Ive heard the same thing! before i go out i spray my chain with some wd40. There was an article in a mag a bud of mine showed me a couple years ago that said you really dont need all the expensive chain wax and gimick lubes. Just keep you chain clean and hit it with wd before each ride. You will probably get a bunch of opinions but i like having the durability of the o-ring change. .02

 

I use maxima chain guard for chain lube, it is o-ring safe.

 

i have never tested this theory myself.
it does make sence that when you ride, an o-ring chain will loosen up some, but for drag racing you only run for a few seconds so i use the non o-ring type for that.
in the trails i use the o-ring type to help keep the grit out of the chain pins.

 

I've got the same chain you do on my 250R. I bought it from Rocky Mtn. when I did my rebuild. Just like stroke said........I think its just fine, unless you are drag racing then you really don't need an o-ring. My thing is, how much HP can you loose? I don't think that even IF you did, it would be that much difference. Just my 2cents........

 

the theory is that you loose HP because an O-ring chain is heavier and stiffer than a regular chain, you are basicly adding weight directly to the drivetrain, but I relly don't think there is a feelable difference, I run O-ring and X-ring on all my bikes.

but I've read an article on modding crf100's or crf150f's (don't remember which one), these bikes where delivered from factory with an overdimensioned 520 pitch chain and sprocket combo, and by going to 428 pitch sprockets and chain you supposedly gained about 3 HP at the wheel...

 

4wheel thunder has tested this and so has rdz racing i believe, on some bikes/quads it can equal up to as much as 3 hp at the rear wheels due to drag resistance and weight ,planet sand had some posts concerning this testing done a while back if i remember right .of coarse that gain will vary depending on the bike but for the most part you want an non oring for drag racing because every little bit helps ,a tenth of a second is huge in a short drag race and often they are won by just a couple of inches ,will it make a noticable difference on a small motor like a 125 in a dirtbike frame driving a single lightweight wheel ?probably not something your going to feel ,your probably best off with an Oring style if you ride in a more unforgiving environment as they generally last longer and stay cleaner in mud/dirt conditions because of the seals on the links,with that in mind it could be said a clean lubed Oring chain thats working properly would surely be better than a dry kinked up corroded nonOring chain type

 

I don't run on O ring chains for a lot of reasons. A 125 needs the least amount of resistance possible. Drag is a small engines worst negative and it multiplies on increased mass. Get an RK non O ring chain if you can. I have run those on both my 125s and the chain is over two years old and still holding up. On the Banshee I might keep running an O ring chain because I run in entirely different conditions than the MXers. Usually I see a lot of mud and water when trail riding so I don't really care as much if a little extra drag means a lot more chain life.

 

well i already received my o-ring chain from rocky mountain, and i do a good ammount of track riding, but every once in a while i go out to the desert and go ride. Not sure if i should return this chain and just get a normal chain, or if i should just keep it.

 

No.....I would keep it if you see a lot of gritty sand. The enemy to a non oring chain is half sand and the other half mud. So keep it and use it.

 

unless you are a hardcore dragracer there is no reason not to run an O-Ring chain, O-Ring chains are superior to normal chains, and the amount of power you loose is NOT noticable, some of you might say you feel a difference, I say you feel what you WANT to feel....

 

thre was a test done a while back on a 400ex,i thnkit was in dirtwheels or something,the result was very little diference between non o ring and o ring,they also tried some lube on both chains with such a small difference it was realy not even possible to say there was a gain as it was only bout 1 tenth on the dyno.

 

dont use WD-40 to lube your chain. it contains alcohol and can crack the orings. i recently got a primary drive o-ring chain, and i dont feel the difference in power. it lasts alot longer if your an off road rider.

 

where did you hear this ? wd40 is 60% kerosene and works great on chains but flicks off .

 

yea i only use my maxima chain lube, and it is oring safe so im in the clear.

 

I work at a bicycle shop and all of the mechanics I work with say not to use it, also in the new september issue of dirt bike its says its good to clean it but not for use as a chain lube.

 

it desplaces water and thats about it, its more if a solvent.

 

well to each his own ,kerosene has been used on various chains for a long time. the nice thing about quality chain wax spray is it stays on when other stuff just flicks off ,it used to be back in the day the manufacturers would recommend to use 40 weight lowend motor oil on your chain ,some of that stuff gets dirt to stick to it like glue then it wears the chain in a hurry kinda like sandblasting it