This was mentioned earlier: lubricating a modern chain is about lubing the rollers and, subsequently, the sprocket. The rest of the chain is sealed, and nothing is getting in.
sealed motorcycle chain lube
- Thread starter kmrinpa
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This was mentioned earlier: lubricating a modern chain is about lubing the rollers and, subsequently, the sprocket. The rest of the chain is sealed, and nothing is getting in.
Zee, my fault. I miss interpreted what you said. Yes, Lube is most definitely important to get to the x/o ring seal to keep them pliable for the maximum life out of the chain.
KrisZ, a shiny center to the roller indicates lube is needed. Yours isn't showing that after a ride, however how many rides until you need to wipe down and reapply ? That's the indicator I use to reapply the Honda red moly spray lube. My ZRX 1200 chain looks the same after a wipe down and spray with Honda Lube as yours does with gear oil.
Luckily, I don't get the gray dirt accumulation in between. After a 200-250 miles the center of the rollers become shiny and I wipe down and reapply.
For the Busa chain, a grey look means dirt is accumulating versus the shiny Surface after wiping down and fresh application. However, definitely need Lube between the rollers and sprocket. Reality is how much does it really matter? The pressure between chain rollers and sprocket on a Busa or my ZRX 1200, or other higher torque bike is intense, per se. Unless there is considerable excess, that lubricating barrier is done in short order, IMO. 33,000 miles on a chain with Honda moly spray lube says the ball don't lie. I have to believe there's some amount of fling with the gear oil no matter how well you wipe it down, or do you not have any?
KrisZ, a shiny center to the roller indicates lube is needed. Yours isn't showing that after a ride, however how many rides until you need to wipe down and reapply ? That's the indicator I use to reapply the Honda red moly spray lube. My ZRX 1200 chain looks the same after a wipe down and spray with Honda Lube as yours does with gear oil.
Luckily, I don't get the gray dirt accumulation in between. After a 200-250 miles the center of the rollers become shiny and I wipe down and reapply.
For the Busa chain, a grey look means dirt is accumulating versus the shiny Surface after wiping down and fresh application. However, definitely need Lube between the rollers and sprocket. Reality is how much does it really matter? The pressure between chain rollers and sprocket on a Busa or my ZRX 1200, or other higher torque bike is intense, per se. Unless there is considerable excess, that lubricating barrier is done in short order, IMO. 33,000 miles on a chain with Honda moly spray lube says the ball don't lie. I have to believe there's some amount of fling with the gear oil no matter how well you wipe it down, or do you not have any?
Dirt road up to Hurricane Ridge.Have you been riding your 'Busa on dirt roads? Clean that thing...
That's around what I get too (200-250 miles) from a chain lube application lasting on the rollers before they start looking dry and starting to show some shine.
I will have to pay attention next time, but honestly I think they look the same after 300-400 miles, which is about when I wipe the chain clean-ish and apply gear lube. I will post a pic after about 400 miles.
That's what lube is supposed to do as one of it's functions, hold the dirt in suspense instead of getting worked into the parts. Have you ever see old suspension bushings or ball joints with zerk fittings all dirty and grimy, but the actual bearing surfaces are clean? That's the purpose of the grease, aside from providing lubrication, it collects dirt on the outside and prevents it from entering the inside.
As far as the how the lube holds up to pressure, well, while I cannot quantify it, it must be better than dry contact. Just from the fact that the oil will fill in the metal imperfections, thus creating at least some hydrodynamic film. And you also have to remember that the chain roller and sprocket interface actually has quite large contact surface, it's not just at one point, but about half of the roller circumference makes contact with the sprocket.
I do have some fling after an application, usually few spots on the rim and rear cowling.
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In the grand scheme, I fall off on the side of the fence of less mess. With the chain life I get, I'm pretty much sold on the routine and lube I have used for quite a while now.
It's good you don't have much fling to clean up. For grins, try Honda red label moly Lube if you could be persuaded and so inclined, even if you have to put it on a bit more often, it gives zero fling.
With respect to the grease zerk analogy, I don't see a chain falling into that category. Being as the x/o ring seals off the lubricated inner workings of the chain that are of the most importance, gray on the rollers is holding the dirt that causes sprocket/ roller wear. A cleaner/shinier sprocket/roller interface would be what you have described as being more desirable. Open to interpretation, I may be reading what you're saying wrong in terms of the mechanism to remove dirt from the wear surfaces of the sprocket and chain.
It's good you don't have much fling to clean up. For grins, try Honda red label moly Lube if you could be persuaded and so inclined, even if you have to put it on a bit more often, it gives zero fling.
With respect to the grease zerk analogy, I don't see a chain falling into that category. Being as the x/o ring seals off the lubricated inner workings of the chain that are of the most importance, gray on the rollers is holding the dirt that causes sprocket/ roller wear. A cleaner/shinier sprocket/roller interface would be what you have described as being more desirable. Open to interpretation, I may be reading what you're saying wrong in terms of the mechanism to remove dirt from the wear surfaces of the sprocket and chain.
Think I've gotten as much as 300 miles between chain lubes. How fast the rollers get dry and shiny is probably dependent on how nuts you get with the throttle and putting HP through the chain between lubes.
I am SHOCKED. Shocked I say. All of the pictures I've ever seen of your bikes, including the Dual-sport, they are clean enough to eat off of.
I'm going to need time to process this...
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Not questioning your routine, obviously getting 30k out of a chain means your doing something right. You got me intrigued about the Honda moly lube. It seems to be much different than most wax chain "lubes", so I will check it out.
Howdy, wasn't meaning to imply there was anything being questioned about the routine.
The chain that did 33,000 Mi was a DID 530 ZVM-X (X-ring).
IMO, it's important to call out the high tensile strength chains and the quality attained when buying such, from whatever brand a rider chooses.
That has as much to do with life of the chain as the lube, imo. Keep the x-rings soft and pliable, the grease won't wear out inside the rollers, and it's a happy life. Fwiw, it was adjusted after a thousand miles or so, then the only time the adjusters were touched, was when changing rear tires and resetting slack as the chain itself wouldn't have needed adjustment if the tires hadn't needed changing. EK ZVX3 on there now with over 22,000 miles and an EK ZZZ (NLA) waiting in the wings.
The chain that did 33,000 Mi was a DID 530 ZVM-X (X-ring).
IMO, it's important to call out the high tensile strength chains and the quality attained when buying such, from whatever brand a rider chooses.
That has as much to do with life of the chain as the lube, imo. Keep the x-rings soft and pliable, the grease won't wear out inside the rollers, and it's a happy life. Fwiw, it was adjusted after a thousand miles or so, then the only time the adjusters were touched, was when changing rear tires and resetting slack as the chain itself wouldn't have needed adjustment if the tires hadn't needed changing. EK ZVX3 on there now with over 22,000 miles and an EK ZZZ (NLA) waiting in the wings.
You have convinced me bonz, I just ordered one! Always looking for a decent chain lube.
You may apply it more often than more viscous and sticky/flingy lubes. I mentioned this at one point but want to mention again. Keep an eye on the center of the rollers where the sprocket makes contact. When it gets shiny, I reapply.
I do the same. As much as I like the Dupont chain saver I end up re-applying at least once a week, slightly annoying!
I've used that in the past, it's good at doing what lubes do. However, in dry Colorado it attracts (a lot) more dirt than the Honda Moly. It is more work to clean a chain lubed with Maxima chain wax, IME. However I can't say that it had a lot of fling.
I've been using Maxima Chain Wax ever since around the mid-1990s. I never really see any dirt collected on the chain, so it's always seemed to work good for my riding. It won't fling much if you don't go wild applying it, and let it setup over night helps too. It's pretty easy to clean off the chain (which I only do maybe once a year) with some kerosene on a rag ... it comes off pretty easily with kerosene, and has long been recommended to clean O-ring chains.
Good point on letting it set up overnight. What I have noticed "wax" lubes is accumulation under the front sprocket cover.
As well, I'm a fan of a lightly damp kerosene rag to wipe the chain down. After the kero wipe down, I'll do the next ride w/o lubing the chain, wipe down the small amount of fling after the ride, wipe the chain w/a dry rag then reapply lube. Otherwise the kero fling is taking the lube with it, IMO.
As well, I'm a fan of a lightly damp kerosene rag to wipe the chain down. After the kero wipe down, I'll do the next ride w/o lubing the chain, wipe down the small amount of fling after the ride, wipe the chain w/a dry rag then reapply lube. Otherwise the kero fling is taking the lube with it, IMO.
I don't see much fling, but I try not to over lubricate the chain and letting it setup over night helps.
Could use compressed air on the chain after wiping it down with kerosene, but I just wipe it with a dry clean rag and let it sit for an hour before re-lubing. Kerosene does evaporate with enough time.
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