Above is showing one (of many!!!) of the the X-rings on my DID HD chain starting to 'fray', there are quite a few. Alignment and tension checked weekly. No tight spots or slack points. I only use the following on my chain Muc off chain cleaner Paraffin SDOC lube I wipe down the chain and relube weekly and fully clean monthly, didn't have this on my previous Tsubaki or OEM, this DID has about 10k on it. Any ideas, is this shot already!, the Renthal sprocket is hardly worn
i have had that on mine before mate and it was around the 10k mark too,took it to the local garage and they couldn't give me any answers sorry mate
Thanks for the responses, the X-rings seem to be intact but a little p155ed as I paid premium bucks. Dont think this will last the salting winter. @raphael did you end up replacing?
only use the paraffin on the monthly deep clean then rinse off using dedicated chain cleaner, my previous chains didn't seem to have any probs The recent heat seems to have accelerated the fraying
I did replace it mate but only because I didn't really know what was causing it so peace of mind as I'm on it every day I was only using chain cleaner on that bike at the time too
It will be fine. Mine did the same 5,000 miles ago ... Still in great condition with no tight spots or stretch ... Total mileage so far is 11,000 miles. Expect to get 15-20k which is fine for a chain tbh.
Thanks all, guess the chain is OK for now. I keep a pretty close eye on it anyway, once rust starts oozing pass the ring that when I call it a day on that chain. Think I'll stock up on dedicated cleaner and use the paraffin to light the BBQ!
Just a quick update, the fraying has worsened to a points where some of the rings are missing all together!! No loose spots though, tried to get a replacement under warranty but rejected as I fitted the chain and sprockets myself but offered a replacement DID chain about 30% off retail. Really cheesed off as this only lasted 10K!!! Fitting a new set very shortly Is anyone interested in a 10K renthal? or is it just scrap?
I just had new chain/sprockets and tyres. They were all original to the bike which is an 09 with 4.8k miles. When I bought it 1k miles ago the chain was covered in oil so couldn't really check it. After I cleaned it I could see some frayed x rings. Chain was still in adjustment but had a few tight spots. After 1k miles the sprockets were thinning out a bit and more ring damage. I needed new boots anyway so made sense to do it all at once, especially with that ebay 20% sale..
I Used DID X Ring Chains on off road bikes for years and given the really hard life these chains get a mileage comparison with road bikes isn't realistic. I can't say I ever noticed fraying of the X rings though I've seen a few trashed due to foreign object damage. Never used any Lubes on off road chains - just a dirt magnet. A quick spray with WD40 to stop the rust (I know it's said that it's not good for O rings but I've never had any bother). On the Fireblade I use a general degreaser then thoroughly hose chain down with clean water. I then dry chain firstly with a relatively low pressure airline then go around it with a dry wiper. I use Dry Lube. Only done a few K on Blade so nothing conclusive on the chain maintenance regime yet.
I,m still on my original at 30,000 miles , still in good shape , always lub after a run with good old Worth spray
I believe the seal rubber material was changed to synthetic many years ago so paraffin, diesel, white spirit do not ham them (is wd40 will not make them swell - just un passing- not suggesting you use it!) from the photo my guess it could be a manufacturing fault, or maintenance issue (like using metallic brush on the rubber) otherwise it has rubbed against something metallic. I take it your sprockets and chain are aligned correctly
The sprockets are deffo aligned. I have been using one of these to clean, maybe the brushes are too harsh?? Also its the first time I've used a ognibene silent sprocket (rather than OEM), I will replace in the next week or so and inspect to try to find the cause.
I can't comment on since I've never used it before. But the bristles are too few and look pretty spiky/ aggressive. If they feel soft to the touch , it should be ok. I find the best tool is a toothbrush.
I had exactly the same issue on 2 DID 530 ZVM-X chains. Sent one back for warranty replacement, was basically told to do one. I am religious with chain maintenance and this happened twice to me with less than 10k miles on both chains. My mate had the same issue last year also on a DID chain. There is a serious issue with the x rings on DID chains, they are just choosing to ignore it for some reason. This is why I will never buy another DID chain. EK 530 ZVX3 for me nowadays
hmmmm got another DID ZVM-X wondering if I should get rid. was very surprised to see the rings dedgrade so quickly
