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How do YOU clean your chain?

20K views 80 replies 31 participants last post by  GR rider 
#1 ·
How do you guys go about cleaning and lubing your 650 chain?
1. What should I buy oil/wax wise?

2. What is the best process in short?


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#4 ·
Either buy a spray can of chain cleaner, or use diesel fuel/kerosene, not diesel oil.

The Walmart here also sells a 3-sided chain brush.
 
#5 ·
1. I use oil sprays, easier to check for dryness, any chain specific stuff is ok.

2. For cleaning I also use special sprays and an old toothbrush. They do a good job but you need to use a lot, like half a can every time, but you don't have to clean it very often anyway. For lubing you don't need as much when you apply it correctly. Spray on the inner side of the chain and make sure the o-rings are covered in oil and shinny. It's better to go for a ride, lube while the chain is still warm and leave it overnight.
 
#10 ·
i used to use the nice man in the kawasaki shop to clean my chain untill i realised he was washing it in gasoline. i found that out when all the o rings started falling out.
i now use another nice man with a 5 million psi power wash and he blasts that chain to oblivion.
its a good job chains are cheap in thailand.:)
 
#15 ·
#20 ·
Ok guys, since this gadget is about cleaning - lubing the chain I will post my impressions here.

I recently bought this:

https://www.louis.de/en/artikel/liftstick-louis/10003338

It's a mini jack that attaches to the tip of the swingarm and lifts up the rear tire for chain maintenance.

It fits in my tank bag and is practical to carry and use.

The company says that it doesn't work with banana, supersport and chopper swingarms but it works great with my bike so I totally recommend it for easy chain maintenance!
 
#24 ·
I took this mini jack with me on my week long motorcycle trip and it worked soooo good :)

It makes life so much easier when you have to lube the chain daily and it fitted in my tank bag along with ALL my other stuff :thumbup:

I also used Bel Ray Blue Tac chain lube on the road because of the significant highway mileage and the possibility of rain.

I had problems with it recently as the spray head was leaking more lube on my hand than on the chain, I returned it and got another can for free but still had the same problem.

Anyway, I took it with me because when applied correctly it stays on the chain even when the weather is very hot and I immediately hit 90mph when departing on the highway. It is also good for 500+kms in those conditions and actually seals the rain water out of the crucial areas because it is notoriously water repellent (trust me, I had to take it off my hand).

It is ideal for the above conditions but I always wear gloves when applying it and I spray with the can in plastic bag. Also if you don't wipe it and/or wait a few minutes or if you put too much it will fling off and it will be very difficult to clean.

That's why I prefer Motorex Racing for everyday and track use as it is super clean to use and despite looking like wax at first, after a few miles it turns liquid so I can see when the chain is dry or not :nerd:
 
#25 ·
Try Fluid Film spray from Lowes. It is made with lanolin (wool oil)- with many years of sheep evolution for not attracting dirt and keeping sheepskin moist.

I also like Dupont Chainsaver from Walmart for not attracting dirt, but it does not last as long as the Fluid Film. I put this thinner Dupont Chainsaver on the O or X rings first to soak into them, then use the Fluid Film.

The Dupont Chainsaver also works well in keyholes, or Lowes has specialty lubes for inside locks.
 
#26 ·
...I also like Dupont Chainsaver from Walmart for not attracting dirt...
I have to say that in my experience the claim that super-sticky sprays attract dirt is a bit of a myth except when riding on dirt roads very often.

I've experimented with all kinds of textures and in the end I was cleaning my chain a couple of times per year no matter what, despite riding in a mostly dry and dusty environment. In my book, it's all about correct application and wiping afterwards and the frequent cleaning of the chain in order to look pristine is actually bad for the longevity of the chain.

Also, in Greece a large number of riders use heavy valvoline oil on their chains and swear by it. I tried it too and find it to be very effective, and of course super cheap, for everyday - normal use. But it's totally useless while travelling or for track use as it will immediately fling off at highway speeds and mess up everything behind your chain guard. Also, it completely washes off when riding in the rain and can therefore cause rusting of the chain.
 
#27 ·
My chain got rusty in the winter when using just the Dupont Chainsaver, from some salt still left after snow and ice. The Fluid Film seems to prevent rusting better, and keeps the "wet look" longer.

I hardly ever clean my chains, only when they look very dirty, and only with an old cloth and some PB Blaster penetrating oil spray. I think chain brushes might damage the O or X rings.
 
#28 ·
What I meant was that when riding in the rain chain oils / lubes with oily texture wash off pretty quickly and if you don't apply a new layer of oil after stopping on dry chain, it's like instant rust on the contact points of the links.

We never get snow and salt on the roads here so I guess that, like engine oil, chain lube choice is dictated by different parameters and there's no holy grail apart from timely maintenance.

The super sticky stuff worked excellent in the above mentioned circumstances, despite some drawbacks considering practicality, so I do recommend it for everyday travel use!
 
#29 · (Edited)
I have used a few different things but fall back on WD-40 and synthetic oil. I do not spay the chain with the WD (as I don't want WD to get to the rings) but rather spray a rag and just use it to wipe any gunk off. Then I use oil (currently Royal Purple because I have it laying around) and a plastic syringe I got from the dentist after getting my wisdom teeth yanked. I start at the master (reference point) and work my way around hitting each x-ring. No sticky mess, crap flinging, and I can still see my purty gold chain which along with the sprockets are still in excellent shape.

So far so good

Edit: Also, I always clean my chain after a decent length ride as the heat will help with the maintenance. My .02
 
#31 ·
All I do to clean my chain is a chain brush, rag and some Wd-40 chain cleaner and wax. Just spray on some chain cleaner all over the chain then use the brush to get most of the muc off spay a bit more chain cleaner on then wipe down with a rag, while you're at it you can clean the sprockets aswell, when the chain is dry spay some wax on and jobs a good'un.
 
#33 ·
If you have a padlock stand lift rear of bike up, start bike and place in 1st gear and release clutch slowly, if idle is high enough chain will rotate on tick over allowing you to use wire brush to clean chain, then lube with high quality "no fly off"chain lube. That's what I do but not very often. Just lube regular intervals. I do my chain once a week over here in the uk.
 
#34 · (Edited)
If you use a wire brush to clean the chain, make sure the bristles are very soft, or your cleaning might be destroying the rubber/soft plastic X or O rings. I would want a very long handle for the brush- there are dozens of guys nationwide that have lost fingers or thumbs from getting them caught in the back sprocket.

I just use an old, soft cloth with some PB Blaster penetrating oil spray added to the cloth.

I think frequent lubing (especially when riding in the rain) and making sure the chain stays adjusted (not too tight, not too loose) help make the chain last the longest. It also helps to use steel sprockets and the stock (wider) chain size. The stock front sprocket often has a cush drive that is missing on aftermarket front sprockets.
 
#36 ·
Yes don't ever clean the chain with the bike in gear, about the worst thing to do.

I use Maxima chain clean spray and gold wax. Clean the chain with the spray and water until it looks good and then drive around the block to dry and heat up the chain. Then spray the way from the top down on the inside chain where the rollers are and then spin the wheel by hand to move the wax to the outside. I then use a rag to wipe off all the wax on the outside/sides of the chain. This prevents dirt and stuff gathering. Leave the bike 10 min and its good to go. I get approx 50000km on my chains.


Crash
 
#40 ·
Update: I've been using the Ipone X-Treme Chain Road spray for two years now and I am very happy with it :)

It has the most practical spray nozzle I've ever used and it goes white when applied on the chain and translucent afterward.

It is good for 500km of scorching hot highway, it stays on in wet conditions without turning into sludge and it is very clean when applied properly.

It has an 800km recommendation between applications but the usual 500km interval would be more realistic, especially with the bike fully loaded.

Thumbs up from me!
 
#41 ·
Update: I've been using the Ipone X-Treme Chain Road spray for two years now and I am very happy with it :)

It has the most practical spray nozzle I've ever used and it goes white when applied on the chain and translucent afterward.

It is good for 500km of scorching hot highway, it stays on in wet conditions without turning into sludge and it is very clean when applied properly.

It has an 800km recommendation between applications but the usual 500km interval would be more realistic, especially with the bike fully loaded.

Thumbs up from me!
Good info, do you also use the Ipone chain cleaner? I think Fortnine proved it to be the best and safest for the job.
 
#43 ·
So did you hear about the new maintenance-free - diamond-coated chain from Regina?

Buy REGINA HPE - CHAIN 525 High-Performance Endurance | Louis motorcycle clothing and technology

BMW offers it with its high-end models, no cleaning, no lubing, no tightening required...

...on paper, because in the small print there is a certain amount of maintenance required and Regina is not responsible for any future mishaps :unsure:

It is also very expensive without lasting longer than a regular set according to the factory.

I am too neurotic to ride thousands of miles without caring for the chain, so not for me!
 
#45 ·
So did you hear about the new maintenance-free - diamond-coated chain from Regina?

Buy REGINA HPE - CHAIN 525 High-Performance Endurance | Louis motorcycle clothing and technology

BMW offers it with its high-end models, no cleaning, no lubing, no tightening required...

...on paper, because in the small print there is a certain amount of maintenance required and Regina is not responsible for any future mishaps :unsure:

It is also very expensive without lasting longer than a regular set according to the factory.

I am too neurotic to ride thousands of miles without caring for the chain, so not for me!
Yeah, I don't care how "maintenance free" a chain is, it's still getting lubed.

Actually this is a hot topic over on the XR forums and I have a lot of insight, from personal experiences with friend's bikes too.

The HPE or M-Endurance chain (literally the same thing) is truly maintenance free and you're NOT supposed to lube it as it's actively BAD for the chain. The only sort of lube you should ever use on it is dry lube but even that's hardly necessary. This is because wet lubes cause dirt to stick to the chain and grains of sand (with quartz in them) can damage the coating on the rollers and essentially strip the protection on the rollers. The rollers with this coating and the side plates being zinc coated are almost completely weather resistant so once again lube is not necessary to shield from weather. The only explicit maintenance that's required is cleaning the chain, but this can be done much less frequently due to the aforementioned, less dirt sticking to the chain.

In general there isn't a lot of feedback yet but most people that went fully no maintenance route with it are around 10-15k miles with the chain being WELL within spec and no apparent tight spots on the chain. There was 1 guy who reported their chain has rusted, but the rust seems to be around the inner pin and it's only surface rust, probably a one of case, and it's not even clear if he has the M-Endurance chain or just a standard chain. Most also say basically no adjustment was needed in this time frame.

I have a friend who has the M-endurance chain on his Gen 2 XR and I regularly check in with him. The sprockets also experience much less wear due to the overall less friction between the chain and sprockets.

For overall life I've not seen anyone having to get rid of their M-endurance chains yet, there are some people that've done 20k on the Gen 2s already but I don't know if they have this chain or not. To me though even if it only lasts the same time as a regular chain, which I think it'd last more, I still think it's worth it, because it's not only hassle free, it also saves you on chain lube and cleaner!

Tallying it up for my XR (just chains alone):

DID ZVMX (Their top chain): £120
Tsubaki Sigma XRG (A chain I've been running on the ER6 too and it's one of the best traditional chains period.): £155
BMW M-endurance/Regina HPE: £230

Now add about ~£80 for chain lube and cleaning spray for the life of the chain (3x£10 bottles of lube, 5x£10 bottles of cleaner, probably underestimating even). And you're damn near the M-endurance chain. And that's a lot of hassle saved.

Hope this was informative, don't mean to be nit-picking, but I was suspicious/sceptical about this maintenance free chain so much so that I ended up getting the Tsubaki for my XR instead of the M-endurance chain, but I've seen a lot of results that really changed my mind and once this Tsubaki is done i'm 100% getting the M-endurance/Regina HPE chain. By then they probably would've worked out any kinks and/or improved the product even more.
 
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