Am I over lubing my chain ?

[jeero]

Kerosene all the way for cleaning!
I put it in a well-marked spray bottle for easy application and old toothbrushes to clean the dirt/grime off the chain.
Then after cleaning it and wiping off as much of it as I can with some rags, I let it sit there for a couple hours until all of it evaporates (having a hot chain at the start of all this helps the evaporation rate).
Then I apply my favorite lube to the chain: 90W gear oil (applied with a 1" brush).

That chain purrs like a Jaguar once I'm done!

I go about 500-700 kms and then reapply more gear oil, and then at the 1000-1200 kms mark I give it a good clean as described above.

 

[Ikan]

Recently read in a genuine Suzuki GSXR owner's manual some lines that said to clean & lube the oring chain, it clearly stated to use only Kerisene and no other cleaners.As far as oring chains that do not get lubed enough, I recently saw a chain turn a dry rusty red colour after a 1,000 km trip. The rollers had been lubed regularly but no lube had been specifically placed onto the o'rings for the last approx. 4,000 kms. The o'rings were dry as a popcorn fart and the chain was overheating. A careful & thorough lubing managed to save the chain.

 

[redridernl]

I recently read some info posted personally by a former employee of Regina chains.

One of the things he said that stood out to me was that you shouldn't clean your chain. Appraently it often serves to force grit and debris into and past the o rings causing them to become damaged. He suggested lubing only.

If you lube without cleaning the lube just builds up, attracts dirt and causes kinks.

Recently read in a genuine Suzuki GSXR owner's manual some lines that said to clean & lube the oring chain, it clearly stated to use only Kerisene and no other cleaners.As far as oring chains that do not get lubed enough, I recently saw a chain turn a dry rusty red colour after a 1,000 km trip. The rollers had been lubed regularly but no lube had been specifically placed onto the o'rings for the last approx. 4,000 kms. The o'rings were dry as a popcorn fart and the chain was overheating. A careful & thorough lubing managed to save the chain.

I have almost 18,000 km on my bike, it has never been lubed, ever. I just clean it with wd-40 and it looks new. People have different methods and ideas but you can't argue with results.

 

[Ikan]

Am I over lubing it ?
Steve.

I recently rode behind some one who lubed their chain the night before. I do not know what they used specifically but do know it was a motorcycle spray lube. Anyway, after about an hour I had to clean my fairings, headlight and helmet visor because they were covered in chain lube! So was their swingarm and the left side of their tire.

So yes you can over lube a chain!

 

[mma01]

Every 500 km (give or take), I throw on some (supposed) no fling chain lube.

Am I over lubing it ?

I have seen some folks use WD40 to clean off the old crap and then re-apply lube (cleaning versu lubing).

Would be interested in how often othere lube their chain !

Cheers
Steve.

I think you are overlubing it. My belief is that too much lube attacts grit, which in turn will will contribute to premature chain wear. The main lubrication for the chain is the factory grease held in by the o-rings. I clean with kerosene and *lightly* lube just to prevent surface rust. I had over 40k km's on my OEM DID chain using this method on my R1, and only replaced it to change gearing, not because it was overly stretched or kinked.

 

[Dohhh]

Im gonna let you guys in on a little secret

The multi use works just as well. The chain saver is a little thicker. Both are about 7-8 bucks at your local lowes.

 

[regder]

Im gonna let you guys in on a little secret

Dupont Teflon Multiple-Use is pretty much the same stuff and cheaper

 

[Wingboy]

I think the two Dupont products are the same thing with diff labels.I have used the blue label for two years.Best chain lube ever.I bought a can of the "chain-saver" and can't tell the difference.

 

[soto]

What's the best post-rain procedure? Do you wait for the chain to dry or put some wd40 right away? I rode for over an hour in the rain today but it didn't seem like the lube was washed off so I'm assuming I'm good to go? (I use pj1 on the chain and it is super sticky)

 

[Wingboy]

You don't need to wait for the chain to dry.Just a couple of minutes with a rag and some lube (i don't use WD40 unless it needs a clean and lube.WD40 is mostly kerosene) like in this vid.I lube after every ride in the rain.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/user/cacycleworksdotcom#p/u/34/682LEXdI-80[/video]

 

[Barnhartp]

If you lube without cleaning the lube just builds up, attracts dirt and causes kinks.
I always wondered about this,

 

[Wingboy]

Never liked any lube that looked like a stucco ceiling.All it does is attract dirt and grit,and is a pain in the butt to wash off.Todays chains work best when they are simply free of rust.The moving parts are behind the o-rings where your lube won't go.So just use something that prevents the corrosion on the outer exposed parts.I just wiped down my Hyper chain with Dupont stuff.That's as much lube as i like to see on my chain.It has about 18k km on it.(i cleaned the sprocket with kerosene btw)

 

[redridernl]

You don't need to wait for the chain to dry.Just a couple of minutes with a rag and some lube (i don't use WD40 unless it needs a clean and lube.WD40 is mostly kerosene) like in this vid.I lube after every ride in the rain.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/user/cacycleworksdotcom#p/u/34/682LEXdI-80[/video]

Not according to the company that makes it.

[h=5]What does WD-40 contain?[/h]While the ingredients in WD-40 are secret, we can tell you what WD-40 does NOT contain. WD-40 does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, wax, graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), or any known cancer-causing agents.

Linky http://www.wd40.com/faqs/

 

[slowbird]

I'm so used to de-greasing my bike by spraying it with Simple Green (only the grimey parts) and hosing it off that I never thought about its effect on my chain. I think it may have dried/damaged the O-rings causing it to developed some tight spots. :banghead:

 

[Ikan]

Dupont Teflon Multiple-Use is pretty much the same stuff and cheaper

Dupont also has a red can of Motorcycle Degreaser, safe for O'ring chains that is biodegradeable. Just spray it on. No rinsing required. Works very well. I got some at a Walmart in Florida (Bike Week) but do not know where to get it in Canada.

 

[YellowDuck]

Just a silly question,what are you guys lubing if its an o ring chain? As the lube will not penetrate the o rings right?

That's right, but you still need to lube the surface of the rollers - they are what contact the sprocket teeth, and without some lubrication the sprockets will wear much more quickly.

On some chains you also need lube to prevent the chain from rusting. Some lubes are better than others for that function. I like BelRay Superclean (the white stuff) for my DID replacement chains since they don't rust anyway, but for the rust-prone OEM chain on my bike I needed to use something else (in my case, Chain Wax) to prevent rust.

 

[soto]

So I got the dupont chain saver to give it a try. The chain runs smooth, looks clean, and is not sticky. My only complaint is that it's not possible to tell if there's any lube on, so I really had to keep track of my progress. I was wiping as I was putting it on... Do you guys leave it on for a while before wiping down?

On the plus side, the stuff smells great.

 

[toysareforboys]

One of the things he said that stood out to me was that you shouldn't clean your chain.

Was told this by some crazy old guy with gray hair when I bought my first "street" bike ('00 929).

I've never cleaned any chain I've ever owned, ever. My 1st bike had 48,000km's on it when I sold it, shop that did the cert said the chain and sprockets were good. My 08 R6 (R.I.P ) I had the chain and sprockets replaced (520 conversion with +3 rear) at 40,000km's just because I figured it was time, and I wanted the gearing change anyway. OEM chain and sprockets looked perfect when I replaced them.

I use Dupont Multi Use Teflon spray from Lowe's. I lube every other tank (so every 400km's ish) and before I do any long/high speed rides. I always lube warm, spray it on the "inside" of the chain (bike on stand in 1st gear clutch out), do between the outer plates, inside and outside, and the edges of the rollers, inside and out.

-Jamie M.

 

[Stewart]

I repeat: Then lube it completely so it does not start to rust.
Kerosen is only for cleaning!

I have shown a few newbies lately that the correct way to lube any chain is to spray the lube onto the inside diameter of the chain. This way the centrifugal force when the chain is rotating forces the lube over and through the chain. If the lube is simply put onto the easily accessible outside of the chain, say at the rear sprocket, it will easily fly off. What a waste of time and money.

Ride safe.

you probly learned that proceedure at rosey toes?

 

[peterventure]

I also use kerosene to clean my chaine and rear sproket every 600 km or after it rains. Spray it on, wip it off, let it dry.
Them spray on clean lube, wipping off any excess lube. Chain and sprocket looks like new.

Haven't need to adjust chain tension after 5400km on my GS500f.