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Regarding the two questions about the drag from the o-ring chain:
i thought it was this forum in which I read that there would be some drag with an o-ring chain compared to a non-o-ring chain, but maybe I am mistaken about which forum I read it on. In any case, I gather that it is well known that o-ring chains have more drag from the friction of the o-rings. I read that small displacement motocross racers will often use standard chains to avoid the slight performance decrease of o-ring chains. You can feel the stiffness in the o-ring chain right out of the package as you install it. It holds its shape, whereas the standard chain is as bendy as a wet noodle.
I can confirm that chain slack is spot on and wheels are as aligned as I can get them. The main reason that I got the o-ring chain was that the original chain seemed to wear/stretch faster than I would like so I was having to adjust the slack often. Rumor has it that the o-ring chain will wear slower and require less frequent slack adjustment. We will see!
Funny side effect: I have seen this on another motorcycle once. The KPX250 exhaust points right at the red side reflector on the license plate holder. The reflector plastic melted slightly over the course of 2,800 miles. When I put the o-ring chain on, it completely melted the reflector in less than 100 miles. I theorize this is because at highway speed with the o-ring chain, I am running WOT but getting lower RPMs. This combination somehow results in extra heat on the reflector. Maybe less cooling from a few mph lost with the o-ring chain.
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