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What are you using to clean and to lube your chain?
Chain Maintenance
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I have some rust so I need something to get it off before lubing it.
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A mix of 80% Gasolene/Petrol and 20% WD-40 to clean chain dry and remove rust, then lube with Castrol Chain Lube. Works great for now though I need to get thicker oil to pass the rainy days.
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I use kerosene in a spray bottle and an old toothbrush to clean the chain. I do it in the driveway, clean move forward, clean move forward etc.. Wipe it dry and let it dry in the sun, then spray chain lube on it (spray move forward, spray move forward etc..).
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Note that most, if not all, chains in use today (racing chains excluded) are sealed "O" or "X" ring types and don't need lube - at least not like the old chains did. What they DO need is to be kept clean and protected from corrosion.
For cleaning, kerosene works well & WD-40 works well, although you're better off using a product designed for the purpose - i.e. "O" ring safe. The chain then needs a protective coat. Heavy chain lubes tend to be sticky and attract dirt, making cleaning a more frequent task.
I'm in the process of fitting a centerstand to make this process less of an annoyance while on the road. A paddock stand in the garage also works well if you're never away from it long enough to require chain maintenance during your ride.
For cleaning, kerosene works well & WD-40 works well, although you're better off using a product designed for the purpose - i.e. "O" ring safe. The chain then needs a protective coat. Heavy chain lubes tend to be sticky and attract dirt, making cleaning a more frequent task.
I'm in the process of fitting a centerstand to make this process less of an annoyance while on the road. A paddock stand in the garage also works well if you're never away from it long enough to require chain maintenance during your ride.
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199 Posts
I must disagree with you about modern chains not needing lubrication. Most chains end up being changed because they are not regularly lubricated as the "O" or "X" rings dry out and start to break up causing premature wear of the chain. That is why you get seized links. Modern chains are best lubricated when they are warm - after a run.
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I didn't mean to run them dry - that will let the O rings dry out (whereupon the "sealed" lube runs out and the links kink). But you don't need a heavy greasy product either. A light lube is all that it needs. And I agree that the best time to do it is just before you put the bike to bed after a ride - or at the end of each day on longer rides.
I come from the time where we'd remove the chain, wash it in kerosene and "boil" it in oil (actually just a hot oil bath for an hour or so - usually on the kitchen stove when your wife/mother wasn't looking) and then hang it up to dry before re-installing it. No O rings in those days. Comparatively speaking, they're almost maintenance free today.
I come from the time where we'd remove the chain, wash it in kerosene and "boil" it in oil (actually just a hot oil bath for an hour or so - usually on the kitchen stove when your wife/mother wasn't looking) and then hang it up to dry before re-installing it. No O rings in those days. Comparatively speaking, they're almost maintenance free today.
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Yes, I remember doing the same with a round tin full of really thick grease called "Linklife". Unfortunately once, I forgot it was on the kitchen stove, and it overflowed all over the stove when it melted. I was not very popular in the house for a while!
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BTW, I have been riding BMW's for 30+ years and like the technology, BUT what kind of dumb A$$ design puts the oil sight glass on one side of the bike and the oil filler on the opposite side?
I guess it's for exercise, walking back and forth adding a drop at a time...
I guess it's for exercise, walking back and forth adding a drop at a time...
Those were the days.
When I started riding motorcycles I bought an industrial chain per meter and changed the chain every week.
One chain came of and was cleaned and put in boiling chain oil.
The chain I cleaned and lubricated the week before was put one for the coming week.
The tin on my mother’s kitchen stove.
Oil all over and the whole house stinking.
My mother bought me an electrical heater to stay in the garage.
Everybody happy.
After some years I bought my first BMW, a R65 (1979)
Since then I have been riding beamers.
Now the first one with a chain (my previous bmw had a belt - F800ST)
I do have to get used to oiling the chain again but ‘cooking’ the chain is not necessary anymore.
Me happy, wife happy and no smell.
When I started riding motorcycles I bought an industrial chain per meter and changed the chain every week.
One chain came of and was cleaned and put in boiling chain oil.
The chain I cleaned and lubricated the week before was put one for the coming week.
The tin on my mother’s kitchen stove.
Oil all over and the whole house stinking.
My mother bought me an electrical heater to stay in the garage.
Everybody happy.
After some years I bought my first BMW, a R65 (1979)
Since then I have been riding beamers.
Now the first one with a chain (my previous bmw had a belt - F800ST)
I do have to get used to oiling the chain again but ‘cooking’ the chain is not necessary anymore.
Me happy, wife happy and no smell.
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469 Posts
And, add to that it must be checked with the bike upright.
No centre stand, hold it upright, with one hand on the bar, then bend down and try to see the sight glass without tipping it over.:wink2:
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469 Posts
And no fear of a final drive failure.:surprise:
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Can you please post some pictures?
I am currently using the Portable jack. found that more efficient than roller to spin the wheel.
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