had a great chat with a real chain geek today - and learnt so much!
he is a IWIS dealer and i have bought some great chain off him. the quality of the IWIS is sooooo superior to anything else i have worked with so far!
essentially, what he said was that you need the lightest chain you can for a camchain, the inertia itself causes it's own wear. i said that i needed a few wide split links if he did them to which he replied that you shouldn't put a new link on an old chain or it will snap. what you should do is fit the old split link if you can. if you have to fit a new link then try to at least use the old side plate.
essentially, a new link is under a tremendous amount of pressure all the time and eventually, under the enormous stress of a single, the speed of a motorcycle engine: will see it break!
so from now on, soft link engines will be given a new chain and split link and splint link chains will be passed as ok!
he recommends the 'C' clips over split links as well although i said i was as blind as a bat and drooped them in the engine!
so i suggest those of you that prefer a soft link have a rethink on it?
regards
Taffy
