I have seen many a bike with the front sprocket teeth like those in a crack heads mouth... well past their best before date... but while there is wear on the front sprocket - I would say its relatively minor... and assuming the chain itself is OK - should be good for 5000 + miles before it gets to a point it needs changing..... as the chain and sprockets are both from reputable manufacturers... regular cleaning / lube and checking is all that is required.. But that's just my opinion..
I recently had my chain and sprockets changed on my Multi; they had done just over 20,000 miles and the chain had gone beyond the maximum adjustment available - it got very sloppy very quickly!
Just to add to the banter. Some good advice there and to confirm its difficult in a thread with pictures I think you have got your moneys worth out of the chain. I would say around 12k upwards is good. For me its the stretch point thats been mentioned. Turning the chain around and checking for the tight and loose point. Once this is too much. I then change the chain. A few years back, I put off changing my chain wanting to get another couple of thousand out of it. I knew it was near. After a trip to Italy Mugello and back. 400 miles from home the chain link broke......I did get home and put a new set on after and in the future will change a little earlier. Its a story that gets told a lot between my mates...I giggle still when I look back
I think that we have to remember that the chain and sprockets are consumables, if a chain snaps it can trash your engine casing or amputate your leg, or even cause a crash with god knows what results, even high quality sets are less than £300 , I always err on the side of caution and change at 12k max, trying to get monumental mileage’s out of them doesn’t seem worth the potential risks to me.
