Chain & Sprockets
- RK state the XW-ring seal holds two lubrication pools, which keep the factory grease in the pin and bushing area and keep dirt out from between the rollers and bushings.
Service life over the previous generation
- RK state the XRE lasts 20 percent longer than the XSO line it replaced.
Tensile strength
- The 520 XRE is rated at 36.5 kN, or 8,200 lb.
Driven 7075-T6 aluminium rear
- The rear is Driven 7075-T6 aluminium, hard anodized in black. RK pair it with this kit to reduce rotating mass.
Case-hardened steel front
- The front sprocket is Driven C45 steel, case hardened and quenched.
Specs
| Part number | 4067-068DGX |
| Kit type | RK Yellow Label, 520 Aluminum Race |
| Chain | RK GB520XRE, XW-ring |
| Chain size | 520 |
| Chain finish | Gold |
| Front sprocket | 15 teeth, Driven C45 steel, case hardened |
| Rear sprocket | 47 teeth, Driven 7075-T6 aluminium, black hard anodized |
| Master link | Rivet type |
| Tensile strength | 36.5 kN (8,200 lb) |
| Kit warranty | Excluded from RK's kit warranty |
Fitment
Year(s) — Make / Model — Stock Gearing — Stock Chain
| 2006–2020 | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 16T / 45T | 525 — 114 links |
This kit is not for the YZF-R6S sold alongside the new R6 from 2006 to 2009.
Aluminium or Steel Rear
Aluminium takes weight out of the part of the bike that spins and moves with the suspension. Riders pushing hard at a track day are the ones most likely to feel it; on the street the difference is small. The trade is wear: an aluminium rear gives up its teeth sooner than steel, so it is replaced more often. That is the right trade on a track bike and a debatable one on a daily rider.
Why Convert to 520
The R6 leaves the factory on a 525 chain. A wider chain and wider sprockets carry more material, and that material is what gives a road bike its long service life. A 520 chain has the same 5/8-inch pitch — the same distance from pin to pin — but narrower rollers, so the chain and both sprockets are lighter. Less rotating mass means the engine spends a little less effort spinning the drive up, which riders on track are the most likely to notice.
The trade is durability: less material wears out sooner, and a 520 setup will need replacing more often than stock. Because the chain and both sprockets change width together, all three have to be replaced as a set — which is what this kit is.
Bottom line: for a track-day or race R6, a 520 conversion is a common and sensible choice. For a bike that mostly covers street miles, stock 525 is the longer-lasting option.
Gearing — Staying Stock or Making a Change
The stock R6 runs a 16-tooth front and a 45-tooth rear. This kit runs a 15-tooth front and a 47-tooth rear, so it shortens your gearing in addition to the conversion. Here is the general framework. Going one tooth smaller on the front shortens gearing — quicker acceleration, higher RPM at highway speeds, reduced top speed. The effect is roughly equivalent to adding two to three teeth to the rear sprocket. Going one tooth larger lengthens gearing — lower cruise RPM, softer pull from a stop. This kit does both of the shortening moves at once, so the change is noticeable. Stock gearing on these bikes is well matched for general street use. Neither direction is right or wrong — it depends on how and where you ride.
One practical note: if you plan to change gearing again from here, a change of more than a tooth or two can change the chain length you need. We cut chain in house, so ask us and we will work it out with you.
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IMPORTANT: Please Review Your Owner’s Manual for Exact Amounts or Sizing of This Product!
Speak to one of our experts today:
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RK
SKU:1230-1712
Description:RK 520 Aluminum Race Chain and Sprocket Kit, Gold – Yamaha YZF-R6 ’06–20
Product Overview
This is RK’s Yellow Label 520 Aluminum Race kit for the 2006–2020 YZF-R6: an RK GB520XRE XW-ring chain in gold, a 15-tooth steel front sprocket and a 47-tooth Driven 7075-T6 aluminium rear, hard anodized in black.
It is not a stock replacement. The R6 leaves the factory on a 525 chain with 16/45 gearing. This kit changes two things at once: it converts the drive to the narrower 520 pitch, and it shortens the gearing — one tooth down at the front and two up at the rear, both of which move in the same direction. RK describe the result as geared for quick acceleration. In practice that means quicker acceleration and higher revs at any given road speed, with less top speed in each gear — most noticeable on track and out of slow corners.
The chain comes cut to the application by RK, with a rivet-type master link that is pressed closed with a chain tool — if you are not set up to rivet one, have it done.
This is a race-oriented kit, and RK exclude it from the 20,000-mile warranty that covers their OEM Replacement kits. If you want stock gearing and the longest service life, RK’s steel OEM Replacement kit for the R6 is the one for that.
Key Technology & Design
XW-ring sealing
- RK state the XW-ring seal holds two lubrication pools, which keep the factory grease in the pin and bushing area and keep dirt out from between the rollers and bushings.
Service life over the previous generation
- RK state the XRE lasts 20 percent longer than the XSO line it replaced.
Tensile strength
- The 520 XRE is rated at 36.5 kN, or 8,200 lb.
Driven 7075-T6 aluminium rear
- The rear is Driven 7075-T6 aluminium, hard anodized in black. RK pair it with this kit to reduce rotating mass.
Case-hardened steel front
- The front sprocket is Driven C45 steel, case hardened and quenched.
Specs
| Part number | 4067-068DGX |
| Kit type | RK Yellow Label, 520 Aluminum Race |
| Chain | RK GB520XRE, XW-ring |
| Chain size | 520 |
| Chain finish | Gold |
| Front sprocket | 15 teeth, Driven C45 steel, case hardened |
| Rear sprocket | 47 teeth, Driven 7075-T6 aluminium, black hard anodized |
| Master link | Rivet type |
| Tensile strength | 36.5 kN (8,200 lb) |
| Kit warranty | Excluded from RK’s kit warranty |
Fitment
Year(s) — Make / Model — Stock Gearing — Stock Chain
| 2006–2020 | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 16T / 45T | 525 — 114 links |
This kit is not for the YZF-R6S sold alongside the new R6 from 2006 to 2009.
Aluminium or Steel Rear
Aluminium takes weight out of the part of the bike that spins and moves with the suspension. Riders pushing hard at a track day are the ones most likely to feel it; on the street the difference is small. The trade is wear: an aluminium rear gives up its teeth sooner than steel, so it is replaced more often. That is the right trade on a track bike and a debatable one on a daily rider.
Why Convert to 520
The R6 leaves the factory on a 525 chain. A wider chain and wider sprockets carry more material, and that material is what gives a road bike its long service life. A 520 chain has the same 5/8-inch pitch — the same distance from pin to pin — but narrower rollers, so the chain and both sprockets are lighter. Less rotating mass means the engine spends a little less effort spinning the drive up, which riders on track are the most likely to notice.
The trade is durability: less material wears out sooner, and a 520 setup will need replacing more often than stock. Because the chain and both sprockets change width together, all three have to be replaced as a set — which is what this kit is.
Bottom line: for a track-day or race R6, a 520 conversion is a common and sensible choice. For a bike that mostly covers street miles, stock 525 is the longer-lasting option.
Gearing — Staying Stock or Making a Change
The stock R6 runs a 16-tooth front and a 45-tooth rear. This kit runs a 15-tooth front and a 47-tooth rear, so it shortens your gearing in addition to the conversion. Here is the general framework. Going one tooth smaller on the front shortens gearing — quicker acceleration, higher RPM at highway speeds, reduced top speed. The effect is roughly equivalent to adding two to three teeth to the rear sprocket. Going one tooth larger lengthens gearing — lower cruise RPM, softer pull from a stop. This kit does both of the shortening moves at once, so the change is noticeable. Stock gearing on these bikes is well matched for general street use. Neither direction is right or wrong — it depends on how and where you ride.
One practical note: if you plan to change gearing again from here, a change of more than a tooth or two can change the chain length you need. We cut chain in house, so ask us and we will work it out with you.
