Chain Maintenance - and go! | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Chain Maintenance - and go!

Wind Shear said:
Used to brush gear oil on every 500km or so.
Bought a new bike this year that needed a new chain. Previous owner said he used chain lube "pretty regularly".
Yeah, I could tell. Years of caked, hardened lube everywhere. Embedded with dirt, grime, sand and other grit. Spent an hour scraping it all off, removing the chain guide, up around the front sprocket, etc.
I'm trying a new approach now. no "lube" per se, just cleaning with rag and oil once it gets dirty. Lube, especially the really sticky spray stuff, probably just promotes extra wear when it attracts road abrasives(?) :unsure:
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I spray and wipe once a day when going far. The wipe is key as it keeps things from building up, cleans the chain a bit and minimizes the fling when you start riding again.
 
Douma said:
Any bike I've seen with an auto oiler has a messy swingarm and rear wheel. THAT, I can't tolerate.
Clean it, lube it, lube again after a bunch of kilometers or after a dirty/wet day and be done with it. Its not a commitment, its just part of owning a motorcycle.
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I found an auto oiler at a fraction of what it would cost new from Tutoro.
Willing to try it and see how it goes.
 
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Jayell said:
65,000kms on my Thruxton. Not perfect, but pretty good, I think.

View attachment 62917

And if you'd have bought a Guzzi, we wouldn't be having this conversation!
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Jayell said:
65,000kms on my Thruxton. Not perfect, but pretty good, I think.

View attachment 62917

And if you'd have bought a Guzzi, we wouldn't be having this conversation!
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Nicely done. Well aligned sprockets on those rollers for that type of kilometers ridden. You sure know how to maintain and align a chain.
 
I use whatever chain lube I have on hand, at times I even used some cheap new motor oil. give chain a wipe, Wipe/spray lube on a warn chain, wipe off excess, never had an issue with flinging with any product and never had a chain or sprocket wear out prematurely. I think people overcomplicate what should be very simple maintenance...
 
matt365 said:
That **** flings everywhere. Fine for a dirtbike. Messy for a streetbike
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On a dirt bike with a regular chain, they actually help prevent wear.
On a street bike with a sealed Oring chain they do absolutely NOTHING to prevent chain wear. The lube in an Oring chain is sealed into the rollers when it's manufactured. The Orings keep the lube in AND keep anything outside from getting IN... like dirt... or lube spread on the outside of the chain. You can't lube a sealed chain.
Since the lube in the chain oiler is NOT getting into the chain, where do you think that oil is going? All you're doing is spreading expensive, toxic lubricant into the environment.
It's not 1960 anymore.
 
bitzz said:
On a dirt bike with a regular chain, they actually help prevent wear.
On a street bike with a sealed Oring chain they do absolutely NOTHING to prevent chain wear. The lube in an Oring chain is sealed into the rollers when it's manufactured. The Orings keep the lube in AND keep anything outside from getting IN... like dirt... or lube spread on the outside of the chain. You can't lube a sealed chain.
Since the lube in the chain oiler is NOT getting into the chain, where do you think that oil is going? All you're doing is spreading expensive, toxic lubricant into the environment.
It's not 1960 anymore.
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Not sure why you're telling me this... I'd agree with you about the chain oiler.

My streetbikes, with x-ring chains get cleaned with kerosene, or wd-40, and a light squirt of chain wax.

The dirtbike? Chain gets caked in sand and, you guessed it... dirt.
Clleaned, wd-40, then whatever I have on hand, if I feel like it.

That canadian tire flingy crap? Stopped using that years ago.

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bitzz said:
Since the lube in the chain oiler is NOT getting into the chain, where do you think that oil is going? All you're doing is spreading expensive, toxic lubricant into the environment.
It's not 1960 anymore.
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I'm sure you're old enough to remember them spreading used engine oil on dirt roads to keep the dust down...

Disposal of old oil by digging a hole, putting in gravel, and pouring it full...

My dad certainly remembers. I sure don't.

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I don't know what's going on, I use the CT flingy crap and never got a mess or crap that flings?
 
matt365 said:
I'm sure you're old enough to remember them spreading used engine oil on dirt roads to keep the dust down...

Disposal of old oil by digging a hole, putting in gravel, and pouring it full...

My dad certainly remembers. I sure don't.

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I remember doing Route 66 in the early 80s. Just outside Amarillo Texas, a truck stop had a self service oil change area, it was about 1 acre of gravel lot where people simply pulled the plug.
 
So what happens to old worn chains? Do people forge them into Damascus knives? Coil them up and use them as coasters or trivets? Make "Welcome but clean your boots" door mats? Make tire chains for snowy days? Decorate Christmas trees?
 
nobbie48 said:
So what happens to old worn chains? Do people forge them into Damascus knives? Coil them up and use them as coasters or trivets? Make "Welcome but clean your boots" door mats? Make tire chains for snowy days? Decorate Christmas trees?
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Sadly, I throw them out. I don't normally keep scrap steel around.
 
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