Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Chain lub which is best??

[ducatimad]

PS How the hell do you get the chain really clean? I have a KettenMax which was great for my SS, but no room to use it on the 748!!

[Viper]

I'm very intruiged by the results of this poll. Having done 17000 miles last year on my CBR4, i certainly went through a fair bit of chain lube.

It was always fairly interesting because mechanic-type-garage-people frequently 'recommended' Castrol chain wax, but in all honesty i found it the worst out of everything i tried. It really couldnt stand the test of long distances, and if it rained and any water got onto it, i found it just mysteriously dissapeared into oblivion. Which really didnt inspire me with much faith

Yoshi Kin good, i found to be a bit better, but i wouldnt rave about it.

However, i am now a true believer in Silkolene chainlube, it might get a bit messy, but whoever said the good things in life were clean!

Vx

[pguenet]

Used to use the Chain Wax because I hate the lube flying off and repainting black the all left hand side... but I have got to admit it is bloody useless!

Just tried the Ceramic stuff and it seems to work real nice. Doesn't fly off much and looks efficient on the chain.

[Dude]

I use Tecflow Ceramic cos it really clings to your chain and doesn't fling off. Also with it been white, you can easily see when it needs re-applying. Looks good too.

[nelly]

I use Shell Advance Teflon. White in colour and realy hangs on to the chain.

[ducatimad]

[Dude]

You can get specific chain cleaning solutions - Castrol do one. I tend to use white spirit and a tooth brush, spray on a bit of degreaser and wipe off with a rag. Let it dry then spray on Ceramic lube.

[antonye]

I use PJ1 ("Blue" I think) as I don't like the look of the Castrol Chain Wax and I'm not sure that it's really any better than a good quality "low fling" chain lube.

With a chain, you want to lubricate the gaskets that are keeping the lubricant sealed in the rollers. These will be either o-rings or x-rings of some description.

As the chain degrades, the o-rings will decay and split, leaking the lubricant inside and hence your chain becomes stiff and unserviceable.

My guide for cleaning your chain is:

1. Always use a paddock stand as it makes it much, much easier to both clean and lube your chain.

2. Start off with cleaning all the old lubricant and the built up dirt/grit off the chain. I use WD40 to do this as it is an excellent degreaser and cleans it up nicely. Put plenty on a cloth and wipe it over the chain to get off all the grit first. You can then use an old toothbrush to really scrub off the remaining crud from the chain. Finally wipe over with a dry, soft cloth to remove as much of the WD40 as possible.

TOP TIP: You will have a rivet-link in your chain where it was fitted to the bike. This shows up as an over-size gold blob on your chain. Rotate the wheel so you start at this point. As you work your way along the chain, you know when to stop as you reach the rivet again!

3. Now use a light gear oil (3-in-1 is fine) and apply a small drop on every link. Yes this sounds tedious but it is worth it for the excellent results it gives. You want to oil the section where the roller meets the plate as this is where the o-ring is. Applying a drop here on top of the plate will lubricate both sides of the plate and both o-rings. This means 4 (small) drops per link!

TOP TIP: Always work on the bottom half of the chain (under the swingarm) lubing it from the top. This is so that as the wheel rotates, the "fling" force generated mean the lube is thrown outwards and moves from the inside out. This means you get all of the chain and not just the outside edges.

4. Now that you've lubed the whole chain, and the light gear oil has done it's job, you want to get all the excess off otherwise it will end up all over your back wheel. Using another soft, dry cloth, hold the chain lightly in the cloth and spin the back wheel (this is why you need a paddock stand!). Keep going until you remove as much excess as possible from the chain as this will water down your chain lube, which is the next step...

5. Now apply a good quality chain lube to the chain as normal. Again start from the rivet and apply just a small dollop at the roller points. I usually wipe the surfaces as I go to smear a nice thin coat over the plates. This also means you don't put too much on. Once you've finished, give it a final wipe over to remove any excess and you should now have a really good looking chain!

You may need to wipe over your wheels after the first time you go out, so use WD40 (don't get it on the rear brake disk!) as this not only cleans but leaves a coating which makes shifting it next time a lot easier.

I clean and lube my chain about every thousand miles or couple of months, depending on use and conditions. Don't leave your chain too long of you've been riding in lots of wet weather as this strips the chain of the lubricant.

In the seven thousand miles I've done so far on the bike, the chain has remained within tolerance and not required adjustment, so that extra half hour spent cleaning your chain is well worth it!

[Whele]

Who remembers Link Life? the graphite solid wax/oil.

We used to have to remove the chain completely from the bike, boil the link life until molten and insert the chain.

1. Wait till Mum went out so you could do it in the comfort of the kitchen, on her new Rayburn

2. remember to attatch a small bit of wire to hook over the end of the chain. Otherwise you needed to fish around in boiling hot graphite oil to find the chain.

3. Spray air freshner liberally around before mum got back home.

4. Repeat the process every 4 weeks.

Any of the modern chain lubes would be preferable to that maintenance program.

[Ray]

Have just about given up lubing the chain. Just do a bit of a clean up with WD 40 every now and again.

The lube just seems to attract muck and make it stick to the chain, causing it to wear more??

Seem to be adjusting the chain a lot less as well now.

Ray