Chain Lubers of the World Unite !!!

[neener]

I need some help/advice on chain lubrication ... Since I rack up 150 miles a day on my round trip work commute (3,000 miles a month), my chain seems to want a lot of attention and often ... I picked up some chain lube and a swingarm stand to make life easier, but am wondering about proper procedure ...

so here are my questions ...

1) how often do you recommend lubing the chain (time/mileage) ?
2) What is the proper way to lube your chain? spray down the whole chain? only spray the sprocket side? only spray in the link cracks where the o/x-rings are? clean chain with wd40 first before lubing ?

thanks in advance for the answers, opinions, and/or smart a$$ commentary ...

[Calkidd]

This is what I do.

1. Lift the rear up and transmissio in neutral
2. Get a oil pan fill it with solvent (paint thinner) and an old shop rag.
3. Hold the oil pan and begin to gently whipe your chain.
Do this several times until the grit is gone.
4. After you're done wipe it as dry as you can with a clean shop rag.

if you can't ride it take a heat gun and heat up the chain. Then apply a fair amount of chain lube. Viola, your done.

I recommend every 500 miles depending on the conditions you ride in.

[hamish]

i recomend
-camper fuel and a tooth brush to get the heavy crap off then wipe clean
-spray down with W.D 40 and wipe off again
- take the bike for a ten minute ride to heat the chain up
-put lube on the chain not "wax" proper chain lube wipe off any excess and your done
usually W.D 40 and reaply lube every 300 km
whole works every thousand
works good for me anyway

[Blademan]

I usually lift the rear and in neutral. I spray from right above the kick stand on the bottom run of the chain while spinning the tire backwards so the chain pulls the oil into the front sprocket. I recomend putting a rag over the kick stand kick plate. Oil will build up there and then drip onto the tire when leaned over. Happened to me . . . not such a good outcome.

[Blademan]

Oh . . . yeah and about every 500 miles

[NIHILator]

WD40 isn't good for the "O" or "X" rings. I used to use it. Now i take the recommendations from the factory service manuals and I use Kerosene to clean it. It won't harm the rings as it has an oil- not solvent base.

You should heat up the chain by riding 5 minutes or so, then put your bike on a centerstand. Rotating the wheel slowly apply the lube to the cracks where the 0-rings reside only. on both sides, not just the inside.

I use the heavy lubricating stuff with molyphos... But its stringy as hell and hard to get off your wheel. But i figured out that if you get a spray bottle and presoak the wheel with water/meguiar's crystal car wash mixture, even the worst lube comes right off.

[Sime]

I second also using Kerosene to clean the chain. I have an RK X-ring chain.

[Big Kahuna]

I use WD-40 and have never had any problems. I usually clean the chain every 500+ miles. I sometimes just clean it with WD-40, and sometimes I finish it up with some chain wax. I usually use the chain wax when I don't have enough time to clean the chain. I never spray the chain with WD-40, I simply spray a towel and then rub the dirt and grime away.

Here's what the makers of WD-40 have to say about chain cleaning:

"WD-40 is a multi-purpose light lubricating oil. The WD-40 will definitely displace and remove the water or moisture from the chain. The 'WD' stands for water displacement. It will also act as a rust preventative on any of the metal surfaces. WD-40 will not 'dry out' the rubber o-rings. We have found no visible effects on surfaces of rubber, and o-rings. Certain types of rubber will swell under prolonged immersion [emphasis mine] in WD-40 (this refers to long soaking, and not just a spray)."

And see the attached letter from Tsubaki, it also mentions using WD-40 to clean the chain.

[NIHILator]

Under final drive section in one of my factory service manuals:

!CAUTION The O-rings between the side plates seal in the lubricant between the pin and the bushing. To avoid damaging the O-rings and resultant loss of lubricant, observe the following rules: Use only kerosene or diesel oil for cleaning an O-ring drive chain. Any other cleaning solution such as gasoline or trichloroethylene will cause deterioration and swelling of the O-rings. Immediately blow the chain dry with compressed air after cleaning. Complete cleaning and drying the chain within 10 minutes.

I'll take the advice the factory gives their own mechanics. As far as what the WD-40 people or some chain people say, they are selling a product. If a chain wears out prematurely, the better for the chain guys.

Make up your own minds, but these is the details from different sources....

[xraycatj]

I clean with WD-40, scrub it off with stiff bristle nylon brush, wipe thoroghly.
Go for a quick 5 minute ride to fling out all the WD40 and heat the chain. then I use Maxima chain wax on all sides, lightly on the outside just for rain protection.

edit: then i use brake cleaner to wipe the little bit that gets on the rotor