Chain Cleaning

[OB_Cisco San Jose]

My old 89 Gsxr1100 service manuel said to use kerosene with a tooth brush to clean the chain and then use 90wt gear oil.I notice that my chain would not last as long doing it that way.On my TL1000R I cleaned the chain by using 10/40 oil using a tooth brush then wiping the chain down.I did that every Friday night.Used a Pit Bull Jack for the bike.Now that I sold the TL-R,will the spindle that was on the TL-R work for the Hayabusa?I'm not sure if the bolt thread is the same for the swing arm on the TL-R and the Hayabusa.Second which is better,using 10/40 oil for the chain or chain spray on wax?I tried the wax and I did not like it,I know the oil gets all over your bike and wheel on the first ride after cleaning but that can be wiped down.Any better suggestions!!!!Thanks

 

[OB_hiabuser]

cisco, use wd-40 for lubing your chain. protects the o rings without attracting road grime and grit. and yes, the swing arm buttons will fit the busa straight off of the tlr or gsxr. have fun.
mike

 

[OB_Dingo]

I'd recommend the WD-40 as well. I tried chain wax, but it did seem to collect gunk a bit faster. I suspect I wasn't as active on the actual chain cleaning than I should have been. Will try not to do that again . . .

 

[OB_Cisco San Jose]

Thanks Hiabuser and Dingo for the info.I thought WD-40 would get down between the o-ring and also remove any chain grease that was between the links.I use WD-40 for cleaning grease of my frame and engine walls that is way I was reluctant to use WD-40 on the chain.I guess I'll read the label and information on the can and make a educated choice.

 

[OB_KawAbuser]

Chain cleaning, found a product called a "grungebrush" it is sold with a chain cleaning solvent. To oil your chain with out makeing a mess try FINISH LINE Endurance chain lube it can be purchased with a clamp on oiler which directs the lube directly into the chain instead of all all over your bike.
These products are available from Lockhart.

 

[OB_highpwr]

I've had good luck with 50wt motor oil and periodic kerosine cleaning. A little on the messy side but seems to make the chain last..

 

[OB_hiabuser]

okay people, correct me if i'm wrong but, all of the bikes mentioned thus far on this board have o ring chains. keep in mind the purpose of an o ring chain. lubricant is INSIDE the o ring. the o ring's sole purpose is to hold the lube in place. therefore, no lubrication is required of the chain it's self. therefore, all that is required is that the chain is kept clean and rust free. wd-40 is the perfect solution to this. a: it's not sticky so it doesn't promote attraction of road grit and sand particles. b: wd-40 is water repellant. no rust. now, you must use it more frequently than so called "chain lubes" but it's worth it. i've seen in excess of 30k miles on one chain with relatively no wear using wd-40 and regularly adjusting. do what you think is right, but that's what i was advised 7 years ago by all the major chain manufacturers. good luck.
mike

 

[OB_Falconer]

I agree with you, Hiabuser, with one caveat -- the physical interaction between the rollers and the sprocket. A bit of high pressure grease on the rollers (now we're back to the original types of chain lube, or a chain wax type lube) certainly couldn't hurt. WD-40 is not a high-pressure grease, though is certainly will keep the chain from rusting.

I'm not saying I have the answer (30,000 miles on a chain is nothing to sneeze at, so you certainly know whereof you speak), but I can see some value to a dab of something more substantial than WD-40.

 

[OB_DC]

I've heard WD40 can damage the seals keeping the lube in your o-rings. I'd recommend something like Castrol chain wax. It don't fling and you need something that won't fling when you're putting 165bhp through the chain. WD40 will be off the first time you open the throttle! Racers use wax, for a bloody good reason.

 

[OB_rdalmau]

Ah, chain maintenance. Whatever one is comfortable with is the right way? In a sense, that is correct: putting any lubricant on your chain, even an inferior one, is better than nothing on your chain.

The RK chain on our Busa is a superb product, and with periodic attention will give many 1,000's of miles.

After 35 yrs of street riding this is what I do for my drive chain: Approximately ever 300-500 miles of normal riding, commuting to work, I wipe it down with Scott's Shop towels using WD40 or equivalent. Get it clean and dry. Then give it a good coating of Maxima Chain Wax, spinning the wheel thoroughly, before the wax dries. If I've encountered a signifcant amount of wet roads or rain, then I do the maintenance earlier. On road trips, I just do the maintenance at the end of days ride.

RD

 

[OB_Boss]

PJ-1 Blue Label is the best I have found in over 20 years on bikes.DC is right WD40 is not sufficient to use as a lube between chain and sprocket as it has no shear qualities Boss

 

[OB_hiabuser]

okay, then you all have your own answers. however, if you read my original post, i DID say that if you DO use wd-40, you will have to use ir much more often than if you use anything else. as far as wd-40 doing damage to the o rings? no way. hell, kerosene is regularly used to clean an o ring chain. wd-40 is no where near as volotile as kerosene. once again, chain lubes, (most of them anyway) are sticky when applied or dry. this traps sand particles, grit, and grime from the road into the links. this in turn chews at the rubber 0 rings thereby deteriating the rubber and letting the lube out. now, if there is a compound that will allow me to lube the rollers and sprockets that will not have that "stickiness" after it is died, i'd use it. in the meantime, like i said, 30k miles on a chain with drag racing almost every single weekend says a lot. also, i've asked all the major sportbike chain manufacturers and they all agree. wd-40 will protect the o-rings more than anything else. i'm willing to dedicate that little extra time every week to lube and adjust my chain (with wd-40) to ensure no grit or grime destroy the o rings. worked for me now for 9 years, (no other lubes used in that entire time and three sport bikes). and by the way, i also have 20 years of riding experience. and i've been through a few chains. none have ever lasted as well as the last 9 years worth. so, i guess it boils down to this, USE WHAT YOU WANT, i'll keep using my wd-40. after all, i don't have to buy your chains. lol just tried to give some free advice. have fun.
mike

 

[OB_Hussar]

Come on.....use Parrafin (Kerosene) to our transatlantic cousins for cleaning as it is a light oil and will not harm the O rings and any spillages will just hose off. Then fit a Scott Chain oiler. That way the chain receives exactly the right amount and correct type of oil. The chain on my last bike (GSX1100f) would outlast the sprockets, front went first at about 20,000 miles !!

 

[OB_BigPete]

I'm not a fan of Scottoilers on sports bikes. I have the same argument every other month with my brother who swears by them. His CBR1000 (with Scottoiler) has just had it's chain replaced after 8k miles.....my previous bike, a ZZR1100 (with good old spray lubes), has done over 14k miles on it's current chain. It may be that the chain lubes seem to contantly change with 'new and better' ones all the time......how often do Scott's upgrade their oil ??
In my opinion, a regularly and properly maintained chain is the best way to go.
Ride on..............BigPete

 

[OB_emattson]

I agree with RDALMAU. I do the same. I use an old rag instead of the shop towel. My bikes get high mileage and hard riding so reducing wear is always on my mind. My last 2 bikes had over 40K total miles between them, and never had to replace a chain or sprocket or had major wear on them. It requires a bit more attention to do it so often, but this is your BABY!
Nailz