chain types

[mawearn1379]

hello all. im new to riding and just bought my first bike. gsxr 600 k1. love it. although im still very careful and doing advanced courses and such to improve my riding skills. however, my chain has seen better days. i was going to replace it when i was told what chain type did i require. o ring, x ring or h ring. i just thought a chain was a chain. please help. what is the best for the type of bike i have and also what are the differences with these chains too. i will also be changing the sprockets too.
cheers

[Kickstart]

Hi

Never heard of an H ring chain.

However the O ring and X ring chains are just different types of seals on the links of the chain to keep lube in place inside the links. In theory an X ring is better, although in practice both need care anyway.

Basically stick to a well known chain brand and go for a suitably heavy duty chain.

All the best

Keith
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[0ddball]

An O ring is good enough for most bikes. Make sure you get a good make though, there's a lot of cheap crap on the market. You should be looking to pay about £70-80 for a quality chain and sprocket kit supplied only, and about £120-150 fitted.

The difference is just the type of small rubber seals used between the links. Not a massive difference between any of them.

[mawearn1379]

thanks alot. one more thing. what would you say is the best brands. so many to choose from. and is it worth fitting myself or should i get a pro to really.
cheers

[0ddball]

I prefer D.I.D, other people rate IRIS and Tsubaki. SSS is another fairly big name but some people have had problems with them.

It's not a particularly hard job so if you are competent enough to do your own servicing you should mamage ok. You will need a chain riveter though to join the chain and usable ones start at about £40.