Just done
6000 miles now on my F800GS, the 6k service is coming up in afew days time and
i have adjusted my chain for the very first time(didnt need it at the 600 mile service),Only the very tinest tweak on the adjustment nuts was required and the chain play is back to where it should be.
I've heard a fair bit about chains wearing and getting slack etc in afew hundred miles on these bikes but ive always kept my chain lubed and i reckon thats the ticket. I just dont rate these chain sprays at all. My advice to to get yourself a drip feed type and save yourself some money, time and wear.
Just my two pennys worth.
moto
Well your experience is different to a few members on here (myself included).
I have a BMW specific scottoiler, correctly adjusted to drip once every 45-60 seconds and the chain was shot after 2500 miles. From 10mm tight to 55mm slack in places. Chain and sprockets replaced under warranty - BMW wouldn't do that if there was any chance that they could blame it on owner mistreatment.
I've also done 8000+ miles with a scottoiled chain before, so was very surprised at the sudden demise of this chain on a new bike. Reckon there was a bad batch out there...
I have exactly the same experience, I have checked the chain several times for adjustment and suprised every time that there is no need for adjustment, past 6K miles now.
I have used Castrol, Motul and Motorex chain spray.
You could be right of course ref the bad batch but just a thought,
Do you ride mostly around town , i mean city/urban traffic?
I only ask as a mate of mine who lives in the city has a scottoiler and he reckons he has trouble because he does mostly (all except our eurotrips) town driving. Just wondering if this contributes??
ZZ10 do you live in a city or do you commute?
Moto
ZZ10 said:
I live in a city but have done some touring.
I reckon it was a bad batch with the early bikes. No one seems to have had a problem recently. Like Twisticles mine was replaced, with sprockets, under warranty after 2500 miles despite being regularly lubed. The replacement has now done 6500 miles without problems or needing adjustment.
could be your right, Perhaps it was only the very first initial stock, i got mine 16th of May was this the 3rd uk stock?
Anyone else able to date chain problems?
Moto
i got my bike early may, and was about to take off around ireland last week when i realised that a link had broken. i took the bike down to a local ducatti/yamaha dealer to see if i could get a new one. he said that he hadn't seen a chain in such bad condition in 20 years of riding. i lube it every time the bike out in the wet and about fairly frequently besides. anyway, new chain on (£80) but onto old sprockets as i was desperate to get just get the bike roadworthy. i reckon i'll have to replace the chain again when i do the sprockets at 12k. the standard chain is indeed lightweight and crap.
Hi Si,
great article on your eurotrip by the way. So the chain did the eurotrip and that was about it? What sort of lube system? drip or spray? Just trying to see if there is any correlation.
cheers
Moto
Moto,
i use spray and for the most part putoline lube and occasionally if travelling dry proffi lube. it gets a good bit of tlc so it's definitely not through being careless. thanks for the compliment on the trip report...glad you enjoyed it
Hi Si,
please dont think i was implying you were careless, merely that the two ways of lubing might have some bearing on chain wear characteristics. One more question for you, before you did the road trip (which was great though wasnt it) did you commute in and out of work any distance? or was it town riding, off road or just day trips around the countryside?
I dont doubt for a minute that BMW have made a mistake in supplying such cheap chains though. So whens the next trip?
Cheers
Moto
I got my 800 in March (in Rome, Italy) -- ordered it in November last year, as soon as I saw the pictures from Milan -- and I have had no problems with the chain. Coming up to 9000 km, mostly open road miles. Did a trip from here to the north of Scotland and back in the summer (May/June), and commute about 60 km a day mostly out of town. No adjustment needed to date (touch wood).
Maybe I have just been lucky.
Interesting, interesting...hmmmm maybe (just speculation) the longer journeys with less gear changing are less prone to stressing the chain, town riding can result in alot of chopping up and down the box, perhaps its the old adage that motorway miles are much kinder to an engine (gearbox and drive chain too) than stop start driving/riding?.
In any event clearly the std chain isnt up to the job so come on BMW do the right thing and recall all the old chains and fit something more fitting to the king of go anywhere machines!
Right, i'll get off me soapbox now.....
. A small control panel can manually be set on the move to deliver more or less depending on conditions. The nozzle delivers to both sides of the rear sprocket, the 'lip' doesn't seem to be a problem as the oil will get thrown over it at speed. A bit of a pain to fit but once you know I guess it's always easier. 
If you keep ridding with this bad chain then there is a chance that other things can go wrong.
