RK chains...you suck!!!

[javio1]

OK...here goes my Buddha Loves You session for today. I recently purchased an RK chain for the old GS. I got it and it looked really nice and well made. I slapped it on and lubed it up and got it all nice and pretty. I had not even put 400 miles on it when I had already noticed that it was starting to rust!    I cleaned it and relubed it, even though I thought it was premature. But to no avail, the rust remained. At this point I was pissed after shelling out the money for this piece of SHIZZNIT! I searched the web and found an email address for RK and sent them a message telling how surprised and dissapointed I was in their product. They turned around and said it was my fault for improperly maintaining the chain. They claimed it should be lubed and adjusted on a weekly basis! I think that's a bunch of bullshit! So, take heed my friends, beware the RK chains. I had a DID previously and it lasted 4 years without a sign of rust. So, RK chains...take this!  :guns:  Ahhhhh, I feel much better now. Thanks for lending your ears peeps!  

[JohNLA]

Thanks for the heads up
I was considering an RK for my next chain but I am not into weekly lubings

[snapper]

Yes, thanks for that info!!  We will all stay away from that brand!  So if you feel inclined to reply to them....tell em you just told 500 people and they will tell their friends... etc NOT to buy their stuff.

Fools, some companies are run by FOOLS!

Sorry that you had to go through this though.  

[Black Snowman]

Well, I was going to pick up an EK because they're cheaper, if it turns out to rust as bad I'll be know it's not because it's cheap but because they're immitating RK

[werase643]

um,  
ah,
chains rust on the side plates unless you buy the expensive ones that are nickle plated/gold annodized/or plated with a color....

and most chain lubes are black and gunky....
sorry, no bling bling for you :kiss:

the all knowing BS'er of everything GS is working on a nice clean BELT CONVERSION.....to go with his 16 inch rims and crap-shin tires :nana:

at least he won't patch a tire....i have a nice used excedra rock for him to fix a flat..... :mrgreen:

[spas]

same thing happened to my frend and his RK on yzf600r .
never heard it about DID or EK. EK supposably good and realy strong.

[The Buddha]

um,  
ah,
chains rust on the side plates unless you buy the expensive ones that are nickle plated/gold annodized/or plated with a color....

and most chain lubes are black and gunky....
sorry, no bling bling for you :kiss:

the all knowing BS'er of everything GS is working on a nice clean BELT CONVERSION.....to go with his 16 inch rims and crap-shin tires :nana:

at least he won't patch a tire....i have a nice used excedra rock for him to fix a flat..... :mrgreen:

I never patch tires...not when there is tubes to be put in them....Ha ha...
Belt drive thing may not work for any others...The rear 16 off a ninja 600 will take a vulcan 800 pulley...the front of the GS will take a vulcan pulley as well...The GS rear wont take the vulcans or any other aftermarket pulley. Unless they up and make the marauder system you need to make your own rear. Anyway the whole idea is that it also has to be cheap...I am thinking I should get the pieces and make it myself.
Cool.
Srinath.

[chimivee]

Well, the chain I just replaced was an RK x-ring.  The previous owner NEVER touched the chain while he owned it - no cleaning, no lube, no adjustment for at least 2 years / 3.5k mi.  It looked fine when I took it off and only on close inspection, I noticed a couple of spots w/ VERY slight rust.  (I replaced it because it was at the edge of adjustment spec and I was replacing sprockets, so I figured I'd do it all)

Old RK:




Anyway, the new one is also an RK x-ring.  Only have about 400 mi on it, but it still looks brand new.

[The Buddha]

Hey I have cut my vulcan frame and put in a steel rod in it and made a lap joint and did some welding on it and let it remain un painted in Central CA for 2 years or so...No rust, still shiny metal...well a little dull and dirty metal... Then I moved to North Carolina in 02 August with that bike. By december I was dying to take it off and sand it and paint it. Rusted worse in 5 months than it did in 2 years in CA. Chains have a light smattering of lube/wax...and in Central CA that's all it takes to keep it rust free. In the rest of the country we need to chrome it and keep it indoors and it still rusts.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Jen]

My RK chain didn't even last me 3000 miles.  I put it on, and rode just for a little bit last year.  It did rust right away as well.  Just thought it would of lasted longer.

[chimivee]

Hmm... What kind of RK chains have you guys been using?  Which brands have you used that fared better?

I'm suprised to hear about these premature rust problems, since I've heard mostly favorable stuff about RK's and have had good (albeit very limited) experience w/ both of mine so far.

[werase643]

just because they have rust on them....does not mean they are warn out
if you keep the chain too tight...the chain will wear out quick
again,  not the chains fault

[tkm433]

Not enough ifo as to your RK Chain?

Which model did you buy?

If you do not know or remember then how much did you spend on this chain?  

What type lube did you use?

Where did you buy the chain?

Why do you not mention taking it back to or talking to the place your bought it from if you were not happy with the product?  

The reason I ask is that RK chains can be had for as little as $20 that could fit the GS500 upwards to over a $100.  I would guess that the less expensive chain would be made of steel that might not have any type of protective coating that might keep the chain from rusting.

Also we do not know where you live as far as the conditions of the roads that you ride on in that there might be salt or other items on the road that might just cause things to rust a bit more.

If you live in the snow belt there is the chance that there is still some salt on the edges of the road from winter and when you add summer rains and riding there is the likelyhood that you could of picked up salt and thus some rust could of come from it.

I live in the good old south and we do not know what snow is and we only put salt on our food and not our roads but being that I live on the coast and my front door step is only a few feet above sea level there tends to be times that the street will flood with high tides and the correct wind and we have salt water on the streets.  

My point is that my bike has some rust  on lower suspension parts on it from just riding it on wet streets that might have salt on them from high tides that will flood some streets on a bright and sunny day.  No, I do not ride in the salt water when I see it but I would guess that when ever it rains some of the salt from the flooding is now on the streets and come rain or shine I like to ride.  


Yes, you vented and I hope you feel better but I would guess if RK chains really sucked they would not be in business for as long as they have been.

[Jen]

Which brands have you used that fared better?

The first chain I bought was an RK - M520 X - 110 LINKS.  Only put an actual 2500 miles on it, and I was told it was unsafe, and no good.

I now use DID.  I paid $75.20 for this chain.

[Rashad]

Which brands have you used that fared better?

The first chain I bought was an RK - M520 X - 110 LINKS.  Only put an actual 2500 miles on it, and I was told it was unsafe, and no good.

I now use DID.  I paid $75.20 for this chain.

I have that same 80 dollar DID :nana:  better last forever!

[Jen]

I have that same 80 dollar DID :nana:  better last forever!

Well, I could sure tell the difference once the DID was on my bike.  It's worth the over double-price.

[tkm433]

Which brands have you used that fared better?

The first chain I bought was an RK - M520 X - 110 LINKS.  Only put an actual 2500 miles on it, and I was told it was unsafe, and no good.

I now use DID.  I paid $75.20 for this chain.

So here is another question for the people who think RK chains suck:

According to your quote above you stated that you used the "RK - M520 X " chain and you were told it was "unsafe" and yes who ever told you that it was unsafe was correct if they bothered to check the specs on that chain which who ever installed it on your bike did not bother to do because they installed a chain that was designed by RK  for a motorcycle with less than 250cc diplacement such as a 225lbs dirt bike not a 370lbs 500cc street bike.

So is it RK's fault that the wrong chain was installed on your bike and it was found to be unsafe and no good after 2500 miles of use???

[werase643]

man, where's the smiley with the little poke stick when you need it??

[glenn9171]

I still have the stock chain with 7600 miles on it.  No rust that I can see so far.  I keep it on my porch out of the rain, but it still gets all of the south Louisiana humidity 24 hours a day.

[hopper526]

I've got a 96 gs, had for three years. I park it outside  24/7 during the late spring, summer & early fall. It still has the stock chain with not a bit of rust. It now has 14k miles & i think it's time to change it.