Chain Maintenance - what do YOU do?

I just installed a new DID530XSO chain and AFAM steel sprockets on the ole' girl, and had nothing better to do than start up a chain maintenance war ...

I've long been a fan of keeping it clean and using a chain lube such as PJ1. Then again, I've long hated all the gooiness that comes along with it.

However, I've often wondered if the "don't need no stinking lube, all I do is WD-40 it to keep it clean" technique works. After all, keep the O-rings & sideplates happy, and the rest of the chain doesn't need squat, right?

Fresh chain, fresh sprockets: What is YOUR method of choice for maintaining your chain for maximum life?

 

I lube mine (my chain I'm talking about here) every 400 to 500 miles (two full rotations), and check and adjust it often. I don't really know why, just that my brother told me to do this. Has he been playin' with me? If he has, I'm gonna kick his ass!

 

Dito, to the above. I just give it a quick once over every time I jump on, if it looks and acts like it needs attention then it gets some..

 

I'm looking for any info from the "no lube, all I use is WD-40 crowd". Any takers?

 

i clean with wd40 when it gets dirty and lube when it looks dry, i dont keep track of the milage.

i would strongly advise against this. as a employee in a scuba diving shop we go through about 3 billion o rings a day (ok maybe not quite that much). dry o rings get brittle, brittle o rings = very bad.

 

I use gear oil. Seems to work fine, not too messy.

Cheers,
Craig :smile:

 

also, as far as chains go , a little loose is a lot better than a little tight.

 

I changed out just over 17K on my stock set. They looked better at 17K than many look at half that. I lubed every 500 miles. Never really needed to clean the chain much when I did, I used WD-40 on a rag. Ride the bike .. get the chain warm, lube and put away.

Is this a Chain war or a Lube war or both?

 

We use aluminum sulphate on shaft drives.

 

Bel-Ray | Consumer | Products | Bel-Ray Super Clean Chain Lube

 

i clean with wd-40..and use 90 weight gear oil....i just have never found a chain lube that i like.....

 

Clean with WD-40, lube with Bel-Ray Super Clean chain lube. Cleaning about every 1,000 miles, lube about every 300 or so.

 

I have started using Dupont Multipurpose Teflon Lube this year on both bikes. It is a good cleaner and when sprayed on and used as a lube it feels dry to the touch after a few minutes. I don't use a lot and lube every 500-1,000 miles. So far it works well and it does not attract dirt so the chain stays clean...

 

I lube mine every 500 miles (try to anyway), I just put the bike on the center stand, pop it in neutral, get a rag soaked in 80w90, and run the chain through the rag as I hold it loosely around the chain. I lay some clean rags on the ground to catch any drips as I let it sit until after work (lube it @ lunch) and after work I use the clean rags with the same method to remove any excess oil. Quick and easy, cheap, works well with the chain lube recommended in the owner's manual, no sticky mess.

 

I use the white spray chain lube. The main thing you want to do is prevent rust. The chain cleans itself with this stuff. Not clean enough yet? Spray on more. As long as it looks a bit whitish it doesn't need any more. Good stuff!

Made by Laven, I also got their chain cleaner spray and I did use it on a bike I got with a really gunky chain. Basically spray and wipe, spray and wipe a bit at a time all the way around, then on with the white lube.

 

I've had a Scottoiler (touring version) sitting in the garage in a box for some time now. Guess I should install it. I hate cleaning and lubing the chain.

 

I'm a big fan of the 80w90 gear oil. Dirt cheap, same bottle has lasted almost two years now and I lube every 500 miles or so. Just pour oil in rag, run rag on chain and done. A lot less fling off than any other specific lube I've ever used. And, did I say it's cheap?

 

What the hell is chain lube?

In the 30,000 miles or so I have ridden in my riding career I have never cleaned or lubed my chains. My last chain/sprockets I got about 12,000 miles out of them.

 

same here. :thumbsup: I've been told the best thing to clean with is kerosene. Greasy, but yet cleans away the dirt then the honda chain lube.