New KMC X11EL chain came without lube, completely dry?

[e-rider]

Hi, every chain I've ever bought has come with sticky 'factory' lube on it. However I just purchased a new KMC chain and it was completely clean and dry? The packaging had definitely not been previously opened so either they forgot to lube it up, or they are now shipping these without lube which seems unlikely to me? Anyone else had this with a KMC chain recently?

 

[Drago]

A lot of counterfeit about online, even from otherwise reputable sources.

 

[Paulus]

Hi, every chain I've ever bought has come with sticky 'factory' lube on it. However I just purchased a new KMC chain and it was completely clean and dry? The packaging had definitely not been previously opened so either they forgot to lube it up, or they are now shipping these without lube which seems unlikely to me? Anyone else had this with a KMC chain recently?

Where did you purchase the chain from?
As @Drago says, there is plenty of hooky stuff out there.

 

[Gunk]

A lot of counterfeit about online, even from otherwise reputable sources.

Very true, I’ve ended up sending one back as it clearly wasn’t the real thing. I buy them now from Decathlon as you’re guaranteed it’s genuine.

 

[e-rider]

Where did you purchase the chain from?
As @Drago says, there is plenty of hooky stuff out there.

It was a well known online shop and the packaging looks genuine. I'd be surprised if it was fake but it could be.

 

[e-rider]

I've done some googling and it looks like it could well be a fake, which is surprising from this seller. I've emailed them, I'm certain they will claim it's genuine. I've also contacted KMC who will be able to say for certain. I had no idea that so many fake kmc chains are out there, might start buying a different brand.

 

[Paulus]

I've done some googling and it looks like it could well be a fake, which is surprising from this seller. I've emailed them, I'm certain they will claim it's genuine. I've also contacted KMC who will be able to say for certain. I had no idea that so many fake kmc chains are out there, might start buying a different brand.

Not just KMC, but Shimano as well.

 

[Drago]

I've done some googling and it looks like it could well be a fake, which is surprising from this seller. I've emailed them, I'm certain they will claim it's genuine. I've also contacted KMC who will be able to say for certain. I had no idea that so many fake kmc chains are out there, might start buying a different brand.

Plenty of fake Shmano and Wipperman chains too. Anything else isn't really worth bothering with.

 

[T4tomo]

maybe its pre-stripped for obsessive dip waxers?

 

[e-rider]

The seller has stated that they only purchase kmc chains from EXTRA UK, the official UK distributer. It's funny because I've found other people posting online with exactly the same concerns about the dry chain straight out the box and more side to side movement than usual, and concluding that it's fake. The KMC website listed things to look for in a fake chain, and actually mine seems genuine, both chain and packaging. The KMC website also says that the chain will feel sticky when new - maybe some chains just don't get the sticky treatment for one reason or another (Friday afternoon mistake). I will use it - if it snaps then I will conclude it's probably fake!

 

[rivers]

Very true, I’ve ended up sending one back as it clearly wasn’t the real thing. I buy them now from Decathlon as you’re guaranteed it’s genuine.

Same- I buy the decathlon branded, which are actually KMC.

 

[e-rider]

Sent pictures of chain and box to KMC - they say it's genuine. Chain without lube it is then - obviously I added lube before use!

 

[Drago]

The seller has stated that they only purchase kmc chains from EXTRA UK, the official UK distributer. It's funny because I've found other people posting online with exactly the same concerns about the dry chain straight out the box and more side to side movement than usual, and concluding that it's fake. The KMC website listed things to look for in a fake chain, and actually mine seems genuine, both chain and packaging. The KMC website also says that the chain will feel sticky when new - maybe some chains just don't get the sticky treatment for one reason or another (Friday afternoon mistake). I will use it - if it snaps then I will conclude it's probably fake!

You your chain meets all the criteria for a genuine chain, except that it doesn't feel sticky.

I don't think it's a case that if it ticks the majority of boxes it must be genuine. It has to tick all of them.

The packaging and chain may visually look very good, but it is still missing an important characteristic. It looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, so is probably a small aquatic bird of the genus anatidae.

 

[PpPete]

I've fairly recently had what (I believe) to be a fake Shimano chain from a very well known online retailer .... within a few weeks use one link cracked right across, and when I looked closely there were several others about to fail. Sent pic to vendor and got immediate refund, so I guess they already knew there was an issue in their supply chain. And that was despite me cleaning the shipping sticky off it as prep for hot waxing.

 

[HLaB]

Given the rise in waxing chains they are maybe shipping them clean. I've never seen any like that though and I am pretty sure I got a fake 6 or 7 years ago when I had a chain warp in just a few hundred miles.