Intruders-Alert

Like shaft better but chain is only thing that has never side lined me yet on a street bike.Broken three belts with abuse,and shaft had to be fixed twice.Chain is messy if done right IMO but will hold up lots longer than the 10,000 and even less lots say they get from a chain!My Vstrom now has 34,000 on factory sprockets and chain.Most that get 10,000 or less run the chain around to most slack point and tighten.This is not right.It puts so much pressure on the tight spots that come with time and miles.I clean with K-oil soaked rag in a gloved hand and run the chain toward the front till the chain looks nice and clean.Then plain old motor oil.Heavy if you got it like 50weight but any will do.After adjustment and looking it over on a slow roll while on center stand wipe off excess.Then every time I leave or stopped I take a small old plastic bottle with squirt top.Put a little oil over top of back sprocket.This will make your bike look dirty next to friends with the clean dry chains but they are the 10,000 or less bunch.
Shaft change the rear fluid once a year and peek inside before putting new oil in with light spin to look at gears and make sure mesh is ok.Belt check and clean any mud/small stuff out if found.Belt feels better than the other two to me but last pic for me.

a couple of questions:

--- what is "k-oil"

--- how frequent do you clean/adjust chain? ....after every ride?

Kerosene or K-oil. If eating chains not enough lube.Adjustment gets less and less the older the chain allso less tight with older chains.Usually around every 1,000 miles and clean at that time,oil every trip and often during it.Suzuki has some of the better sprockets IMO when it comes to wear.On my drag bike Suzukie fours front was only one I ever replaced and that was to gear down not from wear.The old Suzukis,Kaws,and Honda CBX six had the big 630 chain back in the late 70s early 80s when I was running the most.

This was on an 81 550l the chains stayed dripping wet with Suzuki chain lube. Even sat in a bath of lube for a week prior to each install. The chain was adjusted weekly to specs of 1/2" of play if I remember correctly. Still had to lose a link every 2-3 weeks as I would be out of adjustment range. I bought different brands of chains never made much difference. Even put new sprockets on and had 2 dealer check the sprocket alignment. It ate chains for the 6 years I owned it and never figured out why. My buddy that bought it has 25k on the current chain. Only guess is I ride too hard for chains. But even that don't make no damn sense. LoL

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IMO drag racing is as hard as you cam be to drive line and final drive even more so.If going one way or other more play wins every time for me.I went the special lubes for years and plain old motor oil is just as good IMO.Some of the old bikes had a factory enclosed chain.Great idea!The chain drive 920 Yamaha twin was last I can recall.It was the daddy of the 920 Virago that became the 1000 in 1985 them the 1100 in 1986.Thats when they allso got the much needed better starter.My 66FLH and new 1974 Honda both had factory chain oilers on them.0n the CB750 it was a lock nut in the middle of front sprocket and you adjusted for amount.So many owners did not know about it as they came shut off.Like a small oil leak but worked good.

I still have most of a can of chain lube that stuck well when I rode a chain drive Suzucki. It did stick good also sticks well on bicycle chain. I kept chain oiled well and got 20,000 + miles before replacing. peace torgy,

I had a 80 and and 81 550L .Both were fours and got used.Sold one after about 5,000 put on as a work bike as was the other and the other put over 10,000 on it.Never put a chain on either one or took a link out.They were 530 chain as were most mid and big bikes of the day but for the mean ones that had 630.I worked in a bike shop for a little while and never saw anyone get that bad service from a chain drive! Ones that thighten at the spot with most slack went through the most.One guy that just started riding got a well used CB550 and rode it for two years with out ever doing anything to the chain!He only took notice that it was way too much racket going doen the road [emoji2] .He had put only 3,000 or so on it in two years but was lucky it did not come off and lock up front sprocket.The old 69-78 CB750 had a small front sprocket cavity.Seen some throw the chain,bunch up and crack the motor case .You have to lean a little service if you ride a chain drive bike or take it to the dealer real often.

I've had chains, and now I've got shaft drive....on the whole....I'll take the shaft drive.

Shaft is the best for sure, but with my Vic, I'm stuck with belt...I'm kind of undecided at the moment if I can really praise it. In all other aspects though, the Vics are truly awesome bikes.

Yo-