New chain & sprockets

[andyajaxfreeman]

Hi all! I'm new to biking, had my fazer 600 (2005) since October last year. My local bike dealer and also a friend with some knowledge about bikes told me I need a new chain soon..ish. Also advised to change the sprockets at the same time.
Now I would like to become more mechanically minded and with the help of someone who knows what they are doing I would like to replace the chain and sprockets myself. Do any of you think this is unwise? If you think it's best for me to get my bike dealer to do this for me then I would appreciate your input.
Anyone who thinks its okay to do this myself with help from someone who knows what they are doing then what chain and sprockets would you recommend/where to buy them from?
Cheers, andy

[Grahamm]

Definitely always change the chain and sprockets together, doing only one is liable to cause wear on the other, shortening the life of both.

Last time I got mine done I was hoping to do what you wanted, ie get someone to coach me through the process, unfortunately I couldn't get that sorted out, but if you can learn from someone who knows what they're doing then you should be able to do it yourself the next time

[AdieR]

The chain and sprockets should come as a complete kit (front sprocket, back sprocket and chain), so do the lot together.

Arm yourself with a Haynes manual, some decent tools (Halfords do decent tools for reasonable money), and if you can't get a knowledgeable friend to help you then look at YouTube for videos to give you an idea.

If you buy a good quality chain / sprocket kit (DID for example) and look after it, you should get 20k+ miles from it.

[JoeRock]

The sets I've used for every other bike I've ever had have been:
OE front (most manufacturers incorporate a rubber bushing into their front sprockets which makes the drive drain drastically quieter, aftermarket ones don't tend to have this)
Some kind of decent x-ring chain, tsubaki or DID - as said above if you look after it they'll last a yonk
Supersprox rear: They're alloy sprockets with hardened steel teeth, so are both light and very strong, and they look the dog's danglies. Come in all kinds of sizes if you want to change the gearing around!

[chaz]

not an easy job, you need a chain splitter to remove a link in the chain and have to rivet the new chain on, no split links. Also get a new lock washer and uprated nut for the front sprocket if one hasn't been fitted and use loc-tite on it, as they can come loose, as I said not an easy job and not done properly can be dangerous?

[tosh23]

Have you got a decent socket set ? You need a socket of around 30mm ( off the top of my head)
Have you got a dremel tool or some other small grinder ?
You will need to buy a chain rivet tool ( you cant do the job without this)
If the answer to all of the above is YES then I would go for it..
If you have a good internet connection then go on you tube and watch hundreds of videos all doing the same thing, replacement of chain and sprockets...
How much would a dealer charge for the work ...£30 maybe..you could buy a rivet tool for the same price and keep the tool for life , plus you have the satisfaction of doing it yourself......good luck, tosh

[andyajaxfreeman]

Cheers for advice guys but in the end for £50 the guy at the bike shop had the problem b4 that I was experiencing. A loud clunking noise when I was in motion (only in gear) wasn't a worn chain or tight chain that some were saying to me apparently it was the gear sprocket had shifted a little and wasn't catching properly. Glad I did ask the manager to take a quick spin as he had this same problem before and it saved me from potentially doing some unnecessary work and maybe cocking it up even more.