YBN Chains

[acedeuce802]

Does anybody have any long term experience with the YBN chains that come with Chiner drivetrains, or the ones you can buy on Aliexpress for $20?  I've also seen that YBN makes chains for ZTTO, which are cheap on eBay.  Zero Friction Cycling's favorite chains are YBN, and they start at $90 on their website (that may be Australian dollars), or they are $50+ on Amazon.  Are these the same chains?  Is the $20 version a fake, or a cheaper variant than what's sold elsewhere?  Are retailers just taking advantage of a good chain and the bike part shortage, and up-charging by 3-4x?  I've got a Sensah groupset coming in with YBN chain, so I'll be curious to try to find some pictures on reputable retailers websites to see if all the markings match.

An excerpt from chain wear testing article: "For 11-speed chains, Kerin’s overall favourite is still YBN. “It is typically within around half a watt of the fastest chains but without the ‘worn’ starting point, while its hardened rollers mean wear-rate tracking with a regular chain wear checker is accurate,” he said. “The result is around a 50% longer lifespan versus Shimano.”"

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002033889791.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.435b67ceZAByne&algo_pvid=9c0f94f7-3b0d-40e8-9dc5-846a31198912&algo_exp_id=9c0f94f7-3b0d-40e8-9dc5-846a31198912-5&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000018483831616%22%7D&pdp_pi=-1%3B20.5%3B-1%3B-1%40salePrice%3BUSD%3Bsearch-mainSearch

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312792999687

https://www.amazon.com/YBN-Speed-Chain-Shimano-Campagnolo/dp/B07CGKYPGZ

https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/product/11-speed-chain/

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/

[FullCarbonAlchemist]

From what I’ve heard they’re okay but the weak point is the master links. Riders I know use other companies’ master links (like KMC) with them.

[Zomb1e]

I've just installed S12-S2 YBN chain, but it's not time for a long-term review yet. It costs less than NX/GX 12-speed chains which should last for 2-3 thousands km according to article you mentioned. I suppose YBN chain to be at least not worse, but it'll be clear only towards the end of the season.

[1Sigma]

I've never had a problem with a YBN chain.  Wear rate seems comparable to other chains I've used. 
They are often reviewed as being comparable to KMC.

I suspect the chain isn't fake,  just one of the cheaper variants.