OK I found out something today.

A 50 chain is the same size as a 530 chain.
Unfortunately a 520 chain is not a standard power transmission item.

You can buy 100 ft lengths of the 50 ft chain for very cheap, somehting like $2-2.50 a ft.
GS and my XS and other bikes use between 6 and 7ft. So a chain is 20 bucks. This is high end chain mind you, not crapeepola chain.
You can also buy sprokets for that chain but not front cos they need the spline in the center. Rear, yea easy.

Essentially you can get a rear sproket and a chain for under 30-35.

On a GS though the front sproket needs the center turned down before you can fit that clip on the countershaft.
But that is about it it should be a cheapo conversion. Saves ya tons of $$$ ...

Cool.
Buddha.

So... you want to put a bigger and heavier chain (where it is not needed) to same a little money?

But... spend a little more money to modify the front sprocket?

The saving is likely to be ~50 bucks+.
Front sproket machining could be as cheap as $10. More likely 7-8 cos I'd machine 3-4 at one time.

I dont like being at the mercy of crapola bike dealers.

As for heavier, the 520 high end ones are plenty heavy. I doubt this chain I have is any worse. The sprokets are a wee bit heavier but prolly not enough to matter.

Cool.
Buddha.

is this an o-ring chain we're talking about ?

Quote from: ohgood on November 13, 2009, 05:25:13 PM
is this an o-ring chain we're talking about ?

Nope. Generic o ring chains cost as much as bike specific chains.
I also found non O ring generic chains for as low as 20 bucks on fleabay.

So you could just fleabay ... and fleabay has 520's as well for 20, so its a wholly useless post ...
So basically ... 530 chain in the power transmission world is called a 50 chain, that is it.
I am however thinking of a 530 conversion cos I suspect it will last longer. Yes I know 520 is on Rossi's 300 hp yama monster as well as aluminum sprokets. However he barely runs 100 miles on em ...
Cool.
Buddha.

Extra width will be an issue with wide tire swaps. 

for such a lightweight bike as the GS i wouldnt think that goin to 530 would be all that worth it if it doesnt help save money. and i also think you for sure feel the weight differance onec you install it.

hey, why not come up with a 428 conversion.  

1. Strength wouldn't be an issue.  If a 520 can handle a busa, a 428 can handle a GS.  A DID VM series chain it will probably be as strong as the stock GS one anyway.  
2. It's slightly narrower so it would give more clearance for fat tire conversions.
3. It's substantially lighter than stock.  
4. So what if it wears 30% faster.  The chain will still outlast some marriages.

If I still had my GS I'd buy a kit like that.  Time to find a CNC machine.  

A very good solution.......to a problem that doesnt exsist 

Oddly I wasn't trying to solve the GS'es chain problem. I was trying to buy a chain for a XS650.
That uses 530, and I got some good 50 for 20 bucks.
Those guys sell it by the foot. I have been thinking of 530 anyway.

Also I dont agree the problem doesn't exist, the GS eats chains and tires. I've lost chainis in 5K miles commuting, and worried through the last 1K when I saved $ to buy the new one. Tars also, Especially rear tar.

If I had a say in the design of the GS, I'd first swap the chain for a belt and put a 140/150 16 inch tire on it. 16 tars are avl in high mileage and high grip, as well as high $$ and low $$.

So, I dont agree the problem doesn't exist. This just isn't a great solution.

Cool.
Buddha.

Chains should last for a lot longer than 5k on a GS5, even the cheap ones. WTF are you doing to them man, taking a ride along the beach and in the sea everyday?  If i was you I would be looking for the root-cause, not cheap replacements.

I was a commuter and the 40+ 1 way rides on bumpy Northern CA roads, and my ass (200 + lb even back in 95-99) took its toll. If it hit the end of the adjustment I'd pitch the chain and the front sprocket. Every other time I'd toss the rear too.
One winter I ran 13K miles on that GS and went through 2 chains. I may have been trigger happy changing them, I mean you can remove links and run it, but a 40 mile commute with no one to rescue me if it died on the way was a pretty scary thought. mind you this was mostly before cell phones and some of it was when my wife was in India, and I lived in an apartment.
Then I smartened up and bought a couple more bikes, with shaft and belt.
Gs was for fair weather only, nighthawk was for days I was using the highway more and savage for bad weather on local roads.
In spite of this I have lost 2 chains ... once it slid off but stayed in place. One time it spit out the masterclip and came off and slithered down like a snake in front of me.
I hate chains. Yea yea in 1921 there was nothing better. OK fine, but nowadays I'll take a kevlar belt any day. Not like they are new either, been round since 82 earliest.
Cool.
Buddha.

Just to mention...a 530 chain will require replacing as often as a drive shaft.  The last two GS750's I bought came with the OEM chain and sprockets...over 20k on one and enarly 45k on the other...both still in great shape.  A GS500 with a 530 chain and steel sprocket setup = never change again.  That saves a lot more than just $50.

On the other hand, though, you can buy a DID 520 roller chain from most dealers for $20 that will last quite a while.

$20 ... dealer, dude they charge 20 bones for spitting in their parking lot.

I got a $cheapo chain that the joystick dude ordered, then I sold it to average.
In under 2 months the thing broke, mangled it up in his center stand.

I am currently in hiding ... cos the werase and the average are prolly looking for me with baseball bats. So shhhhhhh ...

Anyway 530 = forever huh ... good to know.

Cool.
Buddha.

Your dealers must suck more than most.  I can't count on ours for anything except DID rollers.  I think the most I spent was $24 after tax.

Quote from: makenzie71 on November 14, 2009, 07:33:54 PM
Your dealers must suck more than most.  I can't count on ours for anything except DID rollers.  I think the most I spent was $24 after tax.

The parts guys are pretty OK service and mechs too, great, but cant count on any deals on stuff that moves ... like if they would put it on the shelf and it will go in 1-2 months, screw you ... matter of fact, it was order only, nothing on the shelf, I buy jets etc from them, they dont squeeze me too much on those. I am on a cost + small $ basis apparently ...

I was in a hurry to get the XS rolling, so I called about, shot some numbers with my local power transmission dude who sorta knows some numbers like pitch and width etc and voila, its a 50 chain ... hey I got some great one in 10 ft length for 25 bucks.
I count up and realise 6ft 5 is what I need. The guy goes OK I'll cut it free of charge ... I said fine screw the other 3 1/2 ft, hack off 106 links.

Of course the XS needs 104 (wanted to get extra couple instead of being short ... and the axle is stuck, its not unscreweing, the bloody 106 is too loose, and taking out 2 for the right size will need the wheel to go forward, which it wont at this point.

Even otherwise, I ground up the insides of the airbox so I can run a briggs and stratton filter, and the filter still dont fit.So I am a air box and a chain short.

Anyway I should get the xs going tommorow, air box be damned. And loose chain shouldn't prevent rolling down the road light on the throttle ... 

Cool.
Buddha.