YBN (Yaban) Self Lube Chain; First Impressions
01-05-12, 09:14 PM
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YBN (Yaban) Self Lube Chain; First Impressions
O.K., I bought two YBN SLF chains and installed them on My EZ Sport LWB Recumbent. These chains are prelubed at the factory and the lube is sealed in the pin/roller area. Supposedly, you never have to re-lube and they last longer than regular chains. I figured I would try them just to see.
Up front, they missed the point on sealing in lube and had the sticky stuff all over the outside of the chain. Having seals on the pins/roller interface means you can't use harsh cleaners to get it off. Also, because the lube is sealed in, there's no need for more on the outside. It will just attract dirt.
Second, their master links are curved, so they conform to the curvature of the gears & pulleys. O.K., except it goes over one pulley upside down, so the curve is of no benefit. No biggie, I just used some SRAM master links I already had. Problem solved.
On the first ride I was impressed. Extremely quiet chain, which shifted perfectly. Of course, one would expect this from a brand new chain. Yet the quietness really caught my attention. Better than my usual SRAM PC 991 chains. So far, It looks good. I'll keep you posted as the chain gets more use. bk
Up front, they missed the point on sealing in lube and had the sticky stuff all over the outside of the chain. Having seals on the pins/roller interface means you can't use harsh cleaners to get it off. Also, because the lube is sealed in, there's no need for more on the outside. It will just attract dirt.
Second, their master links are curved, so they conform to the curvature of the gears & pulleys. O.K., except it goes over one pulley upside down, so the curve is of no benefit. No biggie, I just used some SRAM master links I already had. Problem solved.
On the first ride I was impressed. Extremely quiet chain, which shifted perfectly. Of course, one would expect this from a brand new chain. Yet the quietness really caught my attention. Better than my usual SRAM PC 991 chains. So far, It looks good. I'll keep you posted as the chain gets more use. bk
01-06-12, 02:34 AM
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Maybe the stuff on the outside doubles as rust inhibitor. If so, it sounds like you are still going to have to clean and rerust inhibit. If not, they definately missed their own point.
How does the price compare?
How does the price compare?
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Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
01-06-12, 04:39 AM
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The chains were $32.00 each which is a little less than I have been paying for the SRAM chains. As for rust, they are nickle plated, so a light oil or vacuum packaging would have done the trick. bk
01-06-12, 06:29 AM
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Oh. Maybe they were packed by an Army Maintenance Depot. Them guys just love Cosmoline.
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Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
01-06-12, 08:42 AM
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I'm surprise the curved side plates of the master link were an issue with the chain passing over the pulleys as it's the chains rollers that ride over the pulleys. The side plates only retain the chain laterally so, within reason, their shape should be immaterial in this regard.
