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Drive Chain Lubruication

5K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  tehnis 
#1 ·
Bit of a noob question but here goes:

The Service manual says to lubricate the chain every "300 mm" i am assuming this is a typo and should be "300 km" ?

If so, I drive my motorcycle 100 km every day (work and back), does this mean that i should lub the chain every 3 days ? sounds a bit extreme to me.

Thanks.
 
#3 ·
My Clymer says every 185 miles (300km). I think the operater manual that came with the bike said every 200 miles. Honestly, I dout most do it that often. The origanal chain I got about 35,000 miles on it lubing about every 500 miles or so with motor oil. All my replacement chains I've replaced at around 20,000 using chain wax spray, lubing maybe every 1500 or so. Its a hassle having to lube it that often, but I guess it makes the chain, and sprockets last longer. The chains are still usable when replaced, but I start the season with a fresh set. The origanal, I had to replace whil;e 750 miles from home, and it was missing several rollers, unusable! That one of the main concerns when I got my new bike last summer, no chain.
 
#8 ·
My Clymer says every 185 miles (300km). I think the operater manual that came with the bike said every 200 miles. Honestly, I dout most do it that often. The origanal chain I got about 35,000 miles on it lubing about every 500 miles or so with motor oil. All my replacement chains I've replaced at around 20,000 using chain wax spray, lubing maybe every 1500 or so.
CHAIN WAX SPRAY - Rick, is that the same stuff you see on new bike's chains on the dealer's showroom floor? It dries to a whitish color and doesn't seem like it would fling off like everything I've tried so far. Sounds like you've gotten some good service using it.
 
#4 ·
Come to think about it more, I never did get an owners manual with my used 8. All my info came from Wolf's Bike Shop. Q & A says every 300 miles in extreme conditions. More emphasis on cleaning than lubin.

http://www.angelfire.com/ak5/russwolf/faqs.html

Another great info site is gadget's.

http://www.gadgetjq.com/gadgetsfixitpage.htm

I've seen bike's with rusty, crappy chains. What abuse!! :mad: I think the important thing is to NOT neglect it or it will fail YOU.
 
#5 ·
Chain Lube was a hassle - until I got a handy little rear wheel lift. It just hooks a pair of spools I fabricated and up she goes.

Since then, I clean the chain with kerosene, then lube with DuPont Chain Saver, every 300 to 500 miles (about once a week during riding season). The current EK X-Ring chain, with over 13,000 miles, looks & rolls like brand new and I won't be surprised if it lasts 50,000 mi. before it needs replaced.

These new X-Ring chains are amazing! Keep 'em clean & lubed and it seems like they will last forever.
 
#7 ·
Just to play devils advocate: I've read a few articles saying it pointless to lube the chains since they have enclosed lubrication at every joint. Therefore the lubrication doesn't sink into anywhere and just flys off the chain. You should only have to clean the chain, get all the dirt and crud off. Any thoughts?
Yupper...I used to use WD-40 and an old toothbrush. Jacked it, removed guard, cleaned chain, started the bike, 2nd gear would fling it, and buttoned it up. No need to lub.
 
#11 ·
Chain lubing is needed to reduce the wear between the chain and the sprockets. Doing a good cleaning and using a chain dry lube eliminates the accumulation of dirt on the chain/sprockets as well as preventing the throwing of crud.
 
#12 ·
I have a X-ring chain, is it ok to use WD-40 or straight kerosene to clean it then use can of spray lube every 600 miles? Or maybe I don't need to lube it like Sunnybob said?
 
#13 · (Edited)
Hi, btom!
Yes, You can. But WD-40 is more like a urine therapy :) People use it everywhere, even on wounds :D Does it help as prescribed, decide Yourself. If You have to choose from those two for washing your chain, it's much better to use a kerosene. Actually, it's one of the best. It's cheap, cleans well, is very gentle to technical rubber, dries off quick enough...
You can wash with it, but You can not use it as a lubricant! WD-40 is even damaging.
If we talk about a proper Your X-ring lubrication, You should get some X-ring lubricant/spray. If You have no X-Ring spray, You can use even O-ring spray. The viscosity, features and the idea is almost the same.
If You can not afford any of those specialized sprays and lubricants, You can use some thick car transmission oil. The thicker the better. In this case You will have to lubricate Your chain more often, because of oil will run off faster.
I'm using Castrol O-ring on my O-ring chain every time I fill up a gas tank. I don't wash my chain every time before lubrication. I wash it toughly only when it's dirty.
Never drive a dry chain! Well maintained chain and sprockets can last even for 50000 kilometers easily.
 
#17 ·
Ever seen a rusty bicycle chain? Ever noticed how the links were seized together and pedaling was nearly impossible? Now imagine that on your bike. Would you want to try riding with a chain like on the bicycle?

I had a Versys 650 for a while. I hated the constant chain maintenance. At least once a week, I'd have to get the rear-end off the ground, clean the chain and lubricate it. Although it didn't take long, I ultra-hated the mess it left behind on the garage floor and all over the rear tire area. After I traded that bike for my VN900, I swore to never get a chain driven bike again.
 
#16 ·
If You consider not lubing Your chain as an option, it's up to You. I have never heard that not lubing chain was great. :D
My answer is Yes! You should clean and lube Your chain! Always! There is no option to have a long and smooth ride without proper care on chain and sprockets.
 
#18 ·
but that's part of the fun of being bikers, is the maintenance and working on your bike yourself which can be enjoyable, i mean with a little patience
 
#19 ·
The kawasaki manual says on page 10-6 quote:

Use only kerosene or diesel oil for cleaning an O-ring drive chain.

So who was it here who said not to use kerosene?
 
#21 ·
so i'll throw in my two cents...

kerosene to clean sounds right. I use old gasoline.
Sometimes i use Castrol purple or Purple Power if i have some.
WD-40 is for loosening parts, getting water out of moving parts, the WD stands for water displacing. use PB blaster or WD-40 if you have a stuck link.
- what ever you use to clean the chain with, follow with soap and water, and DRY - then add chain oil.

most bikes i've had have been chain bikes.
right now I have an 800 classic i got from a friend who had it sitting on the side of his house for a couple years. was a mess. i tore it apart and put it back together and have been riding it for about 2.5 years. it needs a needs chain and gears. coming soon, like this month.

chain that is on my bike now came with this "parts bike" (that i resurrected), so i knew the chain was crap. friend bought it years ago for $50. was a "10,000 mile chain", you've seen them on sale for $39.99, lol - anyhow, it was rusted and had some stuck links and i took it off the bike and was about to toss it, but as i was sinking money into the whole rest of the bike i held onto it. figured it would work for a few months when i put the bike on the road then i would change it.

so this crappy chain had about 5,000 miles on it. i soaked it in oil for a week, and the stuck links freed up. put it on the bike. it worked.
I've put 10,000 miles on that crappy cheap chain, so it's up to about 15,000 miles now,
and yes, every now and then i hold the front brake and let out the clutch and get the back tire smoking - hey, I'm in daytona, ha ha

I ride about 200 miles a week. oil it every couple rides, so i guess every 300-400 miles.
I use PJ1 Blue Label chain oil.
once a month when washing the bike I wash the chain and do that first with "old" dead gasoline, stuff the lawn mower wouldn't even run. use a tooth brush and soak it down well with the old gas.
then i wash the bike and wash the chain!
This is florida, so the bike is dry in 1/2 an hour.
i get some of that PJ1 on there and off we go.

I got 10,000 miles out of a chain most of us would have thrown away - and it hardly has to be adjusted.
Also - my chain and gears are very noisy. the rollers are loose. the teeth on the back sprocket are very worn. you can hear it as you ride down the road. noisy.

next chain i get will be an o-ring or an x-ring - and ill have to see about oiling it.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I was on youtube searching How To Clean And Lube A Motorcycle Chain here and instead of using WD40 to clean the chain he recommends 1-K Kerosene in a spray bottle, but look at what he recommends to use for lubing the chain at the 5:55 minute mark

 
#25 · (Edited)
so, instead of starting a new thread, and this is a chain lube question, ...

I just put on new JT sprockets, front and rear, and a new RK530XSOZ 1 chain (and new rear tire).
right now it all has 70 miles on it with the factory lube, easy around town ride, never wet.
I'm going to ride about 250 miles this weekend - so should i lube it up?

rite now, chain looks as good as if i washed it and sprayed on lube, and this is my first x-ring chain since back when Reagan was president.
 
#26 ·
If it's really clean and lubed, I see no need to overlube it :)
You just have to feel Yourself the right time to maintain it. Driving in rain or dirt will need more attention than driving dry highways. Actually, there is no strict mileage to lube the chain. If it's dirty, just wash it. If it's dry - just lube it. That's all.
 
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