The stock chain is poo. I've got 4900 miles on the bike and mine looks pretty ragged. Not for a lack of cleaning and lubing, my dad is **** about that stuff so I keep it pretty clean. We just ride so much gravel roads and have been riding enough trails that it has taken a beating. The stock chain isn't even an O-ring chain so its no big loss if you have to ditch it.

 

My stock chain is an 'O' ring. Guess we get the good stuff over you guys again.

 

Thanks guys. For now, I actually have to ride to get to the good off-road spots. So I still run stock gearing for the gnarly stuff. Of course if I am trailering to somewhere really good, there's no reason to not go at least 13t up front.

I've got like 4 different orders of crap coming in...I think I'll just pick up the new chain at a dealer.

Why do we always get shafted?!?

 

See and we're exactly 7 miles from my front door to where the trail crosses the road in Livingston, its not another half mile to one trailhead and another mile beyond that to the other trailhead for all the stuff in Camp Livingston. So that is nothing to get to. And the GNARLES BARKLEY stuff up at Breezy Hill is a good trek up the highway, like 16 or 20 miles, with a gas station a little over halfway there, but even then its only buzzing up the highway for that half, and you can run 50 or 55 and not get squished. That's why I'm gonna run 14/47. There's a few different trail systems here in Central Louisiana but they are a bit of a trek to dualsport to THEN ride.

 

I'd suggest 13 / 42 it's a good compromise. AFAIK you guys over there do get the o-ring chain although I would agree it's not great quality. From what I've seen Regina is probably about the best you can buy.

 

My 07, U.S.of A version KLX has the O-ring chain. Are the 09's O-ring-less?

 

06/07 are Orings in the US. I can't imagine 09s are any different.

 

Yeah I'm pretty sure it's an O-ring.

 

I could be mistaken, it wouldn't be the first time.

Its still a POS though. I don't understand why everybody is so bound and determined to use an expensive sprocket setup and yet maintain the stock chain just to tear it all up. /pointless rant

 

That's pushing it. Normally you would need at least a new chain and most likely both spockets by then, unless you have the high $$ Sidewinders or equivalent.