Original chain on Triumph Bonneville doesn’t have anticorrosion coating
If you lubricate it a lot - the rear wheel and sprocket would be covered with grease and dust which is very impractical
If you keep the chain dry it becomes rusty
A good solution is chain with gold anticorrosion coating
I’m going to replace OEM chain with rear sprocket, as it has wear
The front sprocket is remained as it’s in excellent condition
Original chain is also in good condition, after cleaning and lubricating it will last for 15-20 000 km
To change rear sprocket I need to remove rear wheel
As you can see the old sprocket has bent teeth after 10000km
Sprocket nuts tightened with 55Nm opposite each other
Highstrength chain EK ZVX3 includes rivet master link but I\m going to use patented EK screw type link which is installed without special tool
High strength of chain is achieved by thicker plates
What’s why the link is wider, so it should be taken into account choosing the chain, as it can touch tire or sprocket cover
Plates are perforated for light weight, cooling and drainage
Before installation I have to cut the chain to 103 links without connecting link
ZVX3 525 is equipped with last generation ZX seals which have less stiffness and last longer
Due to increased thickness of plates, the chain is 10% heavier than the original one and equally stronger
This provides a longer mileage, but increases transmission losses
To easily install master link, I recommend to set tension adjustment to minimum
EK screw type master link is non-universal and fits specific chain
Pins have thread for special nuts to squeeze plates
According to instructions I have to rotate the wrench by 60 degrees alternately
In fact, it is difficult to make the same turns, so I prefer to check myself with a caliper so that the plate sits evenly
Also, I recommend to pull the chain a bit to make the link static
Tighten the nuts completely, they have required depth, so it’s impossible to over tighten the link
Plates are fully squeezed, if part of the pin without thread is visible
Now I can snap off the excess part
It is desirable to grind sharp ends
Due to anti-corrosion coating, this chain requires much less lubrication during maintenance.
Plates can be dry, so dust does not stick to them
You should lubricate only seals and rollers
Now it's much more easier to keep the rear wheel clean
At the end, it is necessary to set the chain slack about 25mm on side stand and tighten the wheel axle nut with 85nm
For this bike can be also used EK 520 ZVX3 witch is stronger than OEM 525
Such chain weights like 525 but allows to install lighter sprockets
All parts are available at our shop
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