BMW is offering a chain that it claims requires zero maintenance

BMW Motorrad has announced it has developed and is offering a new chain that it claims requires little or no maintenance throughout a motorcycle’s lifespan.

It’s certainly a bold claim but one that shouldn’t be taken lightly given the chain maintenance is of paramount importance when it comes to ensuring your motorcycle remains reliable on the road.

However, BMW Motorrad says its new innovation - dubbed the M Endurance Chain -  has been developed with the sole intention of it becoming an afterthought when it comes to keeping your motorcycle in tip-top shape since it won’t require maintenance to keep it spinning.

Now for the science bit… the new chain is sealed in an X-ring design, itself not a new idea, but BMW says what gives it its longevity is the way in which it is coated. Named ‘tetrahedrally amorphous carbon’ (ta-C) or ‘industrial diamond’, it’s a type of DLC (diamond-like coating) that keeps it robust and able to keep on going without the need for cleaning and lubrication. Sounds logical.

Naturally this is a particular boon for BMW riders given the majority of models sold have been bought to cover long distances reliably and comfortably.

Even so, the innovation is being reserved for the sportier side of the range with the BMW S1000RR and S1000XR models having it installed from the factory as an option, or can be retrofitted as an accessory on your current BMW bike.

Given the frequency of some BMW recalls recently, we’d hope this has been put through some very tough testing in order to get it to market but only time will ultimately tell.