy a cheap chain then just use youre current sprockets if they arent too bad. Seems like price matters :)

Thanks for the tips guys. You're right it's actually about what I'd pay for comparable sprockets / a decent chain. I wanted to go with AFAM but I'm having trouble locating them over here in the states. I may just go with that DID kit. I'll post back and let everyone know what I selected along with some pictures of the bike. I took her out yesterday and now she's extremely muddy. I definitely need to get some new tires if I plan on doing a lot of trial riding because my rear tire was all over the place :mchappy:

make sure it is a steel one, not the light alloy ones like Renthal, these are not durable!

I decided to go with an o-ring chain instead of an x-ring. I've done some reading and some people say that the extra money on the x-ring isn't really worth it as you don't end up getting any advantage from using it. Not to mention the fact the guy who has the part you suggested Jens, doesn't ship to the US.

The chain I selected -

D.I.D . 520V Professional O-Ring Series Chain - 106 Links D18-520V-106

The sprockets I selected -

Front : JT 520 Front Countershaft Sprocket - Street Bike 1990 Yamaha XT600 - Motorcycle Superstore

Rear : JT 520 Steel Rear Sprocket - Street Bike 1990 Yamaha XT600 - Motorcycle Superstore size 45

Hopefully I didn't make any glaring mistakes in my selection.

Thanks for all the advice guys! Once I get some shots of the bike I'll start a new thread up.

I've had good mileage from those JT sprockets, so I reckon that's a good choice.:thumbup1:

If your clutch does start to show signs of slip, again I've had no issues with a set of HD EBC plates. I fitted new springs while I was there as they were cheap enough. All the EBC parts were half the price of Yam OEM btw...

Whatever you do, steer well clear of any chain by IRIS. Complete and utter sh!t.

IMHO.
Chris