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Real or fake xx1 oil slick eagle chain?

5875 Views 16 Replies 16 Participants Last post by idividebyzero, Dec 18, 2021

teamplayr

Discussion Starter · Dec 14, 2021

What do you think? I needed another xx1 chain and due to the supply shortage, I ordered the one on the right off eBay. The one on the left I have had for a year. When the one on the right came, I noticed the packaging was taller and the the sticker was a different shade of grey. Also, the sram logo at the top of the taller packaging didn’t feel as “raised”. I called sram and they said they have not changed the packaging on their chains in a long while. The chain itself seems to have all the markings of the other, just not sure why they would use a different packaging. Anyone noticed this on a chain before? I may just return it any way in the chance that the chain is counterfeit

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driven916

· #2 · Dec 15, 2021

All my SRAM chains have always used the smaller package on the left.

WHALENARD

· #3 · Dec 15, 2021

driven916 said:
All my SRAM chains have always used the smaller package on the left.

Ditto

Does sram use "rainbow" in their branding?

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127.0.0.1

· #4 · Dec 15, 2021

fwiw
SRAM has used that type of logo 'rainbow' and box

easy to tell. weigh the same amount of links as the other chain

celswick

· #5 · Dec 15, 2021

For the same reasons as you, I purchased a KMC chain through eBay. It never occurred to me that people actually go through the trouble to make and sell fake chains.

My new chain broke twice in the first week. The seller wouldn’t do anything about it, so I contacted KMC, who informed me I’d bought a counterfeit chain.

After a couple of months of trying, I finally got mymoney back yesterday.

The point of the story—watch out for fake items on eBay.

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ozz

· #6 · Dec 15, 2021

It looks real, all of the links are stamped EAGLE or SRAM and the master link has the same arrow pointing forward as mine does. I don’t think counterfeiters would go thru the hassle of making fake logo stamps for the links, that would involve expensive equipment. Usually counterfeiters just buy something cheap and print a fake label for the box.

senorbanana

· #7 · Dec 15, 2021

okay I believe, you got an authentic sram product. However, the chain is maybe OEM (ie sold to suppliers and bike companies) without the packaging. This OEM chain was then packed inside an SRAM EBIKE (EX1) specific chain box (hence the large size) and they slapped a label on it to sell it as new.

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natas1321

· #8 · Dec 15, 2021

lately i've been picking up extra chains when I go to my lbs if they have them in stock and apparently all of mine (5) all come in the smaller box. I didn't know I have that many back up chains, so I won't be picking up any more in the near future.

Joe Handlebar

· #9 · Dec 15, 2021

Speaking of supply chain issues, I wonder if Sram is actually having issues getting packaging? Maybe the box size is different because it was what they could get? Dunno.

127.0.0.1

· #10 · Dec 15, 2021

might be bulk chain, cheaper that way. 500 foot roll, break out into boxes...

FortOrdMTB

· #11 · Dec 15, 2021

Likely a resell and just repackaged in packaging from something else.

harambe2

· #12 · Dec 15, 2021

celswick said:
For the same reasons as you, I purchased a KMC chain through eBay. It never occurred to me that people actually go through the trouble to make and sell fake chains.

My new chain broke twice in the first week. The seller wouldn’t do anything about it, so I contacted KMC, who informed me I’d bought a counterfeit chain.

After a couple of months of trying, I finally got mymoney back yesterday.

The point of the story—watch out for fake items on eBay.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is unfortunately a lot of fake stuff on Ebay and Amazon (and also other places). I learned the hard way when I ended up with fake spark plugs. Who would have thought that there would be people making and selling a fake $7 spark plug.

wschruba

· #13 · Dec 16, 2021

127.0.0.1 said:
might be bulk chain, cheaper that way. 500 foot roll, break out into boxes...

If SRAM sold it by the roll, it would only be to a large manufacturer. I can't imagine that you would find them re-selling it on ebay instead of putting it on bikes to get them out the door.

2021Mach6

· #14 · Dec 16, 2021

driven916 said:
All my SRAM chains have always used the smaller package on the left.

My XX1 came straight from Pivot (they didn't ship it with my bike). Not sure if they just got it from SRAM or what that channel looks like, but it came in that exact box on the right. Like another comment said you can weigh it, but if that's a counterfeit they did a really good job cause it looks exact. I'm holding the container right now and it's pretty thick, everything looks identical though from what I can see.

What's it going on?

cabanaboy

· #15 · Dec 18, 2021

I think you're ok with that chain. Attached is pic of a chain I purchased from my LBS well before the global supply chain issues

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jimglassford

· #16 · Dec 18, 2021

Here is the problem with your original investigation. When you say SRAM told you they have not changed the packaging in a long time, that is arbitrary. A long time can be an entire year or an entire decade based on who you ask.

As far as the chain being fake, in China, they are masters for copying things. They can make tooling dirt cheap so stamping the shape or adding logos is very easy. I work for a company that buys a lot of tooling. We have it quoted in the USA and the cost is $30,000. We have it quoted in China and it is $3,000.

idividebyzero

· #17 · Dec 18, 2021

The dark gray label means it was packaged with AXS stuff, you get that when buying the whole AXS groupset, so someone must have parted out that individually. Look up AXS XX1 chain.

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