The High-Performance Endurance (HPE) chain is a new breed of chain from Regina advertised as the first-ever maintenance-free chain.
By Keith Dowdle
It’s coated with an ultra-hard, diamond-like material called Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon, which not only protects certain components of the chain, such as the rollers and bushings, from wear and corrosion but also provides a low coefficient of drag, enabling the chain to deliver maximum horsepower to the rear wheel. It also makes for smoother, quieter operation, and since you don’t need to lubricate the chain regularly, your bike stays cleaner and free of chain-lube spatter. As with most chain replacements, Regina does recommend that you replace both the front and rear sprockets (which are required to be made of steel with this type of chain) when upgrading to the HPE chain, and even though it’s maintenance-free, you should apply a high-quality chain lube after washing your bike and after operations in highly corrosive environments.
Lowdown | Regina HPE Maintenance-Free Chain
Standout Feature: High performance and maintenance-free
List Price: Between $274.95 and $349.99, depending on length, pitch (520 or 525), and retailer
No messy chain lube after every ride
Smooth and quiet running
Looks good after the factory lube is gone (but don’t wash it off)
Money saver on lubricant
Fairly expensive
Rider Analysis | Regina HPE Maintenance-Free Chain
Regina recommended using the Motion Pro PBR chain tool to break the old chain and reinstall the new one. That process went smoothly. Once done, I figured that I’d truly test their claim of “maintenance-free,” so I’ve refused to lube this chain. I wanted to see just how long it could actually survive. Regina doesn’t recommend this chain for off-road use, but our KTM 890 Rally is just a big dirt bike for us, and that’s how it’s treated around here. It’s spending its life off-road, only jumping on pavement to connect portions of dirt and only when absolutely necessary. That also means it gets power-washed a lot with a gas-powered pressure washer. Not exactly the best treatment for a sealed chain.
We did keep within the proper adjustment limits, and any new chain will stretch some, especially after the first few rides. As I mentioned above, Regina does recommend that you lube the chain after washing your bike, but in the name of testing, I have yet to lube it, and every time I wash the bike, I’m expecting to reveal a rusted hulk of a chain begging to be put out of its misery.
Shockingly, after almost eight thousand miles of mud, sand, dirt, power washing, and countless wheelies, the chain is still showing little to no sign of wear, and the sprockets, which are usually the first indicator that a chain is nearing the end of its life, still look as good as new.
I have seen other reviews of this chain that were not so favorable, but in almost everyone, the reviewer stated that they cleaned the factory lubricant off, and some even said they used WD-40 to do so. That is why they didn’t have good results. The factory lubricant is the absolute best lubrication that any chain will ever have on it and washing that lubricant off is the worst thing that you can do for a new chain. Adding to that, if you use WD-40 on an O-ring chain, you might as well start saving now for your next new chain because you’ll be needing one shortly. Yes, I understand that the factory lube is sticky and seems like the worst stuff you could ever have on a chain, but Regina, and pretty much every other chain manufacturer that we know of, advises you to leave it. It’s not packing grease; it’s intended to extend the life of the chain. We left it alone, and based on its current state, I’m fully expecting this chain to last at least another three, perhaps even four thousand miles for an estimated total of over 12,000 miles of solid abuse. Regina does not specify an “expiration” for its HPE Maintenance-Free chain, but I guess it will last a very long time with little to no maintenance. Based on that, I’d say the Regina HPE Maintenance-Free chain is worth the investment.CN
Click here to read the Regina HPE Maintenance-Free Chain Product Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
