kmc e10s chain wear on yamaha sduro bikes

[bike_ro]

Hi!

Me and my gf own a haibike sduro fullnine 8.0 and a sduro fullnine 4.0.
8.0 has ~900 km, 4.0 ~ 450Km, original chains.

I bought a chain wear tool from BForce and used it on both chains.
On the chain of 8.0 the tool directly goes into the gap between the links, indicating severe wear ie. replace chain.
On the chain of 4.0 the tool goes into the gap if gently pushed.

Is this premature wear of these chains? Is it something normal for ebikes?

We have been degreasing and lubing the chains after each ride.

 

[Ballynoes]

Realistically, there are too many variables with regards to chain wear.

How hard you pedal, what gears you use, how often you clean it and lube it, what type of conditions are you riding in, ie. mud and sand, or a nice sunny day, and with an Ebike, what power mode are you using. etc etc

All of these will have an impact on chain wear, but your own observations tell you.
The 900Km one has worn and the 450Km one is partially worn, this says it all really.

There are no hard and fast rules with regards to how many miles you will get out of a chain, personally speaking, I would replace mine as often as is required, because if you don’t it will start to wear the cassette and the front sprocket.

I bet there are guys on here who have gone through a chain in less than 300Km

 

[bike_ro]

Ok so I filed a complaint with Kmc and they responded pretty quick, said 1000 Km is way less than the intended lifespan of these chains, they sent me 2 replacement chains.

 

[Ballynoes]

Nice...

Customer service for you, did they say how many Km you should expect.

 

[Chris.]

I just broke a KMC chain so I ordered a Whipperman Connex SE Ebike chain but cant find any reviews or comparative tests for them. Ill post a review once Ive had some miles out of it

 

[Nealh]

My last chains I got were Shimano HG 9sp for about £5 each.

 

[argoose]

I have moved to chain wax. IMHO bike chain oil is too thin to cope with the extra torque of a Ebike.
Putoline heat on camping gas cooker, thoroughly degrease chain, leave in hot wax for 5-10 mins, hang to cool. Normally get two to three rides before waxing again.

 

[bike_ro]

Update 15.08.2019

My bike has now 1700 Km (so 800 Km after the last chain change) and I did a measurement of chain wear - very very very close to 0.75 so I reckon after ~50-100 Km the chain will need to be replaced again.
This time I think I'm also going to change the cassete as well.

I'm extra careful not to change gears when in high torque, clean the chain after each ride, grease it, clean the sprockets, clean the cassetes.

I hate to say it but I don't think that KMC chains are strong enough for long ebike use.
I will file a new complaint with Kmc, of course, but I don't think they'll be sending me new chains this time as well

 

[Fordulike]

I hate to say it but I don't think that KMC chains are strong enough for long ebike use.
I will file a new complaint with Kmc, of course, but I don't think they'll be sending me new chains this time as well

I disagree. I've been using KMC X8 chains on my BBS02 for the last 4000 miles. Never had one break and they last around 1000 miles before I experience gear change problems. The BBS02 produces a boatload of torque, so isn't particularly kind to chains. Admittedly, the chain is probably a bit wider being an 8 speed, so this might explain the durability. I use a dry lube too, so there tends to be less muck clinging to it during a ride, which could result in reduced wear.