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Taiwanese manufacturer KMC is a big deal in the chain business, producing riveted goodness for numerous third parties including, among others, groupset giant Shimano. It also makes an own-branded line of products and the 11-speed-compatible X11SL DLC chain sits at the top of the tree, a piece of functional bike jewellery that could be the finishing touch your exotic steed demands.
Weighing just 242g for 116 links thanks to hollow pins and slotted outer plates, this piece of drivetrain bling is KMC’s most technologically advanced offering, employing a so-called “diamond-like coating” (hence DLC) for smooth, rapid shifting. Coloured inner plates are the icing on the cake and the chain is available in a range of colours to match your ride.
We’re very much on the fence as to whether the X11SL DLC represents a performance upgrade
Part of the appeal of KMC’s own chains is that they use so-called Missing Links (i.e. a master or joining link), so there’s no faffing around with special pins and, if you’re comparing to Campagnolo, no need to shell out for special tools. You simply shorten your chain in the usual way, fit the Missing Link together and then snap it shut — job’s…
It’s easy to fall into the habit of buying the same brand of chain that your bike came with. If you can manage to tear yourself away from the usual Shimano and SRAM offerings though, then you’ll find some real gems out there, such as this KMC item.
The X9L is a nickel-plated 112-link chain. It has sculpted side plates to make the chain run more smoothly, but it also helps it to be picked up and shifted by the front mech and slammed across gate profile cassettes from Shimano and SRAM.
The slotted side plates help save a few grams and KMC claims they aid mud evacuation, but we reckon they are more for show than go.
The KMC Powerlink is a doddle to use and it means you can split and rejoin the chain for cleaning in seconds – and without tools.
We’ve run one on a five-inch trail bike for two years straight and it’s still got life in it for a while yet.
KMC is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of transmission and drive chains, and the experience shows here.
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