Chain lub which is best??
 

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!!

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

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.

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.

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

Any advice on cleaning - see earlier post above.
 

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.

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!

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.

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

Looks like only 20 of you lot use chain lube!! Get votin...........
 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: :lol::lol:

I've got a Scottoiler - fill it and forget it!

always used castrol chain wax, put it on the night before and the chain is where it stays, top stuff, though there is always someone who will disagree.

I think i need to invest in a scottoiler, as i dont think i can be trusted to lube my chain anymore....

100 miles ago i thought i lubed my chain with "Yoshi" chain lube....
I then left the can of it beside my bike.

....Only to find out today, that my Yoshi chain lube was still infact on the shelf.... and i had actually lubed it with the Yoshi water soluable degreaser!! :o

I dont think I want to making that mistake too often. ..But hey, it provided me with the incentive to finally clean my chain i suppose! :cool:

Its silly that they both come in identical aerosols with orange lids!?!?
Or am I the silly one!?!? Doh!

Vx :)

I've found wd 40 to clean up the chain and then silkolene chain lube works really well, done nearly 8000 miles in a year and haven't had to adjust chain once.
A little bit of care goes a long way.
If i've been out in rain then i give chain a quick spray of wd when i get back just to disperse any water.

Also found wd makes paint work shine better than any polish and dispells any water especially on the misses 750 sport which is matt black.:roll::roll:

Castrol\'s romping away, any more views?
 

:cool:

motul chain lube
 

i found the motul chain lube to be the best and when lubing the chain spray the bottom edge only thats the inside of the chain then let centrfugal force do its stuff and you wont end up with it all over your wheels
hope this helps u guys

Clean my chain with WD40 and lube with Yoshi Slippi Tin - works really well and comes out a metallic pink colour so you can see where you have applied it. Biatch to get off the rear wheel though...

Putoline
 

I use Putoline ceramic chain wax at £8 a can; claen the chain with WD40 then spray the lube on cleaning off the excess.

Hpw do you lube the inside of the chain, ok on my R1 but cannot get near it with the 916, due to hugger and chain guard?

EEEEKKK WD40 ??
WD40 does clean the chain up nicely, but unfortunatley it dries out and perishes the rubber seals giving the chain an untimely death.
The safest way is to use parafin or diesel (both oil based) to clean the chain up, leave to dry and then i apply with a brush some ATF fluid (or a clean high quality fork oil - but ATF is basicly fork oil with preservatives and detergents added), wipe off all excess, then apply a thin coating of chain lube, again cleaning off all excess.
this tends to do me for about 1000 miles happily. But then i get over 14k out of a standard chain on my blade like this before its finish was shot from a good winters riding.
Also dont use WD40 on caliper pistons and seals, before you know it you will have leaking seals and very perished rubbers, again use either parrafin or diesel fuel and a toothbrush

Mr Sheene
 

Use Mr Sheene or other household polish to remove any oily marks on your wheel, exhuasts etc. Works a treat at removing it, seems to break it down and wipes off.

I've heard this before, but I'm still not convinced that it is the case.

I use WD40 all over the bike to clean rubber parts and I've never had one perish on me yet.

With the chain, you're cleaning it first with WD40, then reapplying the lube to ensure the o-rings remain in good condition. I'm sure that if WD40 did perish the rubber, it wouldn't have much of a chance in this short period of time.

Tried PJ1 blue and chain kote teflon spray but eventually settled on castrol chain wax. Makes less of a mess and seems to stay on the chain longer than most. Covered about 12k on the original chain and haven't had to adjust it to often, should get about 16-18k from the original C&S set.

R.E. WD40
 

I thought WD40 was petroleum based, hence it's abilty to remove grease etc.

If that's the case, I thought putting it on a chain would dilute/water down any wax spray you subsequently apply.

True???

Interesting debate on WD40 or GT85 etc. I've used these lubricant/cleaners on all my bikes for the last 12 years and never had problem with the chain, bodywork, plastics or hoses that I have used it on. In fact I swear by it. Would be interesting to clarify with the manufacturer.

Have emailed the manufacturer with our question and await the reply.

[Edited on 21-7-2003 by Flanners]