Regina: Part 1
All about chains – A much overlooked, important component on your bike.
One of our readers emailed us asking the question “Why should I care about motorcycle chains?” So, here is our answer.
We were invited along to an Autocycle dealer evening to bring everybody up to speed on the latest chain technology. They are the importers and distributors of Regina motorcycle chains out of Italy – and you know they are good when companies like KTM use them as OEM equipment on their Motocross bikes and BMW Motorrad insist on them as OEM cam chains.
In fact, at BMW’s behest, Regina has developed a brand new maintenance free chain, which we will delve into a bit deeper just now.
A little history from the Regina Website
Regina Group is a developer and manufacturer of standard and special roller chains and conveyor chains, belts and components. With its long-standing technical knowledge, manufacturing know-how and diversified product range, the group is able to offer solutions to a widespread global portfolio of markets.
Established in 1919, Regina has been owned and operated by the same family since its inception and is currently on the fourth generation of that same family.
The Group operates in three main business sectors:
Industrial Chains and Components:
roller chains and related components for standard and special industrial applications.
Conveyor Chains, Belts and Components:
Stainless steel and plastic chains, belts and components for the beverage, packaging, glass, food industries and for many more applications.
Motorcycle Chains:
Primary and secondary transmission chains, timing chains, tensioners and other devices for motorcycle applications.
Regina offers technical and applications know-how when it comes to chains and related products, with an advanced research and development, and extensive experience on steel and plastic materials and solid in-house manufacturing capabilities, providing solutions and support to leading operators across a broad set of industrial sectors.
They operate worldwide through fully owned commercial and manufacturing subsidiaries with strong local technical knowledge and a large stock and a capillary network of local distributors and agents.
Regina’s success stems from a long history of dedication and commitment towards continuous progress and innovation, always seeking new horizons to maximise performance and reliability.
The general gist of this get together was to introduce Regina’s maintenance free chain, formerly squarely aimed at super powerful, high output bikes primarily in a 525 pitch has now finally been made available to medium displacement motorcycles.
New HPE Chain
The new 520 pitch HPE chain contains all the unique features of its bigger sister, chief amongst which is the Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon, (ta-C) coating developed by Regina and applied to the surfaces of the chains bushes and rollers.
Regina guarantees improved wear resistance, smoothness and, above all, allows for the elimination of periodic re-lubrication required by the rider every 800 km. A feature, currently exclusive to Regina, that in addition to increasing the chain, and by default the sprockets, efficiency and longevity, will also keep the green guys happy by minimizing the environmental impact caused by splashes of lubricants whilst riding or run off into the waterways every time you clean, service and lubricate your chain. Another talking point on the evening was the fact that due to the popularity and demand for the product, Regina has managed to increase their production volumes which have allowed them to develop economies of scale that have allowed them to reduce their overall production costs, giving them a better competitive edge in the market when it comes to pricing.
A point to consider is the cost of ownership
A top quality chain and sprocket set might have your eyes watering a little bit, but in all likelihood you would have to replace cheaper versions 3 to 4 times to 1 high end version, but we do understand that times are really tough for most people so, proper and regular motorcycle chain maintenance, along with oil changes and tyre maintenance is a crucial part of safe riding. Chains are the unsung mechanical heroes of motorcycling; they’re responsible for the crucial task of transferring power from the engine to the rear wheel, and without proper inspection and maintenance, can fail and cripple the motorcycle, or worse, become dangerous projectiles.
More on chain care next week.
Arriving soon to a dealer near you.
www.poweredbyautocycle.co.za
