Mod of The Month: 2008 Yamaha R1 D.I.D 520 ERV3 Chain and Vortex Sprockets

With the bike safely supported on a rear stand, start by loosening the front sprocket. You might need to remove a few bolts on the cover and move the shift linkage to gain access to the sprocket. We always put the bike in first gear, place a block of wood between the swingarm and the spoke of the wheel and use a breaker bar to loosen the nut.

After removing the rear wheel you need to ditch the stock chain. We prefer to grind off the pins of a link and use a punch to finish the job.

Install the front sprocket in the reverse of removal, making sure the recessed collar is facing inward.

Ditch the rear sprocket by removing the OEM bolts in a star pattern. Replace the heavy stocker with the Vortex unit and torque the bolts to factory specs.

Now re-install the wheel with the chain adjusters all the way forward. By doing so you're accounting for chain stretch.

Mock-up the chain; in our case we needed to remove two links. Then cut the chain to the appropriate length for the right amount of chain slack (usually about one inch of up and down movement at midpoint).

Look how much thinner the 520 is when compared to the stock rope. The D.I.D is lighter and looks better too.

Use your masterlink of choice; whether it's the clip or pin type, to connect the ends of the chain together. We used a pin-type link for added security. Torque everything back to spec and you're ready to fly.