Chain cleaning?

philattersall · Post by **philattersall** » 17 years ago

Whats the best thing to clean your chain with?

I ask thinking i 'may' see my bike sometime soon

I hear paraffin is good to use, any ideas?

regards

stevepratt48 · Post by **stevepratt48** » 17 years ago

Must admit I use 'Jizer, scrub well in, hose off, WD40 to remove most of the water, let Dry B4 waxing, chain doesn't seem any better than those who just spray & ignore......

shebee · Post by **shebee** » 17 years ago

I'd be a bit wary of solvents on O and X-ring chains, I always used diesel or parafin on the non ring chains, I admit to using chain lube and a brush thing... a bit like this one

http://www.adventurersworkshop.com/kett ... enance.htm

to scrub and lube the chain

harleyriv · Post by **harleyriv** » 17 years ago

philattersall wrote:Whats the best thing to clean your chain with?

I ask thinking i 'may' see my bike sometime soon

I hear paraffin is good to use, any ideas?

regards

Never clean it....just lube it.

zorro · Post by **zorro** » 17 years ago

Hi all,

I clean my chain with kerosene,I think you may call this parafin in the UK, and a stiff brush,wash off with water,blow dry with compressed air or a clean rag then lube,I use Motul.

Regards,zorro

wreckah · Post by **wreckah** » 17 years ago

i found out that cleaning the chain doesn't improve the life of it by one km...it only looks better. (i used paraffin) No matter how hard i abuse a chain, or how good i treat it, it always seems to last 20.000kms on my bikes...

no more cleaning for me in the future

Post by **snapdragon** » 17 years ago

I forget,

I have a scottoiler and sort of let that get on with it - 20,000 is about my limit too Wreckah - apart from the first change when I actually added a new chain to the original sprockets at 6000, but it was still all done at 20,000

DrBagiva · Post by **DrBagiva** » 17 years ago

I've read loads about this on another forum somewhere recently, can't remember where tho'. It was a very heated debate with a number of bikers saying all they do is spray very regularly with WD 40 and they swear by it. They said that waxes and lubes etc. are just a marketing ploy and just cause crud to stick to the chain and promote wear!
Anyway I'm trying the WD idea at present.

twistedpr · Post by **twistedpr** » 17 years ago

As a self confessed Marketing Man's wet dream, I went out and bought the lot when I first got my bike.

My favourite was Motul. Every 400 miles I would give it a bit of chain cleaner (smells like that citrus degreaser they use on bicycles), followed by a good dousing with their chain lube (WD40 with balls?) Then another lighter spraying with lube in the 200 mile interim. At each service the chain would be properly cleaned and greased.

One tip I picked up was it is best to do the cleaning and lubing after the bike has been out for a run. It stretches the chain ever so slightly, allowing the cleaner/lube to penetrate further into the chain. It also dries slightly quicker, meaning you avoid flicking lube all over your freshly cleaned bike!

Post by **snapdragon** » 17 years ago

right on twistedpr -- always lube a warm chain not a cold one

I keep telling the scottoiler but does it listen ??

meph42 · Post by **meph42** » 17 years ago

Must admit that i had a scottoiler on my old Thundercat. jet to fit one to the raptor (it's on the things to do list)

I always use chain cleaner and a tooth brush buy the cheapest from asda works for me.

jeffgre_6163 · Post by **jeffgre_6163** » 17 years ago

Ahh... Chain cleaning and lubing, one subject that is sure to spark debate amongest motorcyclists.

I have quite strong opinions on this formed over 28 years of owning over 22 bikes.

First up would be that lubing a good quality o,x,xw etc etc ring chain is an almost total waste of time.
The O rings prevent the lube getting in between the rollers and pins of the chain for start which is where most of the heat and wear occurs!.
The O rings are designed to keep the factory lube in and do an excellent job of keeping your lube out!
That leaves the only point of impact/friction that may benefit from a lube as the interface between the chain roller and the sprocket.
The impact when the roller of the chain contacts the sprocket lasts for a micro second before the roller starts rotating around the pin of the chain while the roller is stationary against the sprocket.
The roller rotates around the central pin of the chain as the chain travels around with the sprocket for the approximate 180 degrees of rotation that the chain is in contact with the sprocket.
This is what the factory lube sealed inside the chain lubricates - the spinning roller around the chain pin, your lube does absolutely zero to help this.
Some very minor benefit may come from externaly lubing the chain for the initial contact between roller and sprocket but in my opinion it is very minimal.

Sure, lube keeps the rust at bay and makes you fell better about maintaining your bike but does it really achieve any thing other than lining the pockets of the chain lube producing companies not to mention the cleaning product companies that supply the cleaner to get the crap off your nice wheels?

Spray lube once every 500 clicks or so is gone within a few short kms from application to do anything about the roller/chain interface.

The one exception to this rule of my never lubing a chain would have to be a Scott Oiler.
A metered drop of a good quality transmission oil applied every 2 km or so is, IMHO, the very best way of cleaning and actually lubing the roller, sprocket interface.
I cannot rate Scottoilers highly enough through personal experience with one on my RF900.

My next point is on the use of aerosol type "Chain wax' as a lube.
These seem to be the most popular at the moment
Last time I looked, wax was a very crappy lubricant for any thing involving high temps or pressures.
The wax molecules are simply not strong enough or resistant enough to heat to lube any thing more than that sticky drawer in your bed side table.
Their main selling point is they dont fling off and set once applied.
Isn't this counter to the fact that a lubricant must be able to flow to where its required?
If it sets on the chain plates once it is squeezed out of the roller/sprocket interface after only 2 km, what use is it other than stopping rust?

The other point to remember is that these more viscous lubricants attract dust and grit turning lubricant in to grinding paste.
And that sure as hell is NOT good for your chain and sprockets!

My chain maintence routine involves a very light spray with a very mild aerosol [Inox or WD40] when I wash the bike to prevent rust and thats it.

i'm open to any comments if you feel like it

ozzy · Post by **ozzy** » 17 years ago

i disagree with you jeff,sorry mate.if you leave a chain for a while links can get sticky,giving you a zig zag effect in worse cases,after lubing them they free up and straighten.proving lube does penatrate the rings.in the old days of triumphs,nortons and bsa`s they used to place chains into saucepans of oil and gentally heat,these days there are easier ways.most bike magazines test products, so if they are more cosmetic and less fuctional they are expossed as so.a clean chain thats well lubed lasts longer,not in the sense you will get more miles out of it,but you wont be changing it in half the time.waxes are popular, true because they dont fling off,but some have better properties,try the german made profi lube,expensive but very good,if you give the chain a good clean first with a recommended aroesol cleaner then use profi ,applying properly,you should be able to pour sand over chain and it wont stick,its a teflon based product,developed for desert riding,like dakar,some of harshest conditions for a chain.but at the end of the day,buy a great chain to start with,theres a saying about polishing a turd,suppose same applies to lubing it too.

zorro · Post by **zorro** » 17 years ago

This subject always prompts wide and diverse opinions,I was advised many years ago by a long time motorcycle mechanic to clean a chain approx.every 1000 klms and lube approx.every 500 klms.
Clean with kerosene or deisel fuel only,never use WD4O,Penatrine.RP7 etc. as these products are designed to penatrate and disolve anything in their path,they are not lubricants.
The use of a spray on wax/oil,heavy oil or grease is designed to prevent metal to metal contact (chain to sprocket) in the same way engine and gearbox oils work on various components,to reduce friction thus wear.

Regards,zorro

danman · Post by **danman** » 16 years ago

I use a tool called a Ketten Max to clean my chain. It is so easy and tidy to use there's really no excuse for not using it. I bought mine locally here in Oz bit I assume google should help you track one down in the UK

Danman

Raptor Chapter

Chain cleaning?

Chain cleaning?

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chain cleaning