Odd TBR7 Motorcycle Chain Replacement Plan – Concerned!

Why I’m concerned about doing a motorcycle chain replacement ASAP.

I keep reading posts online about these Chinese-made motorcycle chains failing after a few bike upgrades, and sometimes the failures involve real damage to the motorcycle. So after upgrading my TaoTao TBR7 bike, I need a motorcycle chain replacement, Now!

Now, I’ll keep this brief, and if you want my longer, more involved thinking process, it’s at the end of the post: Motorcycle Chain Replacement Background.

So, these stock Chinese dual-sport motorcycles need to improve their power output and modification ability. This stock power limitation can be felt while riding and when the throttle is fully open—my TBR7 bike boggs at full throttle, so I upgraded the TBR7’s Carburetor.

This allowed for faster speeds, and put more stress on the bike.

The drive train and the motorcycle chain are probably sufficient. However, people post that after modifying their Hawk 250 and TBR7 bikes, the stock motorcycle chains must be replaced if the power modifications overpower the bike’s stock parts.

So, this is the reason a TBR7 motorcycle chain replacement was necessary.

It’s hard to believe this was the short version. Sorry.

Types Of Motorcycle Replacement Chains I Found:

I was amazed at the options available with replacing my stock motorcycle chain.

New O-ring Motorcycle Chain Replacement?

Pressed into the individual links are o-rings that help seal inside factory-installed lubricant. These o-rings also help seal out grit, water, and grim. Quickly you can read that benefits are longer-lasting bearings and chains overall.

Also, a benefit is less maintenance by the rider. The drawback is, these o-rings create internal friction with each link.

Therefore, the real drawback is the chain isn’t as flexible to the intended rotation, and some engine power is lost to the wheel, overcoming the chain’s resistance to move.

New Non-O-Ring Motorcycle Chain Replacement?

As the name states, there are no o-rings.

Chain link bearings are open to the environment, allowing loss of lubricant and entry of water, dirt, and grim.

This chain’s disadvantage is so significant; cover it first: Wear and tear! These types of motorcycle chains require the highest level of maintenance during the life of the chain.

Now the advantage, fewer parts, less internal friction that o-rings would have added. The chain is much lighter and more flexible, so little of the engine’s power is required to overcome the chain’s internal frictions, maximizing the power to the wheel.

New X-Ring Motorcycle Chain Replacement?

A particular type of o-ring, the X-Ring Motorcycle Chain.

It still is an “o-ring”; when you lay it on the table, it’s shaped like an “O.” Where the “X” comes in is when you slice it and look at the cross-section.

The cross-section has less material and creates two smaller seating services for the bearing. This cross-section design results in less friction for the same benefits of the regular o-ring motorcycle chain when related to longevity and sealed/protected lubricant.

Cost Basis Of The New Type Of Motorcycle Chain.

As a somewhat frugal person who chose to ride a cheap Chinese Dual-Sport motorcycle, I wanted to keep with the theme of ‘low-cost.’ So, new chain cost is a factor to me when upgrading the TBR7, but since I love riding this bike and want to be safe, I have to commit to safety.

Motorcycle Chain Cost, Generally:

• Non-O-Ring motorcycle chains(Lowest Priced)
• O-Ring motorcycle chains(Middle Priced)
• X-Ring motorcycle chains(Highest Priced)

How I Maintain A Regular Motorcycle Chain:

I used chain wax. Let me explain my experience and why I use wax for my motorcycle chain.

I’ve been riding mountain bikes for decades. Cleaning and lubing my bike chains took a while. I cut corners to save time by removing the bicycle chain and dropping it into an old water bottle with citrus clean and shaking hard. Even with time-saving measures, it was still time-consuming.

Now an o-ring-less motorcycle chain looks just like a regular bicycle chain, just larger links.

I was introduced to bicycle chain wax by my local bike shop, and since then, I have not turned back. The wax adheres to the chain and lubes while wearing off as it collects dirt and flies off the chain. The wax makes the chain self-cleaning. I like chain wax.

Is Motorcycle Chain Wax And Bicycle Chain Wax The Same?

I use a dry bicycle chain wax, which is dry to the touch, like the name implies. This dry wax is applied by a squirt bottle as a liquid and dried onto the chain. The motorcycle chain wax I use is more liquidy, so it’s sprayed out of an aerosol can, and once ‘dry,’ it still is greasy. So not the same.

What is the same, the motorcycle chain wax wears off and flies off, carrying away the dirt. Because of this, my motorcycle chain is technically self-cleaning somewhat.

What is different is I do manually clean my motorcycle chain by taking an old rag and running it down the chain before re-lubing with chain wax.

Why the long explanation, unlike many motorcycle riders I clean, lube, and examine my chain. Knowing this, I made my choice for the new motorcycle chain.

I Chose You: Non-O-Ring Motorcycle Chain!

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My goal for this new chain is that it conserves engine power and transfers more of it to the rear wheel. I will continue to clean, lube, and inspect my motorcycle chain, so no changes in my behavior.

Sorry for the long post; I just started writing, inspired by the stories of ‘exploding’ stock TBR7 and Hawk 250 chains, and managed to allow my overthinking to set in too.

I will update you after I do the new chain installation. Please follow along.

Check For Current TBR7 Motorcycle Chain Prices.

Now for the longer post, sorry, but wanted to share what was going through my head about these Chonda bikes and their stock motorcycle chains.

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Background Motorcycle Chain Replacement, Sorry.

As a new TaoTao TBR7 motorcycle owner, I found myself scouring the web pages for answers to questions about motorcycle maintenance. I looked for answers to questions like what the TBR7 chain replacement intervals are.

I didn’t see much related to the TBR7, but I found many sites and posts about the RPS Hawk 250 motorcycle. Much of the Hawk 250 answers revolved around what type of motorcycle chain you have, riding conditions, maintenance history, etc.

The Hawk 250 owner’s answers correlate to much of the TBR7 since they use the same engine and drive train. The scary part was what results I started to get about my chain maintenance questions: Images of Hawk 250 and TBR7 stock chain failures.

Some exciting results appear when you search about TBR7 and Hawk 250 stock chain failures. Some have photos, and many are just strong words about the importance of chain testing and maintenance.

Some results had even stronger messages about NOT using the stock motorcycle chain. The stock chain failed without warning and, as a result, caused damage to the motorcycles.

I found several photos of the damaged front crankcases, the whipping chain destroyed wire ends, and flying broken links. Ouch. I can only imagine what such a failure can do to my leg.
These stock chain failure claims are the authors alone. I have been adjusting and lubing my chain with no apparent problem. I have over 3000 km on my stock chain, which is still strong.

However, I am concerned and now interested in upgrading from my TBR7’s stock chain. I thought it would be easy to look up motorcycle chains and pick one, but I needed to be corrected.

As I did more motorcycle chain research, I found different types of motorcycle chains. Each motorcycle chain style has its benefits and drawbacks. Some have o-rings, some don’t. Some have o-rings with a cross-section that appears like an ‘x,’ the so-called x-rings. Here is a summary of why I picked the replacement chain for my TBR7.

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Ride Fun, Ride Safe!

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Click To See My Recommended
TBR7 Upgrades

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FYI, A good starting point for further reading about types of motorcycle chains: Wikipedia O-ring Chain