Drive chain must have the strength and durability to match the engine's power and the hardness of the sprocket material. The side plates, which may be considered as the 'frame' of the drive chain, must also have the necessary strength to withstand the tensile load put upon it. The teeth of the sprocket and any other parts subject to large forces are made as hard as possible, through a heat treatment method called Carburized quenching, after which the sprockets are tempered to gradually decrease the hardness towards the inner part, to produce a tough sprocket of ideal strength.

Drive chain must have the strength and durability to match the engine's power and the hardness of the sprocket material. The side plates, which may be considered as the 'frame' of the drive chain, must also have the necessary strength to withstand the tensile load put upon it. The teeth of the sprocket and any other parts subject to large forces are made as hard as possible, through a heat treatment method called Carburized quenching, after which the sprockets are tempered to gradually decrease the hardness towards the inner part, to produce a tough sprocket of ideal strength.