Renthal R3-3 SRS Road Chain

Smaller bikes are all the rage right now; just look at the popularity of the Yamaha R3, KTM RC390, Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the multiple 300cc and 500cc options offered by Honda. Even long-time riders fall in love with these bikes, thanks to one compelling reason: Light overall weight, which makes for a more fun and nimble package.

In a parallel way, why haul around a heavier drive chain built for 100-plus horsepower when it’s simply not necessary? Scaling in at 3.6 pounds per 100 links, the new R3-3 SRS Road Chain from Renthal shaves 8 percent in weight over their highly respected R4 chain. That yields performance advantages thanks to lower overall mass to brake and accelerate, rotating mass to spin up and slow down, and unsprung mass to improve grip, tire wear and overall handling.

There's also a price advantage, yet Renthal doesn't skimp on high-end features that include: Nitrile Self Regulating Seals (SRS) that lock in a special vacuum-injected grease around the critical pin and bush areas to extend chain life; tough, high-carbon steel pins; shot-peened side plates for higher strength; pre-stretched construction for fewer chain adjustments; plus gold side plates and copper colored rollers for corrosion resistance and that extra bit of flash.

MSRP for a 114-link R3-3 has been set at a very reasonable $113.95.