I don't need to stick my hand in a fire to know it's hot.
I tried buying one, that's how I found out about their reputation. the shop owner Tom at
www.empirebmx.com regularly writes a tech column for
Dig BMX Magazine and he has been in the industry for decades, so I trust his opinion. he said he stopped selling them and sent them back to the manufacturer after so many of them broke, so he didn't have any to sell me anyways. I have also read dozens of reports of them snapping on bmx bikes on some of the bmx message boards that i read and a few friends have had some nasty crashes when the chain snapped on them without warning.
it could be that since modern bmx bikes have tiny 9t and 10t drivers, they are putting more stress on chains. BMX has been using half-link chains for a long time now (The Shadow Conspiracy Interlock got that trend started) and it's a very controversial issue for bmx riders. in general, we find that half-link chains stretch a LOT faster than a normal chain. I inherited a KHE Collapse half-link chain from a friend and it would not even work on my bike. after riding it for a few weeks, it was stretched so far that it would not register on a Park chain checker tool. the side plates tend to flatten under pressure, accelerating the stretch.
this is interesting:
http://www.lfgss.com/thread27147.html do a search for reviews of this chain and you find consistent horror stories about it snapping at random. your experience is an anomaly.
the direction issue is to avoid bending the plates during a grind if you miss, but the same would apply to striking a rock or going over a tall log on the trail.
if it's holding up for you, that's great. just don't say I didn't warn you when it explodes while you're barreling down a hill 10 miles out.
