aftermarket chain question

[g027605]

hi all,

i am prepping my 02 ST for an early August trip from the twin cities to Niagara Falls (the round Lake Superior route) and am planning to replace the chain and sprockets now. I will go from the 19T front to the 18T and leave the rear sprocket the same. In going to a smaller front tooth sprocket do I have to get a chain with fewer links?

The DID website shows (http://www.didchain.com/triumph.htm) the OEM chain for a 19T 02 ST to be a 50(530)ZVM2 with 108 links and for an 18T 00-01ST also as a 50(530)ZVM2 with 116 links. Seems odd to me that there are 8 links different with only 1 tooth, maybe i am ignorant somewhere.

Can I just put an 18T front sprocket on and get the same, "would be" chain as for the 00-01 ST?

The experienced help on this site is great and is appreciated.

Thanks,
Tony

[DFWBiker]

I used the OEM length chain (which happens to be a DID VM530) when I switched to an 18T sprocket on my '04 ST with no problems. The difference in chain travel is very small.

[rodneybrown]

108 links works with 19 and 18T. If you were going up on the back to say 45T you would need 110. The stock chain on all but the older Sprints is a DID 530VM but I guess somewhere in the deep dark past Regina's were stock. When I was buying mine last winter I noticed that some vendors only sold 110's or some other longer length. You have to break the chain anyway so if you have a chain breaker, knocking a couple of links off is no big deal.

[g027605]

Thanks for the help.

You're both right, the OEM is actually the 530VM, i copied the "upgrade" p/n 530ZVM2 on accident.

[Panthers_Den]

So does anyone have any experience with this chain? EK Super Sport Series 530MVX Colored Chain - I was thinking of putting a blue chain on my bike :-D

[cyclebob]

I'm running the earlier ZVM chain. So far 33,000 miles, and still doing fine.