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My page for Hubert Staudachers Snow Chains

- -

• Warnings
• Address
• The right tires
• Ordering
• Standard installation
• Advanced installation
• Three favours to ask

Note

I made this page about Huberts patented snow chains, because I am happy of having him make these devices. The Staudacher family does not have a homepage yet.

Sadly Hubert Staudacher passed away in July 2023 at the age of 91. His son Mario and his wife Rosi will continue to do the business.

In 2012 I made a booklet about motorcycle snow chains, where Staudacher chains are featured prominently. You can view or download the PDF here (it is in German, but with lots of pictures):

https://issuu.com/motorang/docs/tt_schneeketten

Why would I recommend to get Staudacher snow chains? I do not get a kickback for that, but:
Me and many of my friends operate these chains and are very happy with them. Also, we hear good things about them on our winter rallye, the Tauerntreffen.

If you want to order chains, please in any case verify information given on this page directly with the Staudacher family, and order directly there! If you find wrong or outdated information on this page, please let me know - you may send an email by clicking on the envelope on the bottom of this page, thanks

First of all - some WARNING MESSAGES:

INTENDED USE: Snow chains are an appliance to improve wheel traction under certain road conditions, especially on snow, and usually for short distances only. They are not designed for use on ice, tarmac, gravel, mud, or any other road surface, and especially not with normal road speeds!
Snow chains are not to be used with studded tires, because the chain will slip between the studs. It will come loose more often, and the wear will be punctually and therefore much faster.
Even with snow chains on all wheels, your vehicle will behave differently from normal use. Reduce your speed accordingly, adapt to still longer stopping distances and wider curve radiuses. On motorcycles, lean into the corners only with much caution.
No liabilities are taken for damages which result from improper use, or from other than the intended use!

SIZE MATTERS -
Snow chains have to match the tire dimensions. As there are tires with same overall dimensions but nevertheless different required chain sizes, you have to check for perfect fit on your vehicles tires.
The chains have to fit tightly to the tire when mounted. After 50 meters or whenever you hear beating noises check for fit and condition of the chains and retighten/readjust them where necessary.

MOUNTING RULES - Please observe:

• When mounting the chains to your tire, NEVER fix the chain to spokes or other parts of the rim, as the chain may wander on the tire, and rip the tightening link. The chain therefore only may be fixed to itself.
• Check for enough free room (2 cm) to other parts, especially the mud guard, drive train, swingarm, brakes, chain guards, and any cables and lines.
• The chain always should be positioned symmetrically to the center of the thead, unbiased to either side.
  
• Overtightening may lead to tire damage!
• Wheel slippage and skids cause additional chain wear and may lead to defects!

HANDLING:
The handling of your vehicle changes dramatically when using snow chains - especially on snow-free patches. Therefore never exceed 40 km/h (slower especially in snow-free conditions)!
Undo the chains as soon as the road surface has improved, to avert unnecessary chain wear.
The snow chains are designed for snowy road conditions only!
Do a regular check on the chain links. Chains where some links are worn down to more than half their thickness are not roadsafe any more. Damaged chains may not used any more!

NOTE: Follow the printed instructions and warning messages that come with your snow chains (if available)!

So, in medias res:

Manufacturing of Snow Chains for all Vehicles
e.g. motorcycles, sidecars, vintage cars, vehicles for the handicapped, Micro Cars

Familie Staudacher
Schneeketten-Erzeugung

Hetzendorf
8753 Fohnsdorf (ST)

phone +43 3573 / 26 26
e-mail mariostaudacher007@gmail.com

All chains are manufactured on demand.

No pick-up is available. Mail order only!

The right tires
Choose your tire wisely! Rough (motocross) profile is not ideal for snow chains, as they tend to sit between the rubber blocks, and are hard to install. A not so wide tire gets you higher contact pressure, and also provides more space for mounting the chain.
There are motorcycle winter tires with special rubber compoungs for better friction, e.g.

• Heidenau K60 Snowtex/Silica
• Heidenau K66 M+S Silica
• Heidenau K37 Silica
• Metzeler Wintec
• IRC Urban Snow
• Sava MC32

NOTES ON ORDERING

Around the wheel, there should be about 2 cm space for the chains.

When ordering, tell them the exact make and size of the tire, and if it has a motocross tread pattern.

Snow chains are mounted on the drive wheels of a vehicle. So, sidecars with a powered wheel need at least two chains.
Unpowered sidecars usually do not need a chain.
Front wheels might better have one, if you do not have a sidecar on your bike.

Here you can see how the chain looks like (Scan, 350 kB!).

Here in the field, on a Yamaha XT 500 (click for bigger size 141 kB).

By the way, BMW snow chains at Wunderlich are coming from Staudacher, too. Maybe a good address for checking prices, though Staudachers are happy to send an individual offer on your request.

Please note that even with the same specification (e.g. 150/70-17 for BMW GS 1150/1200 rear tire) the real sizes may differ widely.

While these bikes were sold with at least 4 different tires, most of the winter riders put other tires on their rims.
A Heidenau K60 Silica/Scout will be 166 mm wide when mounted on the BMW rims, resulting in a tire too wide for the standard chain made for a 150 mm tire.

Your chains are hand made to size, there is not as much adjustment possible as on car chains.
So to ensure the chains fit your tires I advise you to give additional information when ordering:

? Exact type/brand/dimension of tire you want to run the chain on.

Staudacher do not have samples of every tire brand and make.
They know most tires, but it always helps to add the following data:

? Width of the tire (actual, measured width)
? Circumference of the tire (actual, measured circumference)

Ordering and Delivery:

• Chains will be sent after your payment has arrived.
• No credit card or Paypal, only payment via European money transfer.
• On your order/request, please state full contact data: name, postal address, telephone.
• Postage to European destinations (subject to change, see post.at for current pricing):
  • up to 20 kg usually is 22 Euro (slow)
  • up to 10 kg (~4 chains) can be done via Express Mail Service for 29 Euro (fast).

Standard installation (by motorang):

The snow chain is made a little bit longer than nesessary. If needed, you may shorten the side chains, or tighten them to the side chain with the tighteners provided. Do this on both sides of the tire.
As a roadside trick, you can use rubber rack straps, or a spring from an office lamp.

Caution: DO NOT OVERSTRETCH THE TIGHTENERS !
Spare tighteners can be ordered with the chain, as well as mending pieces.
Nowadys rubber band tighteners are used, while a while ago there were springs:

Version 1 (old version): one tightener per side

Version 2 (current, recommended version): several tighteners across

Tighten the chain after a few kilometers drive, or if you hear the chain got loose. Loosening of the chain is a normal process, as it adjusts to the tire.

Use the snow chain only on snowy surfaces, if possible. They are designed for a maximum speed of 40 km/h. But they can take a few asphalt kilometers as well.

Advanced installation (by motorang):

The chain is made to fit your tire very exactly - which may result in a loose fit on any other tire dimension. Or you do not want to shorten the chain, to have more tire sizes available? Or there is only one side of the wheel easily accessible? Or the chain does not tighten very well because of a rough (off road) profile?

Then you will need a different tensioning technique, described below for the standard application on a combination.

A) You need a special makeshift tensioner, about 80 - 100 cm long (depending on tire size):

• nylon cord with a spring and small hooks on both ends, or
• rubber strap with small hooks (available at bicycle stores)

B) Put the chain on the tire and close the hook locks on both sides. A center stand comes in handy here, or a jack, or at least another person to help.

C) Pull the entire chain to the side where there is more space for it (depending on a drive chain guard etc.). It will then be very loose here, and very tight on the other side.

D) Hook the tensioning rope in the side chain on the loose side, near the lock, halfway between the joints for the cross sections, and pull it AWAY from the lock. Then run it through every second side chain strand, and finally hook it to a sidechain. This procedure is shown on the pictures 1) to 3) below. The chain will be very tightly tensioned without any loose side chain parts.

For solo bikes with enough room, you can tension the chain on both sides of the wheel, using two tensioning ropes. So the cross sections stay aligned to the wheel. For combinations, it does not matter if the chain is a bit off center, due to one sided tensioning.

Finally I want to ask three favors of you:

1) If it is urgent, tell Staudachers when ordering. Tell them not to use the normal "Paket" service, but to send with a fast parcel service or EMS. Then you have a guaranteed date of delivery, and can check online where your chain is - that should be worth the cost.

2) Staudachers manufacture the snow chains fast and good. They are rightly proud of their work, and appreciate a feedback from the usage site. So: send a post card or a letter, a picture, something personal - they deserve it.

3) Staudachers do not have internet access, so you can't send them an email really. Clicking on below button will send ME an email, and I will recommend to have anoher good look at this page here for Staudachers address (above).

Yours,
motorang