I'm with Chalk Two on the ratios...15/46 works well for me. After doing the other mods...DNA /Kev mod and throttle mod the change to 46 rear was a nice fine tune to throttle response. All of the above is wasted though if your chain is dry/loose or badly adjusted.....makes a huge difference on the Tenere! For my money Renthal for sprockets and the best chain you can afford! Steve

Reynolds / DID / Renthal are all very good. I know you know but ensure you get an O or X ring chain as plain chains do wear out a lot quicker and are not the correct chain for the XT's engine.

As for mileage, all of them will last as long as your love does. Keep them clean, tensioned and lubed correctly you'll see anything from 12 - 20 thou miles out of a set. (side bar note - regular aggressive riding / wheelying / dirt riding could equal 50% less life)

Chain breaker?

Well in reality it's not a chain breaker. It's a tool to re rivet the new chain together. If you try and use it to split a chain, you'll split the tool's pins.

To remove an endless chain you either remove the swingarm or cut the chain off with an angle grinder. (unless it has a split link).....or grind the rivet heads of one link flat and push that link out with the errrrrr chain tool.


Split link;-

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1883/...1c20c3eb_n.jpg chkmc-unilink by Chalk Two, on Flickr



Chain tool https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bike-Moto...QAAOSwOMtbbIFc



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1900/...19a0ffa4_n.jpg by Chalk Two, on Flickr


have a look on you tube for chain removal tools.......and ignore any nonsense about not needing to grind a rivet head on chains less than 530 width. Follow that advice and you're highly likely going to bend the tool's pin. To that end, if you're using a grinder to flatten a rivet head you may as well just cut straight through the old chain and be done with it with said grinder.

Many thanks for that comprehensive reply Chalk two.

Iordered a renthal chain kit comprising renthal back and front with tsukabi xring chain from C&B.
I'll order that chain tool you mentioned as well, guessing I'll need it for the complete changeover when I do both sprockets and chain in one go.
Incidentally, I've only done about11k and about 8k the chain started being noisy (I use castrol racing (lube) wax on it) and don't wheelie or go off too harshly either.
Maybe my cleaning regime could have been better. :(

When you get to the bit about undoing the front sprocket nut......here's a thing I came across and it works better than anything else for the home garage guy.

https://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=24240&page=2

Thanks yet again chalk two the bolt idea is simple and I can see 100% effective.

Re the tab, would you know if routinely are supplied with chain kits? I'm guessing not

The front sprocket tab washer is a separate bit of kit.

Check out the link. But it can be found cheaper.

https://www.ajsutton.co.uk/product/y...smission?uid=0

I used to know Sutton's back in the eighties (in whitton, twickenham), had no idea they were the place to go to for parts.
My memory of Gus is one that disn't suffer fools gladly, maybe there's a lot of them in the motorcycle game.
Thanks for the info chalk two, yet again.

Arghh, I should've looked at the chain packet before commencing work.
The chain comes open with a link and the O Rings to join the two ends, in my naivety I assumed there'd be a link to clip on to join the chain like on a cycle.
Clearly, that won't do for a motorcycle.
How do I join the two ends?

use a soft link...basically an open link that you close with a tool or hammer..I would have thought it came with the chain kit tbh

Thanks Nikroc, after doing a little investigation online it would appear the important part is the riveter.
The chain came with a link and the four O rings and link plate to join it up again so I'll buy the "whale" brand that seems universally to be the only one that doesn't bend on use.
But do I need to buy the splitter/riveter version, or is it easy once a chain's links are ground off to remove the chain?
In this instance, as I'm changing the sprockets, I don't need to cut off the chain, itll come off in one piece, but for future if it's easier to grind off the chain than splitting it, I'll do that.
Also, they recommend packing the link with grease, what one should I use?