Chains - The Cleaning And Lubing Thereof

simonpig wrote:

By the way, does anyone know what that rubber coil wrapped around the front wheel hub next to the sprocket does? I would love to axe it.

Sound and vibration dampener.

Anyone taken it off? Would it make a big difference without it?

I took mine off when I installed the 270mm brake rotor kit I'm using.
Seems just fine to me. :)

I am betting the squealing sound is coming from your radiator cooling fan slightly hitting either the radiator or its shroud. I did a tommy tip-over early in the Mill Hall dual sport event this past weekend. All of the sudden I can hear this high pitched noise. Rode worrying about it for 60 miles. I came out of a pretty nasty section and had to wait for my buddies. I shut the bike off and turned the key back on to run the radiator fan while I was sitting and when I turned the key it did not come on but buzzed. I had fallen on that side so I just pulled out the plastic turned on the key, fan running and noise gone. It must spin a bit faster with the increased rev voltage as the noise modulated with throttle. It was bad enough that I was planning on draining the oil and looking for pieces back at the campsite.

Swarty

Solved. It WAS the chain. A friend of mine bought this fantastic tool called the KETTENMAX chain cleaner and it made the job super easy. The chain looks in great shape now. No rust, no crust.

kerosene works really well to clean chains.

+10 on the kerosene. Works like a charm.

^^^ & cheap, too.

Kerosene? Some other method? WD-40 and old tooth brush?

For those of you with chains that have master-links, do you ever remove chain completely to clean it?

Are the master-link clips reusable? Can I remove and replace master-link clip numerous times?

I didn't give much of a hoot about the stock chain, but now that I've replaced it with a new x-ring chain I'd like to keep it properly cleaned after wet, muddy, gritty, dirty roads and puddles.

Tips and techniques would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Oh brother... Here we go.

Bucket of kerosene and a . Then some good CHAIN LUBE.

Yep. Kerosene with some brushing action, then (once the chain is dry) DuPont Teflon spray on dry chain lube. Amazing stuff. You can't reuse master links, and there is no need to remove them to clean the chain.

I know you don't "need" to remove chain to clean it....but,

Remove it and soak it overnight in a small tub of kerosene, brush it, scrub it, let it air dry, then reinstall it. Sounds like it's easy and keeps crud and kerosene from gettting on rear wheel, rear sprocket, garage floor.....

Just seems like the ultimate way to clean chain.

Getting some extra master-link clips would solve re-use issue and be relatively cheap I'd think.

Also, does anybody safety wire their clips? Pictures would be great.

I use WD-40 and a rag. On the bike. Gets my chains clean enough. If it's really mudbound a lot of WD and a garden hose. Then more WD and a rag. I don't clean my chains very often. With todays o-ring chains a lot of cleaning is just not necessary. I do it for appearance. Maybe 2x per year. A properly installed clip on bikes of these low HP bikes is safe IMO. Just make sure clip is perfect and all the way in the grooves on both sides. I'd reuse a clip a few times at least but I doubt I'll ever take most of mine off till it's time for new sprockets and chain.

Dude... did you own a KTM before the WRR? I ask since you apparently feel you need to spend an obscene amount of time in the garage doing basic maintenance

Just clean it with a brush pretty well, let it dry, lube it up, and ride the hell out of that little bike. Jeez

motokid wrote:

I know you don't "need" to remove chain to clean it....but,

Remove it and soak it overnight in a small tub of kerosene, brush it, scrub it, let it air dry, then reinstall it. Sounds like it's easy and keeps crud and kerosene from gettting on rear wheel, rear sprocket, garage floor.....

Just seems like the ultimate way to clean chain.

Getting some extra master-link clips would solve re-use issue and be relatively cheap I'd think.

Also, does anybody safety wire their clips? Pictures would be great.

Letting something soak overnight while I'm sleeping is not obscene time and energy.
It's multi-tasking.

Never owned a KTM either. Might like to someday though.

Kerosene, scrub brush, rag, and then a clean parts washing brush for a final wipe down with clean kerosene and finally chain lube.
And I borrow one of these from my friend at work sometimes until I buy one;
http://www.wheeljockey.com/
Works fine with the AVON Distanza I run but knobbies may not work. Worth having in the tool box anyhow.

Quote :

Dude... did you own a KTM before the WRR? I ask since you apparently feel you need to spend an obscene amount of time in the garage doing basic maintenance

Dude... that is freakin funny.

I've owned several KTM's and have spent countless hours doing the weekly "basic maintenance" needed to keep them in tune.
My wife knicknamed the 525SMR "Paris Hilton" for bieng so high maintenace.
Hench my newfound appreciation for the WR's almost non-existant service requirements.



Back to the topic at hand...

Kerosene or diesel and a stiff plastic brush are what I've used to clean chains.
Takes some time but a bike stand, cardboard to soak up run off and couple cold beverages makes it pretty easy.

Never powerwash. It can force water past the o-ring seals and rust the inside of the chain rollers.

Put bike on stand, trans in neutral, remove the heel guard. Spinning the rear tire, spray down the chain with WD40. Let it soak for 10-15min, then wipe down the chain with a rag to get the grease and gunk off. Spray again. If dirt riding is in the immediate future, leave it be so there's nothing for dirt and grime to stick to (WD40 is enough). If lots of road riding is on the chart, I'll go for a quick ride to get the chain warm (if its not already, I usually clean the chain after a ride) and spray it down with Maxima chain wax.

I like this. Really a nice, non-messy way of cleaning the chain. And eco-friendly.
http://www.chaindrain.com/
reviewed here
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/motorcycle-chain-cleaner/bean-clean/

Quote :

I started using John Deer chain lubricant. It does the job and it costs only 5.00$ a can. It sticks well to the chain without letting the dirt stick to it.

I do exacly the same thing and I oil it as often as I can. This way I almost never need to clean it.

On my Strom , I had a scottoiler. When I traveled on gravel's roads I always increased the flow of the oil. That way the grind and stuff that usually finds it's way in the chain parts gets out with the oil. I did the same thing when it rained. It must have been correct since the chain has 40,000 km and only started needing adjusment when I gave the Strom to my son last summer.

I'm a firm believer that whatever the way you treat it or the oil you use, the important thing is that the chain must be kept clean and free of rust all the time. A chain is like our teeth. Brush it often and it keeps problems away.

Clean with diesel or WD40
Lube with Alisyn Synthetic Chain Lubricant

http://syntheticlubricants.aerospacelubricants.com/viewitems/market-motorcycle/alisyn-synthetic-chain-lubricant?&bc=100|1005
Alisyn worked great on my KLR650. No problems after 18,000 on Vstrom. I bought 3 cans 6 or 7 years ago still have about a full can remaining. Any one else using this?

My WR is part submarine as I slog through the swamps of North Central Florida with gators and snakes (stalling out in standing water in these swamps is scary as hell). I've thought about mounting a depth finder but the data will arrive too late.

Anyway, since my bike spends alot of time submerged in water, mud and sand (a brutal combination for chain/sprockets) I went through this thread carefully.

It should be noted the manual recommends Kerosene and "soft brush" for cleaning. I've been using Bel-Ray "Super Clean" chain lube ($$$). Nothing special about it. If chain stays dry, no squeeks. If it gets wet, it will likely squeek soon enough. I've worried it attracts and holds dirt/sand. Will try WD40 (thanks) and let wet zone riders know if it's any better.

I'm also very careful about wheel alignment.

Despite what I imagine are the worst possible conditions for a chain I'm at 5800 miles on original. Rode with a mechanic recently. He thought both my chain and sprockets had plenty of miles left in them.

Kerosene to clean, DuPont Teflon chain lube once the chain dries. 18K miles on my stock DL chain with 0 problems. I expect great life out of my new RK WRR chain as well.

Yeah, parafin (kerosene for our cousins the other side of the pond!) applied with a small paint brush is the way to go. Clean off with cloth. Go for cup of tea/can of beer while parafin is evaporating. Apply sticky chain lube. Clean all lube from tyre. Ride!!
Whatever you do, DO NOT do this (warning: graphic!): http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242261