Running the Mini Bike or Go-Kart with the wrong-sized chain can cause chain stretching, Sprocket wear, and ultimately chain breakage. Therefore, it is wise to save yourself problems by acquiring the chain that can handle the engine’s power.
Mini Bikes and Go-karts with the Engine that generates less than twenty hp power ought to make use of one of the roller chains #35, 40, 41, or 420. If your engine generates more than twenty hp power, then a #428 or a #50 roller chains ought to be utilized.
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Chain Size Chart:
When choosing between diverse chains, there are just three things that you ought to take into consideration, they are: Tensile Strength, roller width, and pitch of the Chain. The tensile strength is the load at which a chain will actually break; Roller width and pitch are the physical measurements.
| Chain | Pitch | Roller Width | Average Tensile Strength (Lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| #420 | 1/2″ | 1/4″ | 3,700 |
| #41 | 1/2″ | 1/4″ | 2000 |
| #40 | 1/2″ | 5/16″ | 3,700 |
| #35 | 3/8″ | 3/16″ | 2,100 |
| #428 | 1/2″ | 5/16″ | 4,200 |
| #50 | 5/8″ | 3/8″ | 6,100 |
There are numerous other roller chains available in the market as well, but these six chains on the table are great for almost each Mini-Bike and Go-kart. Chains that have higher Tensile Strength will be capable of handling more powerful engines, while a go-kart that has a six to seven-hp engine would not need such chains.
Shifter karts (utilized for Go-kart racing) make use of #428 chains; likewise, Go-karts with motorcycle engines or heavily modified Go-kart Engines that generate more than forty hp power make use of #50 chain.
Both of such chains can resist lots of power but charge much more than the normal chain. Since the majority of individuals don’t make use of the engine that generates more than fifteen hp, #35, 41, 40, and 420 are the only ones we’ll go through.
So, which one out of such four chains should you make use of?
Difference Between 40 Chain And 420 Chain:
Both 40 and 420 chains come with the same pitch and tensile strength; the only main difference is the inner plates’ width of #40 is bigger than #420 by 1/16 inches. 420, 41, and 40 chains all come with the same pitch (1/2 inches) and make use of the same sprocket, albeit the roller width isn’t identical. The difference is small and would not cause any problem. However, the 420 chain is more well-known than the #40 chain because it’s a tighter fit on the majority of sprockets in comparison.
Difference Between #420 And #41 Chain:
The #41 chain isn’t actually as strong as the #420 and#40 chains and will break at a much lower weight in comparison to such two chains. It can be utilized with engines that generate up to five hp power. The #41 chain has the same roller width and pitch as #420, but the plates are shorter and thinner; therefore, it’ll deform simpler in comparison; therefore, it’s not as well-known as the 420 and 40 chains.
Difference Between #35 And #420 Chain:
Both will make use of a diverse sprocket. A #35 sprocket would not fit a #420 sprocket and vice versa. The #420 chain is actually 1.75 times heavier than the thirty-five chains and can resist nearly two times more load. However, there are diverse variations of these chains, such as 35-1, 35-2…35-5, that come with more weight and strength. The 35-1 is the most simply accessible.
Because of the lightweight nature of these chains, they are well-known for racing purposes; there are some #35 chains created for performance Go-karts like the Gold Extreme #35, which are light and can still handle powerful engines.
Another main point is that the #35 chain’s sprockets are frequently smaller than 420, 41, and 40 sprockets. So you can make use of the axle sprocket that has more teeth without having clearance problems. You will also discover that the clutches that make use of the #35 chains have twelve or fourteen teeth in comparison to ten teeth on the 420 chain clutches. Therefore, it is simpler to gear the minibike/go-kart high with the #35 chain.
How Can You Identify The Drive Chain?
The simplest method of telling them apart is actually by measuring their pitch. The 1st digit of the chain size in the Roller chain defines the chain’s pitch, Pitch = (First digit x 1/8). For instance, the number three in the #35 chain tells that the pitch is 3/8 inches.
Similarly, #40, 420, and 41 have a pitch of 4/8 inches, and #50 has a 5/8 inches pitch. For measuring the pitch, you have to make use of 3/8 inches and a ½ inches wrench or any other apparatus from which you can calculate the distance between the tips of two teeth.
To tell the #40 chain apart from the 420 and 41 chains, you will need to calculate the distance between their inner plates. And lastly, for telling a #420 and#41 apart, you will have to calculate the pin diameter (420 chains have a little larger pin diameter).
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