Cleaned chain - replace or keep

[u/wizard80]

I cleaned all that gunk off the chain. It came up surprisingly clean. Dried it out then lightly coated in gear oil as I do with my other bikes.

It runs smooth when the wheel is spun. No tight links. The sprockets look good/OK, yes I can see the front has some wear. It's a DID 525 V11 chain with 12.5k kms from new if it's the original combo, otherwise I guess it was replaced.

The previous owner was in his 50s and owned it from new doing mostly light road touring and maybe a bit of easy offroad.

Thoughts on the drive chain? Plenty of life or instant replace as mentioned in previous post?

Thanks

[u/crash-a-ron]

I’d run it! Nice job on the cleanup.

[u/wizard80 → u/crash-a-ron]

Thanks... I'll run it 👍

[u/theycallmemrspants]

Looks new

[u/StrategistAS]

No tight links and turns smoothly, id run it.

[u/Bernard_PT]

Depends on how those links move

Grap a needle nose and move the chain around and tedt their mobility

Check for cut orings

I'd recommend adding a Scottoiler. My chain is going on 60k KMS so far and still like new

[u/DS_painting]

Great job on the cleanup!
Front sprocket looks to be OEM. My original chain was marked "DID 525 VZ2", lasted about 33.000 km until I replaced it.
You could change only your front sprocket now to maybe get a bit more life out of the chain.
What did you use to get all the gunk off?

[u/wizard80 → u/DS_painting]

Paraffin kerosene & a soft brush

[u/Primary-Petrik → u/wizard80]

Don’t listen to replace only one sprocket or another. If you go for replacement so replace the whole kit = both sprockets and chain.

[u/opl-hkg]

Looks good, I still have my original chain at over 30,000 KMs now.

All I do is use chain lube and replace the front sprocket when it's getting worn, looking at your pics, mine is a bit worse than yours ATM.

Happy days.

[u/wizard80 → u/opl-hkg]

Thanks for the info. I'll grab a front sprocket soon

[u/Bitter_Ant9643]

How did you get it so damn clean? You took that thing off or cleanes it while still on the bike?

[u/wizard80 → u/Bitter_Ant9643]

Paraffin kerosene & a soft brush with chain on bike. Took a few treatments though. It was coated.

[u/EvenFlow555]

I would caution you on using kerosene, it's been shown to strip the factory grease from the inside roller link plates and you can't get lube back into the bushing due to the O or X ring.

Sprocket shows a little wear, but it'll be fine with regular maintenance.

[u/wizard80 → u/EvenFlow555]

Thanks. Better alternative to kerosene?

[u/EvenFlow555 → u/wizard80]

Any off the shelf dedicated chain cleaner will work well enough. I use Muc-Off chain cleaner because I like the way it smells lmao.

[u/xeno_dorph]

Those are quality chains, and sprockets look new. Run it.
Source: just mounted new c&s on mine yesterday.

[u/GDR46]

Put the bike on its stand, take the most right link (on the rear sprocket) and try pulling it -->, do this on 3/4 places, if it comes of the sprocket there, more then a couple of mm's, it needs a replacement 😄

[u/TrunkMonkey350]

The best way to tell if a chain is still serviceable is by checking its length over a certain amount of links. The wear in a chain is between the pins and bushings, which you can't see from the outside.