Motorbike Chain Lubrication

AMG762

Just looking for advice or opinions on the best option for lubrication of a motorbike chain.

I usually clean with WD40 then have been using WD40 chain lube afterwards. This is supposed to be anti-fling but seems to go everywhere. It also stays sticky so attracts dirt into the chain which cant be a good thing.

I have just bought some white WD40 chain wax as an alternative. Have not been out yet so cant say if it will be any better.

Just wondered what brand / type of lube was best for staying on the chain and not attracting dirt when dry?

BeenThroughItAll

AMG762 wrote: »

Just looking for advice or opinions on the best option for lubrication of a motorbike chain.

I usually clean with WD40 then have been using WD40 chain lube afterwards. This is supposed to be anti-fling but seems to go everywhere. It also stays sticky so attracts dirt into the chain which cant be a good thing.

I have just bought some white WD40 chain wax as an alternative. Have not been out yet so cant say if it will be any better.

Just wondered what brand / type of lube was best for staying on the chain and not attracting dirt when dry?

No such thing as anti-fling lube. They all fling to some extent. I have a shaft drive now, but for years I've lubed my bike chains using oil. I have an oilcan which I put dregs of oil into whenever I empty a bottle of gear oil or engine oil. It all mixes together fine and because it's nice and light but penetrative you don't need much so there's not much fling and I never have had to clean a chain as a result.


I lubed my chain after EVERY ride, before any long rides and if I stopped at services I'd check it and often give it a drop or two.


Chain on my VFR800 lasted 34K miles before I changed it when I dropped a tooth on the front sprocket, and even then it probably had a few thousand more on it.


On my ZX7R I had a Scottoiler, great if you do decent mileages. Never changed the chain on that in 20K miles and it was on the bike when I bought it, no idea the total mileage on the chain.

davetrousers

Paraffin (about £6.99 for 4 litres in B&Q) to clean chain, use in conjunction with a chain cleaning brush (about £2 from ebay from a far eastern vendor) and tough cloths (floor cloths from pound shops). After cleaning rinse with water.

Wurth Dry chain lube is my preferred chain lube.

It's also a good time to check the chain's tension.

OnanTheBarbarian

Another vote for Wurth Dry Chain Lube here

Buellguy

Another vote for a Scottoiler. Never had one before (belt on the Buell but always used to come out with the old aerosol before that). Had one already fitted on the Triumph Sprint GT when I bought it and love it now. Think I've only had the chain adjusted once in the last 5000 miles and that was when it went into the dealers to get new front discs and pads fitted and they did it 'cos it needed nipping up a touch'.
The oil doesn't seem to attract the muck (give it an occasional wipe with chain cleaner though)

Richard53

Scottoiler, especially if, like many modern bikes, you don't have a centre stand. If you get the rate adjusted right (approx. 1 drop per 60-90 seconds) there is very little fling, but the chain stays nice and moist with a film of oil. Actually, I quite like the fling, because I can look at the inside of the number plate to check if it is working


What happens is that the oiler delivers a small drip of oil to the rear sprocket, which is distributed round the chain plates by centrifugal action and then the excess (not much) is flung off, taking a lot of the dirt with it. With a properly-adjusted Scottoiler, the chain stays really clean, and regular cleaning/re-lubing is sort of optional.


A bonus is that the firm has a great website with explanations and fitting instructions for all sorts of bikes, and if you ring them with a query they are the most helpful and pleasant bunch of guys around.

westwood68

Or in true money saving style:-

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/other-bikes-tech/home-made-chain-oiler-5-a-31269

I did that; works well and turning it on and off becomes 2nd nature after a while

sithmaster

AMG762 wrote: »

Just looking for advice or opinions on the best option for lubrication of a motorbike chain.

I usually clean with WD40 then have been using WD40 chain lube afterwards. This is supposed to be anti-fling but seems to go everywhere. It also stays sticky so attracts dirt into the chain which cant be a good thing.

I have just bought some white WD40 chain wax as an alternative. Have not been out yet so cant say if it will be any better.

Just wondered what brand / type of lube was best for staying on the chain and not attracting dirt when dry?

I use wd40 chain wax myself and find it very good well in this country as it rains a lot