HOW TO MEASURE YOUR CHAIN SIZE (PITCH)

You can tell if your chain or your sprocket is #35, #40, #41 or #420 pitch by measuring the distance from the top of one tooth of your sprocket to the top of the next tooth, or by measuring from the center of one pin on your chain to the next pin as shown in the drawings below. This will give you your chain size (pitch):

Determining your chain pitch will give you an idea of the strength of the chain so it can be used in the proper application.
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#35 pitch is very common, and will work in most standard applications. If you experience a lot of chain wear, you might want to switch from #35 standard chain to #35 racing chain. It will fit on your sprockets, but will last longer than standard chain and you don't have to go thru the trouble and expense of buying sprockets to fit a larger pitch chain.
#40, #41, and #420 chain is normally used for heaver duty applications such as a higher hp engine, or a go kart or minibike with larger wheels or more weight. #40, #41, and #420 chain is interchangeable on 1/2" pitch sprockets with one minor exception. #41 chain is narrower than #40 and #420, and will not fit on thicker sprockets that are designed specifically for #40 and #420 chain. Also, #420 chain uses slightly thicker material on the link plates, and is stronger than #40 chain.

Chain Specifications