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Having just got the bike MOT'd, and it failing on having a slack chain ( ), was just wondering - obviously the chain stretches, otherwise it wouldn't need adjusting. Going to measure it as per the workshop manual, but as a rough guide, how many miles have people got out of a chain? I know there's variables, like how well lubed it is, how well you keep it adjusted etc, but just a ball-park - 10k? 15k, 20k?

I've only had one chain go on me, but that was on a second hand bike, so I don't know how many miles were on it, and I've had the Falco from new, so never replaced the chain yet. I've got just over 10k on the original chain, I'll post up a length over the 17 pins as stated in the manual when I manage to get off the sofa (chest infection, didn't stop me going up the garage for the MOT yesterday though )

Did they fail it on being too slack (so it just needs adjusting) or on being too worn/stretched ( so it needs renewal) ?
If it's the latter then they must have said how they measured this.

Generally I believe a chain to be shot when one or more of the following:-

1. Chain can be pulled free of the rear sprocket far enough to be obvious/see a gap.
2. Chain needs more and more regular tensioning.
3. Rear sprocket is worn/hooked. There is no point just renewing the sprocket - the new one will soon be mangled by the old chain.
4. O rings are damaged/missing

Chain life can vary immensely. An ill adjusted dirty or dry chain can be destroyed in no time especially with heavy handed throtle control / wheelies etc

A chain kept well lubed (Scottoiler etc) will require little adjustment and last for many thousands of miles.

O rings are your friends. Look after them and they will look after your chain.

I'm convinced a scottoiler increases chain life considerably.

Just due to slack Fausto, not due to wear - my fault, should have checked it before. 2 minutes of adjustment... probably would have sorted it there and then if the horn hadn't have failed it.

In which case you should be ok just tensioning it.

Look out for tight spots and see if you can pull it free from the sprocket.

There are loads of sites about this but here's one to be getting on with....

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0010 ... index.html

There is often another issue here. Many of us use different gearing, most common smaller front or in my case larger rear sprockets, which means that when the tester looks at the position of the adjusters it may be false.
With a Mille one tooth larger rear sprocket on my Falco, I have to use a longer Mille chain. Can't quite get standard Falco chain on without it starting off slightly too tight. With the Mille chain as new it is well towards the end of adjustment on the Falco, so looks like it could be well worn if you judge by the position of the adjusters. I will be taking two links out a fitting a new soft link soon, at which point the adjusters will be right back to the beginning of their travel again, even thought the chain is part worn having done 10K miles.
As you have now found they normally only check for poorly adjusted chains unless they are totally knackered.

Biggest problem I have is rusting at the moment, I have always used DID chains that aint cheap. Do not have a Scot Oiler on either of my bikes (yet!), but use my bikes all year round, particularly my old CBR Thou, which I keep just as a winter hack. Fitted new chain at early in 2007 whilst still a lot of salt on the road. I waxed it well with expensive Wurth white ceramic wax and used it once for about 120 miles, washed it in normal way when I got back, and put away. Then the weather got better and used Falco for next few weeks.
SIX weeks after fitting the chain to the Honda I looked closely at the chain and it was already badley rusted after 120 miles. The last DID chain on the Falco rusted very quickly as well. The original chain that came on the old CBR more than 5 years ago was used throughout every winter didn't rust in 4 years, but by then it was worn after 20K plus miles, so replaced with the DID unit last year.
Anybody else using a bike through winter had similar problems?
Anybody found a chain that is more rust resistant?

scottoiler howard - no problems at all, and mininum adjustment required

I very much doubt if I will ever do with out one in the future for any bike

Using DID chains without problems but was advised not to use chain wax in the winter/colder months. Advice (and experience bore this out) was that the wax doesn't maintain a high enough temperature in this weather to keep the chain lubed. Tight spots develop, the wax doesn't shift around the chain to keep it covered and then rust starts appearing

Try giving it a really good clean (3 cheers for Kettenmax!) and then going back to chain lube, should find the muck disappears and stays gone.

Course, you go back to good ol' fashioned crapped-up wheels but hey, you can't have everything