How To Tell If My Chain Is Stock?

If it is covered with surface corrosion, its OEM. Simples!

 

You should regularly check the chain tension as per the owner's manual. By the time you get 'sharks teeth' on the sprockets you will have been riding for far too long with a dangerously slack chain. If the chain is too slack there is a danger that it will jump a tooth on the sprocket and come off, with potentially fatal consequences. In the UK a slack chain will cause the bike to fail the annual MOT inspection.

Adjusting the chain is a 15min job and one of the most basic forms of maintenance that a rider should master after oil level and tyre pressure checks IMHO.

 

Rex, you can measure the "stretch" in the chain by checking its length under tension against its length compressed https://www.renthal.com/road/chain-and-chainwheel and some bike manufacturers specify the allowable stretch in the owners manual. Looking for sharks teeth is easier if you have a new sprocket to compare. If you look at the teeth driving the faces compared to the trailing faces you will be able to see it. If there is any hooking or straightening of the tooth driving face the sprocket is way beyond acceptable wear. OEM chains rust the same as aftermarket if they are not protected from corrosion and Ducati use reputable chain suppliers like Regina, AFAM, Tsubaki and DID as OEM with the same spec as the replacement branded ones. For chains and sprockets, cheap is not good as they wear quickly and tend to get tight spots readily which means quicker sprocket wear. If you have original sprockets its likely the original chain at 8k miles. Finally, if the chain is very slack when you first see a prospective purchase it is a primary indicator of bad maintenance of the bike and to avoid it.

 

Beat me to it!

 

My OEM chain isn't covered in corrosion. Its 5 years old and done 12.5K and even though I have a gold DID chain sitting waiting, I see zero reason to change it as its perfectly fine

 

To be fair, I have never had any corrosion issues on the x4 Ducatis that I have owned. It’s only those pesky mutley owners that seem to have issues. (dives for cover!)

 

Mine is a Mutley - see post above yours lol

 

Are you starting a collection of stock superbike chains @RexDangerVest ?
Cheaper than collecting the whole bikes, but a bit niche!

 

Ducati don't make chains any more than they do batteries, shocks or oil filters, they just buy what they can get the best deal on at the time. Therefore what is 'stock' on your bike might not be on the following batch of the same model that they build that year. So I really wouldn't get hung up on a 'stock' chain or next you'll be concerned about pumping the tyres up with air that's not 'factory'

If your chain is good, it's good. If it's worn out replace it. But what I'll virtually guarantee you is that the replacement you buy from a Ducati dealer will be a different make by the time you buy the next one.

 

That is a DID chain Rex. OEM should have been Regina so it has likely been changed mate

 

A worn chain will pull back off the rear sprocket.

 

Stock sprockets could have been left in place. Not everyone renews chains as a set

It is even possible that it is the OE chain, DID did supply Ducati in the past but I do not have data for which models. With it being self-colour rather than gold, that would make sense. If you can find V or VA on a link, that would confirm OE. Aftermarket it would be VX or VMX

Its not a big thing either way really.

 

I thought that on my first Mutley, then it snapped at 11400 miles with no prior warning or obvious wear, and when it broke, the swing arm, chain guard and crank case were all damaged. I'm fecking anal about chains and kept it tensioned, cleaned and lubed beyond whats considered normal. This was on my first Mutley and was an OEM superb (on the face of it) condition chain. The OEM chains are shit, swap out as soon as possible, they rust like fuck and in this instance, broke.

 

My stock chain was DID (2002 MY) and I had to change it around 10,500 miles as the MOT man was getting concerned with the sidewards play, he reckoned it was in snapping territory, replaced with gold DID chain and JT sprocket set - the stock sprockets were still good after 10,500 miles.

It would appear that all that is stamped DID is not the same.....

 

My one that broke was Regina iirc, and I wasn't the only person I know who had issues with them, the OEM regina types are double dog shit !!

 

From what I have gathered - through hearsay - is Regina chains are good for racers who want really light stuff to replace every race - otherwise, other manufacturers are available