I installed the Carbon For Bikes system @ 54235 miles with a new DID 525 VX chain (116 link) and new sprockets front and rear (15/45, Sunstar brand if anyone wanted to know.) I just replaced the chain and sprockets now @ 70351 miles. They lasted 16116 miles, but in reality I should have replaced them 1k ago. The chain had several stiff links and at the end I could feel them running through the footpegs. The last two days I rode to work and home very slowly (well it felt like it was very slow
), 75mph indicated, maybe I'm paranoid because I've had a chain snap on me before. I've seen chains looking a lot worse than this one so I think I'm being overly cautious. Bear in mind that this chain had been on the bike through part of winter and had seen a lot of salt and water. Sprockets weren't worn half as bad as I normally had them when I used chain oil. I could see the rear was slightly worn by looking very closely, the front was worn at a slight slant rather than having hooked teeth as I was seeing with oil lubing. That said, I did occasionally wipe the chain with an oily rag after cleaning, more for keeping rust on the side plates at bay than for any kind of lubing purpose.
Yes, the big question: how does the solid wax block look?
The block is about halfway worn, perhaps a bit less. I figure it will last for the life if the new chain. We'll have to see as it is summer now (or so they tell me...) and there's no salt involved so the chain might last longer than the previous one. The manufacturers claimed 6000
km but I have had 16000
miles from it, I'm very impressed.
One thing I have to mention is that I only ever adjusted the chain once in the entire 16k miles it did. The adjustment was minor, not even a quarter of a mark on the swingarm. I put this down to initial chain stretch rather than actual wear. When I removed it the chain slack was still in spec (though I tend to like a chain that's a tad more slack than the inch or so of play they specify.) To be honest, if the chain didn't have any stiff links I would have been happy to leave it on until 30k as the sprockets would likely have lasted that long.