Advertisement picks for the 3d show holes in the inner gold plates and the outer black plates with beveling. Sharp looking chain. The ZVX3 shows holes in the inner plates only. Is it marketing?
I don't know.

The ZZZ was 5 lb 11.9 oz, OEM DID chain was 5 lbs 10.6 oz.

have scale pics if you want me to post.

How about this one?
https://www.amazon.ca/EK-Chain-530-Premium-Application/dp/B00M9NEVYM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1460217810&sr=8-5&keywords=ek+3d+530
Are 120 links the correct one?

Sorry I missed that one Pirate. Yeah, that'd be the one to go with. 120 pins will do it. You probably had to take a few links out which normally you need to do.

The 3D is stronger than the EK ZZZ and both weigh exactly the same. And I believe both are just about the same weight as OEM. The OEM chain was 116 pins, ZZZ was 118 pins. The extra link on the ZZZ probably accounts for the additional oz of weight.

https://hayabusa.org/forum/threads/need-a-new-chain-zzz-530-discontinued.193645/page-2 

* Last updated by: Rook on 2/23/2018 @ 7:59 PM *

And that motion pro chain alignment tool worked great for me.

Thanks, Maybe I will give one a try.

I would always go with DID chain. Not saying other brands are less but just personal preference. Don’t get hung up on getting a chain with holes in the side plates. It may be lighter but we’re talking minimal weight loss and it isn’t rotating mass in the same way that wheels are where the weight is unsprung and also creates more gyroscopic effect. Chain is more reciprocating mass. If you like the look of holed side plates then I guess that’s reason enough to get one but don’t expect any noticeable performance gain is all I’m sayin’. JMO

I'm thinking about the new chain for the busa which has 11,000 miles. The EK I have on the 14 might last forever so I'm glad I went with something lighter is how I see it. One mistake I made was not measuring the distance across x# of links when it was new. The recommended chain stretch service limit should still hold true though.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/3/2018 @ 4:07 PM *

My EK 3DZ black/gold 530 3D/K-120 will be delivered tomorrow from a point in Texas. I paid $175.04 for it.

I was doing some searching and thought I'd add some info to this thread. The EK chain tool is not necessarily a lifetime investment. The second time I used it, the threads galled. I used it one time after that and it worked. I don't know if it would make it through a fourth use. A couple of the male threads are pretty rough. It's probably a good idea to hacksaw the old chain rather than use the chain toll to press a pin out. That'll save some wear on the tool.

Also, I bought an EK 3D and it was a couple oz heavier than the old EK ZZZ with the lightening holes in the outer plates. I made my 3D one link less than I had my EK ZZZ and the 3D was still about an ounce heavier.

Rook,
Cool heads up on chains here.
-Quick links might not be a good idea due to
higher speeds than dirt bikes. (duly noted)
-...and peg scrapper mentioned paraffin or diesel
for cleaning.
---
What do you recommend for cleaning, kerosene, diesel oil, or?
---
I'D just been using dish soap on my other bikes
---
Is DuPont Chain Saver-Saver - Wax Based Lubricant a good choice
for lube, some people don't lube chains at all, in some environments
the external lubing just builds up gunk everywhere, dirt, sand
etc.
--
Is the OEM chain on ZX14R the sealed O-ring style?
--
I have 5200 miles on my bike now, when should I start thinking
about chain replacement?
--
By the way, my notifications are still hit and miss..

* Last updated by: Stratovarious on 11/16/2025 @ 3:54 AM *

-Quick links might not be a good idea due to
higher speeds than dirt bikes. (duly noted)

"quick links" probably refers to the clip master link. I'd stay away from those.

What do you recommend for cleaning, kerosene, diesel oil, or?

I used WD-40 one time, maybe two and I noticed black whiskers stuck all around my rear rim. It didn't look like whole pieces of O-ring but undoubtedly, it was partial pieces of O-ring. I've only used kerosene ever since and never seen this happen again. I remember Hub suggesting the possible use of chain lube as a cleaner. That would be a little costly to use as a cleaner but it definitely wouldn't damage O-rings. Maxima makes a silicone chain lube that stays oily after the propellant dries out of it. The wax chain lube gets sticky very quickly and seems like it would be hard to wipe off. I'm going to keep using kerosene. Wipe it off, take a quick ride to fling as much out as possible, then spay on the lube.

BTW, I know you've maintained other bikes but I usually feel I should mention for anyone who might read: never run the rear wheel with the engine while the bike's on a stand to clean the chain. I remember a post from years back where a guy cut his fingers off. It can happen so easy. Looks like people are still having this accident so it's probably a good thing to bring up in these discussions.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1996529647535547/posts/2105929379928906/

I'D just been using dish soap on my other bikes

never tried it but they use it on baby ducks so I imagine it's safe for chains! Dawn takes grease out of your way! The only problem I can see is you'd have to use water to rinse the dish soap. ...not that water will destroy the chain. People ride in the rain, a quick ride should fling most of the water out, a shot of lube probably displaces any moisture left over. A solvent like kerosene dissolves the old lube on contact. Kerosene has a small amount of oil in it that probably acts as some kind of lube for the sprockets while doing a fling-off run. Kerosene doesn't damage O-rings. I don't see a problem with using dish soap but this is the only time I've ever heard anyone mention it. The owners manual and SM spec kerosene and it's worked well for me.

Is DuPont Chain Saver-Saver - Wax Based Lubricant a good choice
for lube, some people don't lube chains at all, in some environments
the external lubing just builds up gunk everywhere, dirt, sand
etc.

The only lubes I've used are Maxima wax and Maxima silicone lubes. I think the silicone one is good for cool weather riding if you live in a colder climate. The wax one sticks to the chain very well but if it's cold out, it might not soften up enough to lubricate as effectively as it was intended.

I've heard of people not lubing chains. The actual lube is factory applied grease contained in the rollers. That's supposed to remain closed in by the O-rings. I'd think it's a good thing to have lube for the chain running on the sprockets though and it can't hurt to have a moisture resistant film on the chain to deter rust. Plus, if you do have some broken or loosely sealed O-rings after the chain has some wear, it's gotta be a good thing to get some lube in there. Sure lube causes dirt and grit to accumulate. It seems the plusses of chain lube outweigh the minuses IMO.

Never tried the Du-Pont stuff. It's probably very similar to Maxima Chain Wax. I like Maxima, the smell kind of reminds me of ear wax with a little perfume in it.

Is the OEM chain on ZX14R the sealed O-ring style?

Yes. You'll have to do some searching to find a chain that doesn't have some kind of rubber seal on the rollers. A non-Oring chain produces less drag but it has to be lubed extremely often. It's a bad choice for a street bike and even race people have said it's not worth the maintenance required to exploit the small advantage.

I have 5200 miles on my bike now, when should I start thinking
about chain replacement?

My Gen1 had 52,000 miles on it and I had just replaced the chain for the third time. It was OEM chain, EK ZZZ and then EK 3D. ...so it's about every 25 thousand miles for me. There's a test outlined in the SM to determine when the chain has reached its service limit. You hang a 20 lb weight on the chain and measure across 20 links. Do that on several points around the chain because some sections might stretch more than others. I always changed my chain before it looked like it was reaching the service limit.

By the way, my notifications are still hit and miss..

I just come here and click SHOW NEW MESSAGES at the top. LOL most of the new messages are your threads!

* Last updated by: Rook on 11/16/2025 @ 5:27 AM *