Lubin my chain ..... doh!

[seypea]

Well yes, another lubing chain question but I did the searching and could get the answer. Did my first chain cleaning, yes, my chain was MAJORLY neglected. Got it lubed and cleaned during my 4 services, but I never even lubed it inbetween. And I got 11k miles since I bought the bike new in April. Flame me if you will but it will not happen again, religiously at every 500 miles I will clean/lube. Actually was quite lucky w/ all the gunk the motorex 611 blew it all off real easy.

My question is this, I lubed the chain w/ Motorex Racing lube my friend bought me. Now the stuff is on good. I read somewhere to take it for a spin afterwards to fling off excess, which I did, but there's still the white liquid lube quite visible on the chain. Is this cool? Do I need to wipe off excess or be happy that is clinged?

thx!

[ironhorse]

I think wiping off the excess would be a good idea. It will help keep dirt and dust from staying on the chain. It is also good that it clung to the chain.

[The CyberPoet]

Be happy that it's there and leave it. Unless/until it gets too much debris in it, more is better

I have Motorex lubes in my lube collection, and they work well. If you want to maximize your chain life, I suggest adding a small bit of lube every 150 miles (or every tank of gas) plus any time you've been through the rain, and cleaning every 600 miles... I get between 18k and 27k out of my chains before I replace them, and even at that, they're not worn heavily.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[seypea]

thx guys! good looking out as usual. Yeah, I was quite worried that after 11k for first cleaning of it but the 611 just blew off all the crud! Nice and clean now. CP I will be using your recommendations as usual!

[The CyberPoet]

thx guys! good looking out as usual. Yeah, I was quite worried that after 11k for first cleaning of it but the 611 just blew off all the crud! Nice and clean now. CP I will be using your recommendations as usual!

Just follow this simple test to decide when it's time to replace for elongation/wear:


If pulling at this spot on the sprocket can lift the chain by more than 2mm or so (the pic shows about 10-12mm), it's time to replace.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[FloridaKat]

After much research, I used PJ-1 to clean the chain and then used DuPont's spray Teflon (o-ring safe) as the lubricant.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm

The previous owner also neglected cleaning the chain (~1,500 miles at time of purchase) so I had to do the overdue oil change, chain tightening and overall re-torque of major hardware. I have decided to forgo the valve clearance and inspection, as I don't believe it is necessary at my current mileage.

The combination of PJ-1 and DuPont's lube spray were excellent. It removed almost all of the dirt/grime on the chain. The lube spray goes on wet and dries to a translucent white coating (it's not really a wax). I now spray the chain every 2 weeks and have not had any problems.

[steves]

I use this stuff from the Honda dealer. No sling, o-ring safe.

http://www.parkeryamaha.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=26048

[Eat Dirt]

After much research, I used PJ-1 to clean the chain and then used DuPont's spray Teflon (o-ring safe) as the lubricant.

Very interesting read. I may switch to this for my mx bike as it may help keep a lot of the dirt off. You guys think it's a pain keeping your Kat chain lubbed? Try keeping the chain of a mx bike clean!

Now if the Dupont lube is a wax I would imagine it would shrink the chain (as in, making it tighter) as you apply this to the chain. Is this the case? Must you know re-adjust the chain after applying this? I notice that with PJ1 chain wax that it does indeed tighten the chain as it brings the individual links closer together. I since stopped using chain wax as it seemed to be attracting too much dirt, opting instead for the Castrol lube (the white can). But this product seems 'cheap'.

A question about cleaning the chain of the Kat: is it necessary to physically remove the chain to clean? Or is there some product that you can use to clean the chain in place?

[steves]

On my bandit I just put it on on the center stand, spray, and rotate the tire cleaning with a brush and rags.

Depending on the chain, you may not be able to easily remove it (at least not without removing the swing arm).

[The CyberPoet]

Very interesting read. I may switch to this for my mx bike as it may help keep a lot of the dirt off. You guys think it's a pain keeping your Kat chain lubbed? Try keeping the chain of a mx bike clean!

Automatic chain oiler. Some dirt bikes even have it built in stock (certain older Kawa & Yamaha's come to mind). Use your old motor oil and set the delivery rate to high (only delivers while the engine is running), and it should keep flinging some oil away, carrying the dirt away with it. There are also special dirt sprockets available for the dirt market designed to provide a deeper socket for better dirt compaction & fling on people who are constantly in the loose stuff.

Now if the Dupont lube is a wax I would imagine it would shrink the chain (as in, making it tighter) as you apply this to the chain. Is this the case?

Nothing shrinks a chain. The metal doesn't change size as a result of application, and the O-rings & bearings elongate through wear & abuse, with no turning back. It may appear to tighten the chain, but that is just your perception. What it may be doing is freeing binding links, allowing the chain to better follow the curves of the sprocket.

Must you know re-adjust the chain after applying this? I notice that with PJ1 chain wax that it does indeed tighten the chain as it brings the individual links closer together. I since stopped using chain wax as it seemed to be attracting too much dirt, opting instead for the Castrol lube (the white can). But this product seems 'cheap'.

I haven't tried the castrol lube yet (are you talking about the white stuff from Walmart? Looks like a lithium-grease base?), but I'm a big fan of using oils rather than waxes where-ever there is sand or other fine-grit debris that can devour metals over time (there's that fling again)... doesn't keep the rear wheel clean, but it sure does keep the chain working well.

A question about cleaning the chain of the Kat: is it necessary to physically remove the chain to clean? Or is there some product that you can use to clean the chain in place?

You can clean the chain in place and most people do. I use a Moose Chain Scrubber that the chain passes through, and the movement of the chain through the box turns nylon brushes within it. Comes with a water-soluable biodegradable detergent called SludgeAway that works wonders and will strip away wax/oil/grime in a heart beat. About 90 seconds and my chain is super clean (rinse with a garden hose afterwards to remove any remaining detergent, spin up the wheel in 1st to dry, then lube). It takes me more time to clean the sprocket and the excess crud under the chain gaurd than the chain...

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Eat Dirt]

Automatic chain oiler.

I've seen this like once or twice, on very old dirt bikes. Wonder if the reason for the lack of interest being the incredible amount of mess this system produces. Wouldn't be all that practical at the race track except perhaps to blind the guy trying to pass you!
But you gave me an idea for something to look into. Will see what the latest about this is over at dirtrider.net forum.

Nothing shrinks a chain. The metal doesn't change size as a result of application, and the O-rings & bearings elongate through wear & abuse, with no turning back. It may appear to tighten the chain, but that is just your perception. What it may be doing is freeing binding links, allowing the chain to better follow the curves of the sprocket.

Of course the metal doesn't get shrunk - but the chain does feel that way and at least with my o'ring chain in the mx bike it will tighten the chain a good amount, when used for the first time. Some swear by this stuff. I've become wary of it and stopped using it. Partially cause it makes having the chain slack adjusted just right a real pain since it will affect the slack.

I haven't tried the castrol lube yet (are you talking about the white stuff from Walmart? Looks like a lithium-grease base?), but I'm a big fan of using oils rather than waxes where-ever there is sand or other fine-grit debris that can devour metals over time (there's that fling again)... doesn't keep the rear wheel clean, but it sure does keep the chain working well.

Yes, the Castrol chain lube comes in a white can with the pict of a guy on a dirt bike jumping or something. It is the stuff you find everywhere and Walzymart sells them for like, $3.50. It is so cheap that you're more apt to use it more often unlike the $14.00 fancy PJ1 stuff.
Yes, it is very messy and impossible to keep the bike clean (referring to the dirt bike). Now that I got a new mx bike (also a suzuki) I want to try something else that will keep the bike clean, although I'm hoping to stay away from waxes. Reason why that Dupont stuff seems interesting. Reason why I was hoping to get more feedback on it.

For the Katana I have been using the same Castrol very liquidly (is this a word?) oil. Now that I have figured out a way to put the bike on the centre stand I can lay enough newspaper around to be able to spray the stuff while keeping the bike, tire and floor fairly clean. I have been doing a good job keeping the Kat's chain lubed with this cheap stuff and so far so good. At the same time if there is a better solution I would give it a try. That Dupont lube sounds promising, if I can find it easily here in Canada. I find that the Castrol stuff still gets messy over time, as you do get a very wet crud that clings to a lot of places in the bike.

You can clean the chain in place and most people do. I use a Moose Chain Scrubber that the chain passes through, and the movement of the chain through the box turns nylon brushes within it. Comes with a water-soluable biodegradable detergent called SludgeAway that works wonders and will strip away wax/oil/grime in a heart beat. About 90 seconds and my chain is super clean (rinse with a garden hose afterwards to remove any remaining detergent, spin up the wheel in 1st to dry, then lube). It takes me more time to clean the sprocket and the excess crud under the chain gaurd than the chain...

Good to hear. The last thing I want is to have to remove the kat's chain physically. Now that I think about it, compared to my dirt bike, the Kat's chain is impressively clean, despite all the messy black crud from the Castrol lube. It dosn't look like the Kat's chain has o'rings (stock chain) so cleaning shouldn't be all that hard.
I used to clean the chain in the dirt bike with a tooth brush, essencially the same process you describe except a lot cheaper. It helped but at the end it didn't do a great job - then again on a dirt chain nothing will.
But for the kat I will try it. The SludgeAway solution sounds ideal for this, along with a couple of my old discarded toothbrushes.

is there a rule of thumb as to how often the chain should be cleaned? I don't ride on rainy days that much and/or gravel roads.
PS: assuming I can't locate SludgeAway locally, what can I use instead? Would gasoline be a bad idea?

Thanks again for the ever helpful suggestions.

[The CyberPoet]

is there a rule of thumb as to how often the chain should be cleaned? I don't ride on rainy days that much and/or gravel roads.

Figure once every 600 miles, plus whenever you notice it's really dirty or has been exposed to some harsh stuff (riding a bunch of unpaved roads for example).

PS: assuming I can't locate SludgeAway locally, what can I use instead? Would gasoline be a bad idea?

Kerosene. Don't use Gasoline!
You can order just the SludgeAway by itself in various sizes from the same link that had the Moose Chain Scrubber (previous post). The Moose was actually invented for the dirt-/enduro-mc market and I stumbled across it in that form, then (lightbulb!) I realized it would work just perfectly for the Kat as readily so I ordered one. You can order it through any local dealer as well. Note that for your $25, you get 16 oz of SludgeAway with it.

PS - Yes, the Katana chain has O-rings.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet