What are we using for chain lube?

[Chris142]

Kawasaki atv.

With my first set of O-ring chain and new sprockets I used lubes that were tacky and greasy. I lubed it very often. My chain and sprockets wore out very fast.

I now have a brand new O-ring chain and new sprockets.

Talking to other riders they said that I did not need to lube an o-ring chain and that the lube was attracting dirt which ground the chain and sprockets up.

I feel that it needs some sort of lube.

Others recomended chain wax. I bought some. It does not seem to stay on the chain very long.

I just got back from a 120 mile loop and the chain appears to be totally dry.

My riding is in the desert. No mud or water but plenty of dust and sand.

Wadda ya'll's think?

 

[salesrep]

try a moly chain spray that drys up. because moly is negatively charged as is dirt it will repel dirt and should increase chain life.

 

[JD Green]

You can also give Amsoil Heavy Duty Metal Protector a try. Some have said that this product works very well as a chain lube.

 

[Jay]

An o-ring chain needs no lubrication. All the lubrication the chain will ever need is sealed inside the o-rings. Think, instead, of conditioning the o-rings. WD-40 is an ideal o-ring conditioner.

It doesn't attract dust.

It's easy to clean off with Simple Green (unlike the waxy chain lubes).

It displaces water, so you can spray it on a wet chain to drive the water out and protect the chain from rust.

It's very cheap... cheap enough to use as a solvent.

It doesn't make a big mess. Spray it on and wipe most of it off and it won't sling all over everything like most chain lubes.

RK chain co. recommends WD-40 (or their own chain lube that isn't as good).

I regularly get 30,000 miles on my o-ring chains on my Honda VFR using WD-40 and nothing else. That's as good as it gets for this bike.

 

[Chris142]

Shouldn't there be some sort of lube between the rollers and the sprockets?

 

[Blue636]

O-ring chains are impregnated with lifelong lube from the manufacturer. The o-rings will keep out most elements such as water, chain lube, WD-40, and the like. However, newer lubricants are designed to penetrate the o-rings, which is probably why even the manufacturers recommend lubing them every 300-500 miles. A major chain manufacturer recommends WD-40 to clean and lube the chain. Spray it on liberally (being careful not to get it all over the place and creating a mess) and then wipe off the excess. By doing so you've wiped off most of the dirt and at the same time created a film of protection from rust and moisture.

If you feel like it's necessary, use an o-ring safe chain lube. When looking for a chain lube you want the best of most worlds - least rolling resistance, least fling-off, best rust protection, etc.... The top three lubes in these categories as tested by MCN were, in order, PJ1 Black, PJ1 Blue, Kawasaki Foam Care.

Of course, you must first warm up the chain by riding it before applying lube. After about 15 minutes of allowing to dry, wipe off most of the excess so it does not pick up any more dirt or grime and so it doesn't fling off. Then, ride again. With regular slack maintenance and periodical lubrication and cleaning, I've seen some factory o-ring chains last as long as 40k miles and non-o-ring chains last up to 80k miles still looking brand new!

 

[Chris]

My understanding is the inner and outer plates are permanently sealed by the o-ring and you cannot add lube to this area. You do need to lube between the roller and the inner plate though. You want to allow the lube to get into this area so let it sit for a bit as suggested above. For the most part lube on the exterior does nothing but attract dirt. If the chain exterior is not rusting then the outside of it is getting enough. Sprockets do not need lube. The whole point is to get the lube inside the chain as the hot chain will draw it inside, then wipe off all of the lube on the outside as it is superfluous.

 

[Cujet]

Bel Ray makes a white chain lube that does not attract dirt at all. I think it is called super clean or something like that. In any case, I use it on my dirt bike chain with excellent results. It seems to last about 1 long day of riding, and 1 can of this stuff lasts forever.

I have tried chain wax (really just par-alketone) with the same results you had, it disappears rapidly.

Chris

 

[Jay]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris142:
Shouldn't there be some sort of lube between the rollers and the sprockets?

---

There's no sliding movement between the roller and sprocket nor between the roller and bushing as the chain moves over the sprockets, and no lube is required. The only parts that slide are the pin and bushing. This is where the grease is sealed.

 

[shortyb]

I'm currently using Honda HP chain lube. Apply after a ride, let set for awhile, clean off excess with WD-40 on a rag. The WD will give some protection to the metal as well as the cleaning effect.

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by JD Green:
You can also give Amsoil Heavy Duty Metal Protector a try. Some have said that this product works very well as a chain lube.

---

I have used Amsoil HD-MP exclusively on my Sprint. I now have 10K miles, I've never cleaned the chain (except when I ride in the rain) and I apply it every 300-500 depending.

 

[road_rascal]

I second WD-40. My first chain and set of sprockets lasted over 33,000 miles. They would have lasted at least 10,000+ miles but I replaced the countershaft sprocket so I replaced everything. If I know I'm going to be riding in wet weather I'll use a synthetic chain lube (can't recall the brand but it's in a green bottle). I like the DID brand of X ring chains btw.

 

[tmorris1]

With an O ring chain all you need to do is keep the chain clean and apply something to keep the O rings soft. Some lubes will deteriorate the O rings. Just keep it clean and apply something light to keep it from rusting.

 

[B50BSA]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jay:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris142:
Shouldn't there be some sort of lube between the rollers and the sprockets?

---

There's no sliding movement between the roller and sprocket nor between the roller and bushing as the chain moves over the sprockets, and no lube is required. The only parts that slide are the pin and bushing. This is where the grease is sealed.

---

Jay, If this is true why do they make it a roller? And why do the rollers on my chains look like they have been rolling?

 

[GeorgeCLS]

Chain lubrication has been a constant problem for me and my Ducati.. I got so fed up with everything I deveped our own. The fluid is synthetic, obviously, as we do NOT want to be drawing dust/dirt/abrasives to the chain but also utilizes a unique additive which provides a secondary level of barrier. The secondary barrier protection has reduced my chain operating temperatures significantly and at this point has doubled my normally short chain life... We have several racers running it and they cannot believe the chain performance; i.e. reduction in stretch, operating temps and sprocket wear.. I hate to use the terms but they talk in terms of "phenomental, fantastic, etc." It is not your average chain oil.....
The product will be on our web site soon as it is in packaging process.

George Morrison, STLE CLS
AV Lubricants Inc.

 

[JonS]

Are you actually lubing were the roller pin contacts the sprockets? If you really look at an o-ring chain closely, there is nothing to lube. There are o-rings in between the side plates. And inside i believe it is sealed and packed with lube.

 

[road_rascal]

Here's a couple of chain tech links for those who are inclined to read a bit:

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcnuts/chain.html
http://www.didchain.com/question.html

 

[Sidewalk]

I go by what my owners manual says. I use a gear oil about once a week (I go for every weekend). I lift the rear wheel, drop oil n each roller, and run the chain arounda bit. I let it sit for a while, then I wipe off the excess.

Not the cleanest, not the easiest. But, I had the oil, I didn't have the time and money to go out and buy more, so I just went by the book.

 

[qadsan]

I've been using Schaeffers 227 Moly Roller Chain Lube with good results. I keep my chains clean, properly adjusted, perfectly aligned in addition to being lightly lubed and they've always given me a very long service life.

Every so often I'll spray my chains down with a solution of Simple Green & water and gently scrub them with a grundge brush to get off any crud that's built up from off road use and then rinse them with the hose using low pressure. After quickly drying them off with a towl, I'll spray them down with WD40 to displace any remaining water, then wipe the chain down thoroughly with towels afterwards. Then I heat up the chain & sprockets a little bit with a heat gun and then carefully spray it with Schaeffers 227 Moly Roller Chain Lube, which is extremely thin to begin with. This stuff penetrates into the links unlike motor oils, grease or waxes and it does not attract dirt once it dries, but remember to keep papers under your bike when spraying because it's quite runny to begin with.

Unlike some chain lubes that are tacky, you can't just spray this stuff on and start riding without making a mess because it needs a little time to dry, but once it's on there, it stays and you'll hear and feel the difference in the chain rattle and the amount of effort it takes to turn the real wheel. It may sound like a lot of work, but I rarely have to do this and my chains always look pretty clean since they don't pick up any filth unlike my friends bikes.

 

[Sidewalk]

All this talk makes me wish for my belt drive back (never adjusted it, never oiled it, quieter, 15000 original miles still, etc)