opinions? copycat Gilles chain adjusters
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHAIN...Q5fAccessories

http://i16.ebayimg.com/03/i/001/20/96/9e79_1_b.JPG

http://i20.ebayimg.com/04/i/001/20/96/9ee0_1_b.JPG

$130 vs $350?

Try em, there isn't much to the gilles from my examination, so I doubt these are way off. I always thought the gilles chain adjusters were way off a respectable price range for what material goes into them.

right, it's a CNCed piece of ALU. thats about it.

Sometimes...:lol: The Gilles adjusters retail for $200. I paid under $200 with the lifts. You can usually get %20 from any dealer which would bring them down to $160. I've seen them for even less... A cursory Google search scored them for $178 for a CBR600RR.

http://www.indysuperbike.com/custome...productid=3737

$178 bucks for two small pieces of aluminum and a bolt is still pretty pricey.

Oh for sure but $130 for "look a likes" that you can't be sure of the precision... the whole point of the Gilles chain adjusters is that they offer a precise measurement. Can you be sure of that from some knock offs?

well considering it's a CNC'ed piece, if they were off, they'd prolly be off the same on both sides.........lol

i mean from a machinest standpoint, thats a piece of cake.

now for $30 more for Gilles, i'd go w/ that, i always thought they were alot more.

you can't be sure gilles is going to be precise, they all use pretty much the same type machinery to do the job.

How can you be sure the Gilles are precise?

Cause some dood on the net said so?

:D

Tig, it amazes me you argue for the little guy in the Icon thread and against the little guy in this thread. :lol:

He's an aftermarket elitist!

:lol

Yea you're right I don't know dick about Gilles...:lol: I also don't own a Motion Pro chain alignment tool nor do I own a caliper... I'm just taking some "dood" on the internet's word for it.:wink:

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...DSCF1000-1.jpg

Apparently if you own it, it's the best thing ever, if you don't it sucks.....

It's just aluminum. Not much to it dude. Sorry, but Gilles is nothing special. A machine still makes it just like the guy on the internet's product.

now guy on local forum is sayng that gilles one's are breaking, and thats why the new design.

Whoa there! You are an engineer so I know that you understand objective vs subjective benefits. I also know that you machinists out there are fully aware that just because a part comes off a CNC does not mean it's exactly the same as the original. There are always different grades a machine work, tolerances, etc. There are also different grades of aluminum and the quality of the anodization that was applied. I'm not saying that the knock offs aren't as precise or as good of quality as the Gilles pieces. I'm all for getting Kraft quality mac and cheese in a "Great Value" box but the quality has to be the same and the price has to be significantly lower. Oh and you might want to check national sales numbers before you claim that Icon is the "little guy".:lol:

Aw that's not fair! I like Woodcraft frame sliders, don't you? I went through 5 sets of sliders (including $10 Ebay cheapies) before I ended up with the Woodcrafts. I like the tires that I do and you perfer the tires that you do, right? I like the Vortex levers, most of you like the Pazzos. The guy started a thread asking for opinions on Gilles chain adjusters vs knock offs, do you or have you owned either? Not to my knowledge so....:nee::moon:

Hmmm... I haven't heard that! Mine have been on for over 3 years and been in 4 crashes without a failure.:idk: i'll shoot Gilles an E-mail though. Did he say that the lifters were breaking or the adjuster itself?

Icon is a little guy in the safety oriented market, in the I am a super squid market it's numero 1.

Oh yea? Well in the "I am a super poop head" market you are number one!!!!:lol:

Have you measured the competition? If not, your arguement is like Lieutenant Dan, its got no legs.:D

lol, this thread is classic.

hmmmm

No my argument is that Gilles is a known quality and the knock offs are an unknown quality. For $30 I'll stick with what I know! To each his own, I cut corners on stuff almost everyday. I understand the definition of "value" and it doesn't only pertain to price!

I agree with that. To be honest, all joking aside, I mostly got the chain adjusters to get the lifters!:lol: Oh and because they look cool imho. I do honestly like how precise they are adjustment wise but as I stated, I own a Motion Pro chain alignment tool and a caliper....PLUS I can actually count threads on any bike's chain adjuster.:lol:

i'm just lazy kekeke

Oh yea once I determined that they were good to go, I just use them now and have been quite happy.

Ok, enough bullshit. Who is going to man up, buy the knock offs, crash test em, then do a write up?

1, 2, 3 NOT IT!!!!:lol:

they won't fit any of my bikes.

i asked the copycat seller, what grad alu was used and whether they were hard anodized....

youtube it

http://www.youtube.com/v/RqoFFCvBwbc&hl=en&fs=1&

I emailed them and haven't gotten a response yet but I'm sure I will. I've emailed them before.

The one question I have is about the installation. My adjusters came with a piece that you place on the back side of the swing arm and bolt to the adjuster. It acts like a clamp to keep the adjuster straight. I'm also interested in how tight the bike's axles were and if they were correctly torqued. I also believe that the guy's nut was on the opposite side from stock, I wonder if that had anything to do with it.:idk: I'll let you know if I hear anything from them. Oh and weren't both those bikes older? As in Gilles may have changed the part since then?:idk: I won't comment on the fact that the first bike was a 500hp 'Busa....

Were Gilles a known quality before you bought them and measured them? If so how did you know?

Um... I'm not the first guy to ever buy them you know....:lol:

ya, but if your trying to pay off 2 million dollars worth of cnc equipment, metals, and labor, stuff gets pricey.

So you took another opinion?

Just checking for consitency.redflip

So, back to my original question:
:D:D:D:D:D:D

I've got the giles on my bike... they're cool.. but I got them for the looks... don't really seam that much easier to adjust the chain than before... :idk:


BUT... i have heard from several people that they've seen cracks develop in these... both in the Giles and other brands... so be aware of that...

I'm happy with mine... though I'd probably save the money if I had it all to do again as I'm selling the RR

does it really make it easier to adjust the chain? Ebbs, yours isn't the first response I've seen like that

Don't you have any other hobbles? I had seen them and touched them in real life before I bought them. There will always be a first time for every product right? I had never rode a 2006 GSXR 1000 before I bought this one. Sometimes, you have to take some things on faith but if you are familiar with the manufacturer, you are buying the product from a reputable source and you have gotten good references from people that you trust, you can take a measly $150 chance.:lol: In the case of the "knock offs" I doubt that any of those conditions exist. Shit, I bought a $4,000 tv based on Consumer Reports, brand recognition/loyalty, and a 15 min demo!!!:lol: Dude you're trying too hard... if I didn't own Gilles chain adjusters I would be far less enthusiastic in recommending them.:lol:

Just bustin your balls dude.:lol:

For my bike it makes it easier and more precise.

On a GSXR, you have to loosen the axle, loosen the 2 lock nuts and then adjust the axle position on each side using a wrench that can turn the bolts at different rates. Also, the axle is not set in place but rests against adjustment bolts with pressure and is only held in one direction.

With the Gilles, you can loosen the axle and place an allen wrench in the adjusters and get precise adjustments. Also the axle is held in position by the adjuster so you don't have to bump the tire forward. The axle is pulled forward and pushed back. The best feature IMHO is not having those to "blocks" to deal with when changing a tire.

You could keep that line on your clipboard and just right click paste at this point...:lol:

Exactly.

If you think 180 bucks is pricey, try making your own for that much money. :lol:

JC

He no big deal, these guys can just buy a piece of aluminum and whittle a set and hard anodize it on the stove.:lol: I agree that they're not the space shuttle but to claim they're "just a bolt and a piece of alum" is absurd.:lol:

350? doubt you'll find many peeps that bought them for that much

but, go ahead and buy the imitations, we know you only want em to go with your new busa's gold wheels :lol:

Especially since they retail for $200...:lol:

Oh and FWIW here's the piece I was talking about. Not a great pic but it's to the left of the brake line and it "clamps" the chain adjuster to the swing arm at the back. This piece was missing from the videos of the broken adjusters.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/kdk_0002.jpg

Also, I believe that the adjuster has a "step" in it that wouldn't allow it to go forward if it was installed correctly. Stock pic,

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...hainAd-Top.jpg

The small pieces hold the notch of the adjuster againt the end of the swing arm making it impossible for it to go forward or outward like they did in the two examples "Ed" gave.