Cheap chain for smaller bikes...

smegballs · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Karma :

So I was looking around on bearing boys, and it turns out that 428 motorcycle chain has the same dimensions as "08B1" industrial roller chain.

Would this chain hold up to the rigors of motorcycle transmission? I rather think it might!

I started by getting the specs of a standard DID 428 chain, the sort of bog-standard chain I'm sure we'd all be perfectly happy to slap on a 125 or 250. Tensile Strength from this well reputed manufacturer is 18.8kN.

The chain listed on the bearing boys site is supplied by "Medway" who I've never heard of, a little digging produced their roller chain catalogue. Their 08B1 roller chain is rated at a tensile strength rating of 17.8kN.

There is only 1kN difference (less than 5% difference) in rated strength between these two chains, so it looks like the cheap Medway chain should be strong enough. I have in the past, and I'm sure plenty of others have too, just bought the cheapest wemoto chain available and hitched it up to low cc bikes and had no problems. Using a DID chain as a reference gives a reasonable level of confidence IMO, I'd hazard a guess to say that the chain 95% as strong as the DID chain is probably stronger than the cheapest wemoto chain of totally unknown heritage.

Would you sling some of this cheap Medway chain on a 125 or prefer to stick to "motorcycle" chain?

Are there considerations apart from simple tensile strength that may mean a industrial roller chain is unsuitable for use on a bike?

Out of interest, does anyone have any idea where "budget" chain, sold on ebay/wemoto/etc comes from? China like everything else?? Laughing

https://i.imgur.com/6Yj90Gi.png

smegballs · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Karma :

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Awesome idea! By my calculations you should be able to save at least 75 pence this way. Just imagine what you could do with that - it's practically a whole Mars Bar - or one fifth of a whole Mars Bar if bought from Squires.
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Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

smegballs · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Karma :

TheSmiler · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2011 Karma :

Regarding thread, be interesting to test depending if you find a stockist local and your chain snaps. Whilst waiting for a replacement to come.

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Northern Monkey · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Nov 2013 Karma :

ajag · Brolly Dolly Joined: 08 Aug 2010 Karma :

I could be wrong but I don't think the sprocks industrial rollers spin nearly as fast as the sprocks on even small motorcycles so they might have not been manufactured expecting the same type of abuse.

Also, they might not been designed to deal with road dirt either so that might affect how long they last. Might end up being more expensive if it snaps and destroys your engine and/or leg.
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anthony_r6 · World Chat Champion Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Karma :

I suppose if you're brave enough to try it out, report back to us with your findings!
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Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Yes, let us know how it turns out and I'll send you a Lidl Mr Choc bar of your choice. Only the best for BCF chumrades.
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GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike