O ring chain vs non O ring chain 250r

[jdowd123]

Just bought a 85r that came with a blue chain on it that is a o ring chain. Not a big fan of a blue colored chain. The guy gave me the old that does not have the o rings does it really matter putting a non o ring chain on a 85 250r

[just ben]

non oring chains require more maintenance And have a shorter life on any machine. Will it drive fine? yes but I would take any oring chain over a standard chain

[ebaccm26]

I agree, if I am replacing a non o-ring chain I always replace it with an o-ring chain.

[Gripit'n'ripit]

O-ring all the way.

[wonderboy]

I think o-ring (or the fancier x-ring) is the way to go. It allows you to be much lazier about chain maintenance without worry about wearing it out too quickly. I'm going on 3 seasons on my 350x with an X-ring chain and haven't really even had to adjust the chain tension since after the initial installation (it isn't stretching or wearing out).

[El Camexican]

The only places I know of where a non-O ring chain is preferred over an O-ring chain is on a drag bike, or a factory sponsored MX bike that can afford a new chain after a couple of motos. The reason for this is that o ring chains have a fair bit of resistance when cold and something like a drag bike never sees grit anyway. I’d never intentionally run a non O ring chain on any off-road vehicle.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I have a heavy duty X-ring chain on my 350r. I only have to adjust my chain about every 15-20 hours of operation. Mantainence is simple, I use a quality dry o-ring chain lube. Hit it quick before every ride. My chain is holding up to the power and abuse great. Well worth the extra money in my opinion...

[Mr350x]

I have heard from honda world a local dealer not to get an o-ring chain if you ride the dunes.. It will wear out faster I guess from all the sand

[El Camexican]

I have a heavy duty X-ring chain on my 350r. I only have to adjust my chain about every 15-20 hours of operation. Mantainence is simple, I use a quality dry o-ring chain lube. Hit it quick before every ride. My chain is holding up to the power and abuse great. Well worth the extra money in my opinion...

Yep, I've never regretted spending money on a good chain.

[El Camexican]

I have heard from honda world a local dealer not to get an o-ring chain if you ride the dunes.. It will wear out faster I guess from all the sand

I haven't ridden in sand much, but I'd love to hear the reasoning behind that claim if anyone here can explain it to me.

[Mr350x]

Ill ask them tomorrow when i go in.. If I remember right he said its because the sand tears up the o-rings

[atc500x]

Keep the o-ring chain,if the problem is just the color,paint it
O-ring chain is a lot better,and quiet compared to a standard chain

Just bought a 85r that came with a blue chain on it that is a o ring chain. Not a big fan of a blue colored chain. The guy gave me the old that does not have the o rings does it really matter putting a non o ring chain on a 85 250r

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I have heard the same thing about running in sand around other circles. Seems I have read advice from duners that the o-rings actually catch and retain sand which takes out the o-rings and wears the links faster. It makes sense to me, but I have no personal experience to back that up.

[dustrunner]

yep, the o ring chain's are only a few $ more and you DO get what you pay for....

[Red Rider]

All I've ever used are O-ring & X-ring chains, and 90% of my riding is sand. If the sand eroded my O-rings, it wasn't obvious. The links never got any slop in them & the chains hold up just fine. Riding in sand, I'd be more concerned with sand sticking to a freshly lubed chain and causing premature sprocket wear, than I would be about O-ring wear. Either way, the wear is negligible. My last chain purchase was a DID gold X-ring, and I couldn't be happier. It's a great chain at a decent price.

Here's my order of preference:
1. X-ring
2. O-ring
3. Standard