https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrEpAUi_QKA
Lots of choices. Ill just stick with my plan. Can of worms.
Very informative video :onya:
I will stay with Kero & gear oil to Grog.
Sweaty, brake cleaner also good, my new better than kero. I put an old sheet under bike, do the brake cleaner spray, rotate with one of those 3 sided brushes. Comes up perfect. Then just do the vmx apply. Takes 5 minutes, chain just lasts forever, at least mine is. I wouldnt pay 10 cents for all so called motorcycle chain cleaner/lube spray cans.
I'll stick with my WD40 :boogie:
Suzuki recommend kerosene (aka paraffin in the UK) so I just use that. Seems to work OK and it's certainly cheap.
Diesel fuel and rag.
Just watched his follow up video too.
Never Buy Chain Lube Again? Comparison Test
Learned something today!! Thanks for both videos!
Cheap paraffin to get the worst of the cak off, I then use a lot less chain cleaner to finish up.
I just use paraffin, I get plenty of life from my chains washing in that, rinsing & WD40 to protect until the Scotoiler does it thing on the next ride.
Happy to see that vid as I use gear oil and have done for years. I also thoroughly clean my chain and sprockets twice a year.
Biker stuff, this lady is smuggling peanuts, can you tell where she keeps them?
aVYUAGHTro4
mjgt, the best way. :onya: Not the video, just your way. Same as me.
My shop always likes when I bring them things I "read on the internet". This time it was (among other things) chain stuff. They're racers and run a busy workshop and they said "never use keroscene to clean a chain (at least, they don't) because unless you get it all off the chain lube won't stick to it. I told them "guys swear by heavy gear oil" and they said "yeah we hear that one a lot but not a fan". They're of the opinion that no matter how thick it is it'll fling and get onto your tyre and then you got real dramas.
They suggest (swear by) Maxima Clean up Chain cleaner and degreaser and Maxima Chain Wax. That's all they use on all their bikes, (race and street). Chain cleaner for a good clean, spray on, leave for 5 minutes then thoroughly spray off - preferably with a high pressure wash but high pressure garden hose jet is ok. Then allow to dry for 20-30 minutes then wipe off excess water and cleaner with a dry clean rag. Then apply the chain wax which seals itself in (I guess that's the wax part), doesn't ever fling and protects chain nicely. They said to use the cleaner only a few times a year (or unless it's particularly dirty/muddy/sandy) but lubricate with chain wax quite often. Every tank or after every decent ride.
SA, listen to your bike shop view if you want.From my use for lots of years, a load of crap. I clean with brake cleaner or kero, both dont seem to wreck chain or spoil lubing. I use vmx castrol gear oil, flings off first 20 ks. A bit of a wipe over, none on tyre. Job done. My EK O ring chain now over 15 th ks, never needed adjusting. I only fitted cheap O ring to wear out sprockets. Its lasted twice as long as i thought it would, keeps going and sprockets still good. Suzuki reco gear oil in manual, me also, chain just runs so nice between clean/lube, at least 2 th ks. One day my cheap O ring will need adjust, ill only do it twice then replace. Supersprox and top end EK will be my choice. EK make the strongest chain.
I hear ya and have great respect for your (and everyone's) experience. Not a problem there. I told them that Suzuki recommends it and they shook their head and said "yeah, we know - still not a fan". The problem I have is that I have zero experience so I have to collect as much data and opinions as I can and to make some sort of educated guess. A newbie's dilema.
Quote from: SA14 on Tuesday, 06 October 2020, 07:23 PM
then thoroughly spray off - preferably with a high pressure wash but high pressure garden hose jet is ok.
High pressure washer?
I think there's a measure of how good their advice is :facepalm:
Pressure washer is likely to get water past the O/X rings & kill the chain faster.
I wash with paraffin & rinse with a normal hose, then WD40 to dry & let the oiler relube it. I got 50k miles from the last chain (but it was knackered at the end) so it works well enough for me.
Mate, they want to sell you their expensive chain products. 1L of kero will last ages & the gear oil is also cheap & does a good job. I also use the same combination as Grog, no problems here. No oil on rear tire either, even if you spin it up on the main stand after oiling it, the excess goes just past the tire, not onto it & certainly not onto the tread area.
Quote from: Dusty ST on Tuesday, 06 October 2020, 08:36 PM
Quote from: SA14 on Tuesday, 06 October 2020, 07:23 PM
then thoroughly spray off - preferably with a high pressure wash but high pressure garden hose jet is ok.
High pressure washer?
I think there's a measure of how good their advice is :facepalm:
Quote from: Hooli on Tuesday, 06 October 2020, 08:52 PM
Pressure washer is likely to get water past the O/X rings & kill the chain faster.
I wash with paraffin & rinse with a normal hose, then WD40 to dry & let the oiler relube it. I got 50k miles from the last chain (but it was knackered at the end) so it works well enough for me.
Well, I have neither so I'll be Mr spray and wipe.
Side note, paraffin is kerosene which I didn't know until yesterday.
Quote from: KiwiCol on Tuesday, 06 October 2020, 09:24 PM
Mate, they want to sell you their expensive chain products. 1L of kero will last ages & the gear oil is also cheap & does a good job. I also use the same combination as Grog, no problems here. No oil on rear tire either, even if you spin it up on the main stand after oiling it, the excess goes just past the tire, not onto it & certainly not onto the tread area.
Yeah they probably do but they also say they only recommend or suggest things they do and use themselves and they've been around bikes and racing for 30 years so I'd like to think they're not that blatant and evil as to want to rip someone off and ruin their bike and potentially cause a fatal safety issue for a few bucks profit. Or you're right and in my 55 years on this planet I've learned nothing about how to judge character. I believe them just as much as I believe you guys. Everyone seems sincere. I guess as a newbie asking advice I'm ripe for picking. Should have stuck to a bar of soap and olive oil.
TBH almost anything works. The lube is just to stop the O/X rings sticking & tearing, the actual pivot pins are lubed from the factory & the O/X rings seal that lube in.
Quote from: Hooli on Tuesday, 06 October 2020, 09:54 PM
TBH almost anything works. The lube is just to stop the O/X rings sticking & tearing, the actual pivot pins are lubed from the factory & the O/X rings seal that lube in.
Thanks. Here's what I know and makes sense to me as an obviously clueless, naive and impressionable noob; clean it, lube it and adjust it...often.
Shouldn't need to adjust it often. Once or twice when a new chain beds in & then hardly at all until it's worn out. Once they start stretching a lot they are worn out.
I agree with Hooli, if you have to keep adjusting the chain every few rides, it's buggered, (or still new & settling in)
Chain lube, it's like a lot of things, comes down to personal preference & how much effort you want to put in to look after your chain.
I've never seen the point in cleaning chains, i just lube them regularly and let the O rings do their job. A decent chain won't need much adjustment, just regular checks.
I note pressure washing was mentioned. I'd advise never to put a pressure washer anywhere near a bike!!
Quote from: Hooli on Wednesday, 07 October 2020, 12:16 AM
Shouldn't need to adjust it often. Once or twice when a new chain beds in & then hardly at all until it's worn out. Once they start stretching a lot they are worn out.
Understood. What I meant was to clean often, lube often and adjust as often as needed. Just checked mine and it's got about 30mm of slack.
Quote from: DP1400 on Wednesday, 07 October 2020, 04:41 PM
I've never seen the point in cleaning chains, i just lube them regularly and let the O rings do their job. A decent chain won't need much adjustment, just regular checks.
I note pressure washing was mentioned. I'd advise never to put a pressure washer anywhere near a bike!!
Depends when you ride. I ride all year so cleaning the salt & half a field off the chain is needed at times to stop the plates going rotten. The dirt also acts as grit to wear the O/X rings faster.
Im fussy these days, clean n lube. Not sure i was same back in old days. Can remember the system where you put chain in a tray and heated it. Can also remember old bikes, Z1, GT750, Honda 4 etc, just rode the hell out of them, new chain n sprockets needed very often. Probably due to lack of maintenance. Everything used to wear out quick then, tyres especially. We did ride hard but did spend lots of nights in the shed fixing stuff. Were great times.
Quote from: grog on Wednesday, 07 October 2020, 05:53 PM
Im fussy these days, clean n lube. Not sure i was same back in old days. Can remember the system where you put chain in a tray and heated it. Can also remember old bikes, Z1, GT750, Honda 4 etc, just rode the hell out of them, new chain n sprockets needed very often. Probably due to lack of maintenance. Everything used to wear out quick then, tyres especially. We did ride hard but did spend lots of nights in the shed fixing stuff. Were great times.
Ahh, the good old days, remember them well. I used to get through 4 rear tyres, two front tyres and a chain and sprocket set a year when I had my GSX1100. This was down to me using all the bike had to offer and crap maintenance, I regularly get over 30k out of a chain now and tyres are a shit load better than the bias types of old and I look after my bikes properly these days.
Quote from: grog on Wednesday, 07 October 2020, 05:53 PM
Im fussy these days, clean n lube. Not sure i was same back in old days. Can remember the system where you put chain in a tray and heated it. Can also remember old bikes, Z1, GT750, Honda 4 etc, just rode the hell out of them, new chain n sprockets needed very often. Probably due to lack of maintenance. Everything used to wear out quick then, tyres especially. We did ride hard but did spend lots of nights in the shed fixing stuff. Were great times.
Duckhams
Thanks Steve, couldnt rem name, it sure did kill the mozzies.
Came across mine and threw it out not that long ago, thank Christ for o rings
FWIW - I have tried many things and then tried
@grog 's kerosene followed by VMX gear oil method.
Works just as well as anything else I've tried, does NOT fling on the tyre, and is a damn sight cheaper than anything else available.
Quote from: DP1400 on Wednesday, 07 October 2020, 04:41 PM
I'd advise never to put a pressure washer anywhere near a bike!!
I disagree - all the brake dust etc wasn't going to come off my wheels without one. But yes certainly don't attack much else with one.
I may have mentioned before but WD40 is my chain lube of choice.
Readily available at a reasonable price, cleans contaminants from the chain and mess is easily cleaned away with a paper towel.
Before riding I would start the bike on the centre stand, warm the engine in neutral spin the back wheel and apply a light spray inside and out. Chains were good for 70k/km-80k/km.
It is not as good a lubricant as a dedicated chain lube but unless you clean your chain fastidiously before every application, it turns into grinding paste.
Quote from: VladTepes on Tuesday, 13 October 2020, 01:04 PM
Quote from: DP1400 on Wednesday, 07 October 2020, 04:41 PM
I'd advise never to put a pressure washer anywhere near a bike!!
I disagree - all the brake dust etc wasn't going to come off my wheels without one. But yes certainly don't attack much else with one.
As with a lot of things it depends where you aim it, they are good for getting half a field out from under the mudguards etc too.
Bring me up to speed please; I'm old.
This o-ring business and internally lubricated chains that only need "lube" to keep the orings supple and not for actually lubricating the chain so it can drive the wheel; this is a new development? The chain on my old 1983 GSX250 and Kwaka 9s and GSX1100s from the olden days (lol), these had a different style of chain that actually needed lubrication to do it's job properly? Or have they always been like this? Slightly confused.
I'm thinking late 80's early 90' for O Ring chains, but could be out a bit
Steve, i googled, o rings since 1971. Not in my life back then.
Quote from: grog on Thursday, 15 October 2020, 07:12 PM
Steve, i googled, o rings since 1971. Not in my life back then.
Shit eh, the first one I had was on my 89 851
I think the O ring chains may have been around in 70's but they would have been high end & high cost, most would have been running the standard chain for the time - no O ring. Nowadays I doubt you can get a chain without some sort of O ring.
125s still tend to come with O ring free chains
I bought one at a motorcycle show in Belfast it was 1980 and I remember it well because it was the launch of the Yamaha LC.
Us Motorcyclists are like superstitious natives, it probably took a while for us to trust the new fangled technology