I am sure this has been discussed before.  Sorry to ask again, but I could not find what I was looking for in past posts.
I have been told that new chains are stronger and better in general.  I have been told that 530 chains are stronger enough to work fine in a XV920R, similar to the TR1.  I can get 530 chains and rear sprocket, but the hard part is the drive sprocket, often called the pinion.  Does anyone know of a Yamaha front sprocket fitment for this bike?  Does it require shims or special machining to do this?
The goal is reduced weight, friction, and therefore a modest improvement in response and power.
Can you direct me to previous posts about this?

Every now and then there's a combined order done in this forum to have a bunch of 530 front sprockets made. If you have access to a spark eroder, you can also modify an XS650 item.

Cheers,
Greg

Thank you for your reply.
The translator may not be very clear.  I am not sure what a spark eroder is.
What modification needs to be done to an XS650 drive sprocket?

You have to make two holes through hardened steel, which even with carbide drills is going to be very unpleasant. Hence you can do it with electricity, i.e. a spark erosion machine.

Cheers,
Greg

That is a very specialized process.  Very cool, but probably not available to me at a reasonable cost.  For just one XS650 sprocket, drilling slowly is probably my answer.
Is that the only machining to be done on an XS650 drive sprocket to get a 530 chain conversion done?
By the way, I have two SR500 motorcycles!  One stock and another being converted back from a race bike to a street legal cafe racer.

Hi Grandparipper,

Why do you want to use the 530 chain?
The original 630 does its job perfectly,...lasts over 100,000 km, runs smoothly
over the sprockets, no wear, no noise.
The only advantage I see is, a 530 is easier to get in the shop, ...but costs the same.
But how often do you change the chain / 100.000 km ??
Or have you removed the chain case (very big mistake)?? ...because then you will
have wear on the chain wheels and will face the same problem again the next
time you change them.
Greetings Bruno 8-)

Thank you Bruno.
This bike is a new purchase and I am looking it over carefully.  The bike has 83,00 km on it.  I do not trust the chain as it has a few stiff spots where it appears to be binding up a little bit.  The bike is old, so age is probably more of an issue than km.  When replacing a chain, you should replace the sprockets too.  I always ask myself, is there a performance upgrade available?  As I said in my post, newer chains are better and stronger.  A 530 chain is strong enough, yet lighter, so it should accelerate faster and have less friction.
This is not a race bike, so a logical question is, will I notice any difference?  Will it be a pain in the ass to do the change?  Am I saving any money?
You are probably right to just stay stock, but it is winter and I have the time to investigate it before springtime riding season.

Thank you Bruno.
This bike is a new purchase and I am looking it over carefully.  The bike has 83,00 km on it.  I do not trust the chain as it has a few stiff spots where it appears to be binding up a little bit.  The bike is old, so age is probably more of an issue than km.  When replacing a chain, you should replace the sprockets too.  I always ask myself, is there a performance upgrade available?  As I said in my post, newer chains are better and stronger.  A 530 chain is strong enough, yet lighter, so it should accelerate faster and have less friction.
This is not a race bike, so a logical question is, will I notice any difference?  Will it be a pain in the ass to do the change?  Am I saving any money?
You are probably right to just stay stock, but it is winter and I have the time to investigate it before springtime riding season.

Sorry for the double post.
I do like the chain case, so I am not removing it.  That is one of the design features that I really like about the bike!

Grandparipper wrote:

The bike has 83,00 km on it.

So the chain will be as good as new, at least if there is some oil or fluid grease in the case and noone has tensioned it too much.


Quote:

I do not trust the chain as it has a few stiff spots where it appears to be binding up a little bit.

Is/Was there enough fluid grease or oil in the chain case? Then normally nothing can happen to the chain. If there is some oil in the base of the case, so that the chains runs through the oil in the lower rubber tube, this will be enough. The tension should be so that the rivets of the chain are on the height of the lower mark at the opening of the rear chain case.


Quote:

This is not a race bike, so a logical question is, will I notice any difference?

I dont think so.


Quote:

Will it be a pain in the ass to do the change?

Definitely!

Salute....

If the bike has not been moving for years, it is possible that the grease has
dried out a bit, which affects mobility.
Put the bike on the main stand and let the engine run with the gear engaged
for 10 minutes, ... the chain is like new again. (... with grease in the box, of course.)
If the sprockets have no (minimal) wear, the chain is also in OK.
The weight should only make a difference of about 200g,
depending on the model (American / European).

I think the increase in performance is a fairy tale, ... go to the toilet before
the trip and only eat something after the trip,
... and you will have a better increase in performance / acceleration. 😁Hi, hi ...

One more note: Under no circumstances should a chain with an O-ring
be placed in the chain case, otherwise it will destroy the chain and the
rubber hoses of the chain case!!!
Greetings Bruno 8-)

Thank you Bruno and Hornschorsch.
Perhaps I am chasing an illusion and creating extra work!
I will heed your expertise and stay with the existing nu630 chain.  I think I will measure the chain to look for any excessive elongation and wear.  There was a small amount of grease in the case and the chain was very oiled up.  Should I at least wipe it down and add fresh grease?
The bike needs to be cleaned up thoroughly, but it was a daily runner according to the previous owner.
It is a Canadian bike and I live in the USA, so it would be easier on the rider to have a speedometer reading in MPH instead of KMH.  Both of you have other Yamahas.  Were their speedometers of that era calibrated the same?  Could I use an XS400, XS650, or RD350 speedo without changing any gearing inside?
Thank you again!

Hi, ...

...fresh grease would be advisable. Use lithium grease (specifications), which
is very pressure-stable in the joints, ...although other greases can also be used.

Tip: Pay attention to the ventilation in the chain case, see answer #17:
https://www.tr1.de/pages/forum.php?iQuery=num=1700227351/17

Speedometer see here:
https://www.tr1.de/pages/forum.php?iQuery=num=1728890516/0
Greetings Bruno 8-)

Ps. Take a photo of the bike.

Noch ein Hinweis: Unter keinen Umständen sollte eine Kette mit einem O-Ring
im Kettenkasten platziert werden, sonst wird die Kette beschädigt und die
zerstöre die Gummischläuche des Kettenschutzes!!!

Ich fahre seit 16 Jahren mit einer O-Ring-Kette und habe mittlerweile 60.000 km zurückgelegt.
Kein Fett im Gummischlauche und einmal pro Jahr einen Klecks Fahrradfett (Kugellagerfett) auf die Innenseite der Kette auftragen.
In all den Jahren musste ich die Kette nur zweimal nachspannen!

Yamaroel,
You say not to use an O-ring chain, then you say you have done it for 60,000 km?
Did you remove the enclosure?

Dieser Kommentar stammte von Bschneider2000 und ich habe darauf geantwortet.

Grandparipper (btw, whats your real name?), Roel cited Bruno but he did not mark it as a cite. In general Bruno is right, a chain with o-rings should not be placed into the chain case. And there should be some fluid grease or oil in the chain case, the oil transports the heat from the chain to the case. If it works for Roel this is fine but its not neccessary. Just keep the original chain and go riding! ;-)

At 83,000km the chain has barely been run in. So far I only had to swap chains twice, once at around 130,000km, because I couldn't get a new (or used) clip-link for the DID 630 chain and one at 160,000km because a friend didn't trust it anymore. This one is now covered in oily grease, so I have a spare chain, should I need one. It has no discernible wear on it. Same goes for the sprockets.

Regarding the stiff links: oil the chain up with some penetrating oil, wait for a few days, then reinstall it with plenty of fresh grease. Check a few times for odd noises and once it has lasted 50km or so, give it a good handful on the Autobahn until the enclosure is nicely hot.

Cheers,
Greg

Thank you all.
I will clean and re-lube the chain, inspect carefully the sprockets, clean and re-load the case and tubes with grease, then ride it for a nice long trip.  
By the way, I have ridden for several trips, including one for over an hour since I purchased it, so it has had time to heat up, melt the grease, and flow through the links.  
Thank you all for your help and insights!  I appreciate it.
More updates as I go through the rest of the cleanup and improvements!

Hello Grandparipper,

...belated "Happy birthday and everything Good",
... and safe journey.
Bruno 8-)