520 O ring Chain - yea or nay?

I repeat a point in case missed prior. Ms Peel Combat ruined two rear drums and 4 front Atlas sprockets in 5000 miles over about a year exploring her new found capabilities. When Peel ever gets back on road, I'll run 530 X chain on Commando front 21T sprocket and 520 Al teeth rear sprocket, only expecting rear teeth to last through break in period to switch out to steel 530 teeth to really get it on afterwords. Your mileage may vary of course and vendors will love ya for it, maybe nic naming ya 'easy money' like they did me.

New Peel has Water Buffalo rear hub, so Al teeth or steel sprocket any size I like at about $75 a pop.

I've got 6 or 7 track days and about 6500 street miles on mine and it looks like the day I installed it so I must be doing something wrong. I'll have to start flogging the bike harder I guess!

You must have followed the standard advice on hot rodding your Commando so not enough power or handling grip to use em up as fast as I did on accidental power combo in Ms Peel Combat. Or you had the power but not the handling to really give her the gun as hard as I did. What ever the reason, look again for proof of my remarks. Glad it worked for you a long time though as should then apply to other with similar normal limits Commandos. Only thing that broke taking on 900 Duci Monster was the 3rd gear cogs. Thought I was in 2nd when I hit the power after they freaked out seeing what had led em so far ahead for 10 miles until I waited behind a car to get some closer dicing fun. ugh. Peel pulled so good even low down in 4th in the excitement of the fun it still felt like in 3rd. My mistake Peel suffered for but easy fix that time. As I said and you prove it, your mileage may vary from Peels let down on 520 teeth.

Ludwig, Your cheating, that's not a cut down Norton sprocket. I could never get any life out of the cut down rear sprocket but a steel replacement worked fine with 520. Jim [I use 530 x-ring on my own bike]

So...

A 520 X ring chain conversion produces a CHAIN that wears much longer but it wears out the 520 sprockets much faster than a standard 530 chain wears out the oem 530 sprockets. Is that essentially it?

MexicoMike said:

So...

A 520 X ring chain conversion produces a CHAIN that wears much longer but it wears out the 520 sprockets much faster than a standard 530 chain wears out the oem 530 sprockets. Is that essentially it?

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That has been my experience. Jim

OK then...I'll be purchasing a new standard 530 chain and 530 front sprocket. I wouldn't mind trying the Xring 530 chain but I think it would rub on the chainguard as well as the primary. But I might try some measurements to see if it's possible.

MexicoMike said:

OK then...I'll be purchasing a new standard 530 chain and 530 front sprocket. I wouldn't mind trying the Xring 530 chain but I think it would rub on the chainguard as well as the primary. But I might try some measurements to see if it's possible.

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It is possible on a MK3 850 if you use a rivet master link. Use a .080 shim to space the sprocket away from the trans or it will cut a groove in the housing. Earlier models require a belt drive so you can mill away the rear of the primary chaincase around the chain run. I have used a stock chainguard with some careful fitting. Jim

Yes main concern is just the teeth wear not chain strength or life time. Going by the success story of 520 teeth endurance, maybe just pilot throttle skill is all it takes to get away a long time. I failed that test miserably so will avoid 520 teeth now.

I've read a number of reports of 530 sealed chain and rivet link fitting some w/o interference and others just relieved a bit off gb shell and inner case or just let it clear its own path. No one has reported a failure of the inner case or gb integrity
from 530 sealed chain so far. I've going to find out the hard way on both Ms Peel with Quafie box and Trixie with AMC box. Most important alignment is Cdo are the chain runs, so pensive to shim prior to Jim's report I'll keep in mind once to point of putting chain on Peel and Trixie.