Couple chain q's

[RaWarrior]

Know this is a moot point for vmax owners, but sure some of you have or do own chain drive bikes...

The original chain on my Z is on it's last legs. Its nearing 24k miles. The rollers are blued from heat and it's got a couple stiff links that start to complain after 2-300 miles without lube.

First...stock is a 525 chain. Seems swapping to a smaller(though pricier) 520 is pretty popular with the thought being to save rotating weight. To me, a thinner chain will wear out faster. Any point to this or stick with stock size?

Second....stock chain was a DID o-ring. I'm familiar with that from my old Magna, but now theres x,z, and w-ring chains, of course at various price premiums. Supposedly they reduce friction, any word on durability vs a regular o-ring?

Third...the rear sprocket isn't bad but the front is pretty worn. Gonna replace both. There's a ton of sprocket manufacturers and the prices have a huge range...anything to look for or avoid? On my Magna I just bought the cheapo parts unlimited ones since it was only a 500 but the Z has a but more power on tap.

Fourth...any suggestions on lube? I forgot what a mess chain lube makes when it flings off all over the wheel and swingarm. seems like a lot of the sportbike guys prefer the "wax" style lubes that dry almost immediately, they don't attract dirt or fling all over everything. Seems like a good case, I gave up lubing my trail bike chain since the oil just held more dirt (and made more noise) than without.

Mainly, I want to attend to the chain as little as possible.

 

[DakRatFink]

I bought a 520 chain for my FZR600. Stock is a 530. I have yet to ride it to see if the difference is "worth it" but with the weight savings, I believe it will be. Also. I use a wax style lube on my wife's dual sport chain. She does mostly commuting type riding with some occasional "exploration" rides out into country dirt and gravel roads and it holds up well to the dusty N Dakota conditions. I imagine mostly street riding on the Z would hold up just as well.

 

[one2dmax]

We have all kinds of chain kits available and even colored chain. In this case the more expensive the chain is the better it's going to last. Replace the whole mess (both sprockets and chain) so you get maximum life. We have steel, aluminum, and even a mix of steel and aluminum.

My chain customers really seem to like the Supersprox brand we sell. They are aluminum center hubs (on the rear) with steel teeth. Kind of the best of both worlds.

Sean