It seems like a holy grail of motorcycle technology has finally been created thanks to BMW and Regina, with the companies announcing the development of a maintenance free chain - a world first.
BMW has long been associated with the shaft-drive as its preferred method of transferring power to the rear wheel, but since the introduction of the F650 in 1993 the brand has seen the chain final drive become a common sight within BMW’s range.
The reason behind the shaft-drive historically being the preference for BMW is all to do with the low maintenance nature, but BMW is now bringing to market a chain that they claim is just as low maintenance as a shaft-drive.
Dubbed the BMW M Endurance chain, the chain is has been developed in conjunction with Regina and is a development of X-ring chain technologies.
In a nutshell, the M Endurance chain has a resident permanent lubricant filling between the rollers and pins, enclosed by X-rings which means that – in theory – the chain won’t require external lubrication or tightening over time.
BMW hasn’t divulged how this new extra strong chain will impact sprocket wear, but they have gone into detail on just how they achieved the low maintenance qualities of the chain itself.
The massive gains came about by using a new coating material for the chain rollers called tetrahedrally amorphous carbon (ta-C), which is also known as industrial diamond. While it won’t be winning you any brownie points with the Mrs. when you bring it hone in its box, this coating is characterised by extreme hardness and resistance, meaning it will not wear off with use according to BMW.
At the time of launch the M Endurance chain is only available in a 525 pitch, which makes it suitable for a narrow selection of models: the BMW S1000RR and BMW S1000XR to be precise, although BMW Motorrad promises to release a wider range in the future.
The M Endurance chain is available as an accessory or directly from the factory as an option, however BMW Motorrad New Zealand is yet to announce pricing and availability of these at the time of writing.