Changing the chain of our motorcycle is a maintenance task that must be carried out between 35,000 and 40,000 kilometers. It all depends on the use of the motorcycle, the care and maintenance that is provided regularly.

There are users who change the engine chain at 50,000 kilometers with the same towing kit and others do not even reach 20,000 kilometers, it all depends on care and maintenance.


How often should you check the chain?

You must perform an inspection, cleaning and lubrication of the motorcycle chain between 800 and 1000 kilometers, checking the tension and applying a little chain grease. You must take into account the circulation area, if you travel through streets with a lot of dirt, dust or mud, this operation should be carried out more frequently, at least every 500 kilometers.

Slack in the chain

With use and time the chain shows wear, and many think that the chain stretches, but it does not happen. What can happen is that the chain components show wear and take a greater slack. For this reason, we must check the chain tension regularly. It is also important to check the crown and the engine output pinion, which also wears out with the passing of the kilometers, this is what makes you think that the chain is lengthening.

The motorcycle chain is made up of plates and bolts that form the links. And in this small assembly, the plates do not give as easily, but the axle bolts of each link wear out and deform. For this reason, when we review the chain we are going to observe some different tension points, something that does not happen with a new chain. If the chain is deformed, the sprocket will most likely also show wear, and should also be replaced.

Complete transmission kit for the motorcycle

The literature regarding maintenance for the motorcycle mentions the change of the complete kit as mandatory. And we are not going to contradict the literature when the arguments are enough, since as we know the chain is mounted on the crown and the pinion, therefore wear and deformation is perceived throughout the whole.

The chainring kit is made up of: output sprocket, crown and chain, and the standard or factory configuration is ideal for our bike. However, there are some that modify the entire kit, by mounting with one less tooth on the pinion or crown, lengthening or shortening the development, in order to change the response of the motorcycle.

A larger sprocket or a smaller crown will make the bike acquire more top speed on the flat, as if it were achieving a higher gear. But it will take a while for the engine to start running, as if it were started at a higher speed, achieving the opposite effect. For some it may mean an improvement, but it must be said, if the response of the bike changes in any way it is still unnecessary (from our point of view).

Motorcycle chain size

The dimensions of the chain are two: the Pitch and the Interior Width, depending on the manufacturer, another variable may also appear, which is the thickness of the plate and the total length of the chain. But where we must not fail is in the "Step" and the "Width". If the chain manufacturer has used a standard cataloging of your component, we will find three numbers in the chain, the first one refers to the pitch and the remaining two to the inner width.


A 530 chain has a pitch of 5/8 inch (15.88 mm between axles) and 3/8 inch (9.52 mm inside width). After this figure, each manufacturer can put a few more acronyms that speak of the quality of the chain (normal, reinforced or super reinforced) or the type of internal seals it carries, which can be round or shaped, for example, of X, as in the most modern. A last figure will speak of the number of perforations that it has (for example 120), a chain of 120 perforations will have 60 plates on each side (60 inside and 60 outside), with this you will have the exact length of the chain. (You can count the one you are going to replace and look for a similar one, so when you assemble it you will not have to remove links).