Chain Lube???

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

What are you guys using on your bike chain...? For the past year and a half I have been spraying on Chain wax, but over the weekend I met a dude from the R1 Forum and he said he doesn't do anything to his??? What are your thoughts???

[Anonymous]

What are you guys using on your bike chain...? For the past year and a half I have been spraying on Chain wax, but over the weekend I met a dude from the R1 Forum and he said he doesn't do anything to his??? What are your thoughts???

Chain wax.

your dude from the R1 forum is going to be replacing his chain a bit quicker than most people do.

[zPurpleRoom]

In the words of an old pimp...

Lube is always better than dry!!! :D

But not excessive as it can cause unwanted slippage

[Anonymous]

In the words of an old pimp...

Lube is always better than dry!!! :D

But not excessive as it can cause unwanted slippage

:wtf:

Chains don't slip, dude. If it's slipping, no amount of lube (or lack thereof) is gonna fix that.

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

Here is an article I found...it seems as though my chain is a self lubricating??? I'm gonna stick w/ the WD-40 every couple hundred miles and see how that works...I cleaned off all the wax last night and the bike seems to move smoother and quieter.

http://motorcycles.about.com/cs/maintenance/ht/howtolubachain.htm

[zPurpleRoom]

In the words of an old pimp...

Lube is always better than dry!!! :D

But not excessive as it can cause unwanted slippage

:wtf:

Chains don't slip, dude. If it's slipping, no amount of lube (or lack thereof) is gonna fix that.

:lol: I wasn't talking about that.....more like getting on your tire. I have seen people go nuts on adding lube to their chain which then gets onto the tire. Goof Ball.

[UglyDogRacing]

I don't ever lube my chains. I only clean them regularly with kerosene.

[Anonymous]

I don't ever lube my chains. I only clean them regularly with kerosene.

and you're probably losing some power to frictional loss.

Take a couple pieces of metal and rub them together sometime. Make sure you clean them off real good with kerosene and dry them completely first. Then put some oil on 'em and try again. note the difference. The same thing happens with every link of your chain, every time it turns. Lube is a good thing...

[Anonymous]

:lol: I wasn't talking about that.....more like getting on your tire. I have seen people go nuts on adding lube to their chain which then gets onto the tire. Goof Ball.

:lol: gotcha. for a second there I thought we needed to go over physics 101.

if it's all over the tire, then it's the fault of crappy technique. Excess lube will either help the chain or fling off. However, part of the spray technique should include holding a rag behind it so you don't soak the tire/brake in the stuff, and wiping the excess off when you're done. Also do it while the chain is warm, so that the lube/wax/whatever really soaks in instead of collecting on the surface only.

[The Ductor]

I use Honda Chain Cleaning Spray on my Yamaha :D, It cleans, lubricates and also puts a non-stick layer on the chain...have not had any trouble with it

[UglyDogRacing]

I don't ever lube my chains. I only clean them regularly with kerosene.

and you're probably losing some power to frictional loss.

..


Naw, the Belray wax takes care of that for me.

[3/4gixxer]

Not WD-40.....look at the name. It stands for "Water Displacement" - 40. It's not a real lubricant, at least not one that I'd use for and extended period of time on anything I value.

[zPurpleRoom]

I use Honda Chain Cleaning Spray on my Yamaha :D, It cleans, lubricates and also puts a non-stick layer on the chain...have not had any trouble with it


I love that stuff!!!

[The GECCO]

Not WD-40.....look at the name. It stands for "Water Displacement" - 40. It's not a real lubricant, at least not one that I'd use for and extended period of time on anything I value.

Plus the fact that WD-40 is VERY hard on anything made of rubber (like the o-rings in your chain)



Here is an article I found...it seems as though my chain is a self lubricating???

Older chains or chains for smaller displacement bikes are true "dry" chains. Most chains today are sealed, that is they have grease inside each of the pins and it is held in by the o-rings (or x-rings). This grease inside the chain helps it survive and lubes an area where it can be difficult to get chain lube into. However, this doesn't mean these chains don't need lube. Anytime you have metal to metal contact some form of lube is a good idea. WD-40 won't cut it, it isn't designed to withstand the levels of pressure present between the chain and sprockets. The lube also serves to lengthen the life of the rubber o-rings that hold in the grease, but as I said before WD-40 is caustic to rubber.

Use chain wax or another product that is specifically designed for chains. If you get build-up use kerosene (not gasoline or WD-40) to clean it, kerosene is not harmful to rubber.

[bulldog]

Kerosene and chain wax for me 8) Putting the bike on the rear stand first helps the process a lot and one of those tools with three brushes on it. I maintnence my chain every chance I get; which never exceeds more than 500 miles.....

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

Thanks all for your feedback. Majority wins and I will resort back to the chain wax!!! Thanks agian!

[Wayne Alden]

:hump: <----- This guy uses wax lube.

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

Wayne...you gonna be at breck's tonight??? I got my rims quarter polished and you might like it!

[Wayne Alden]

I'll be there around 8:00
Sounds cool, I definately want to check it out.

[friscokidd]

chain lube????? I thought the water from the road when it rains was enuff???

[Desmo]

just use KY :D

[DanFZ1]

chain lube????? I thought the water from the road when it rains was enuff???

Joking perhaps?

I'll answer anyway.

O-ring chains depend on the integrity of the O-ring itself. Colorado roads have a lot of grit that can get into your O-ring chain and speed up the wear and tear.

When it rains, it gets even worse. I rode in the rain out on 76 just south of sterling for over 1 1/2 hours in the dark just 2 weeks ago. I was coming back from Illinois with all of my soft sided Oxford tank bag/saddle bag gear which is made of black fabric. The next morning I went out to get my stuff after everything had dried and ....

...All of the Oxford gear looked like I had taken it to the beach! Primarily because I was getting passed by semi's since visibility was limited and I was backing off the rpm's in the rain.

When it's wet out your bike is covered in crap which is why we all have spent so much time cleaning our bikes this year, right? :)

O-ring chain lube is really more of a cleaner/sealant that wont come of in the rain. At least it's not supposed to.

...And yes, I took my chain lube with me. It was along way to go (almost 2,000 miles) carrying a bit of a load, on a chain with 12,000 miles on it.

With newer x-ring chains it may not be quite so important. If properly maintenanced however, they have been known to last longer than the sprokets they came with. :)