Topic: How often do you lube your chain?

[Hop on a Honda]

Ugh  So, do you still like pie or does it bring back nightmares 

A/?
 Pie never touch the stuff.
I have learn't that the unknown is still unknown! except for poor old mum's apple pie.
BUT still like Key Lime Pie in Key West washed down with some good Tequila and a good margarita is always welcome.
Dave

[dpen]

Interesting point Ofreen.

I have an "X" ring chain on "the rat" & have used diesel fuel as a cleaner for years (many of) on all my bikes.

I've never used Wd40 because of the damage it did to the rubber boots on a mates car when we tried to fix the suspension squeaks about 30 years ago.

Could you check out the condition of your"O" rings & give me an update?

[ofreen]

Interesting point Ofreen.

I have an "X" ring chain on "the rat" & have used diesel fuel as a cleaner for years (many of) on all my bikes.

I've never used Wd40 because of the damage it did to the rubber boots on a mates car when we tried to fix the suspension squeaks about 30 years ago.

Could you check out the condition of your"O" rings & give me an update?

The RK chain on the 750 has been on there for 14 months and almost 7000 miles.  The o-rings look fine and the chain hasn't needed any adjustment yet.  Another thing I've noticed is there isn't any rust on the outside of the sideplates like I was getting with chain wax.  The chain is staying cleaner, too.  I have a ways to go yet before I can decide if WD40 is adequate, but so far so good.

Greg
'75 CB750F

[dpen]

Looks like I'll give the WD40 route a go.

I've had a great run from using diesel (great mileage, minimal adjustment needed etc) but hell, it's a dirty, messy way to do things.

[andy750]

I lube my Tsubaki Sigma O-ring chain every 500 or so miles with Chain Wax which stays in fairly well.A previous Tsubaki chain got 16,000 miles + out of it (on a 2 month trip trans-USA and around Mexico and back in ALL riding conditions possible  -Im sold on Tsubakis!).

Cheers
Andy in Boston

[Gibson]

I use Irving blue grease for tierod end's bushing'd ect some fling's off but if put on the inside of the chain it stay's pretty good no idea on chain mileage though and never though of ever cleaning a chain and i've had alot of bikes. sometimes i use real chain lube forget the name but the grease seem's to stick better.

[mrbreeze]

Gosh old man Dave!!(Thanks for translation Steve D!!!) Sorry to hear about results of chain lube pie but the big question is.... How did the chain work out? Actually,I just use the aerosol can chain wax and check adjustment every few hundred miles. Probably better for the chain to get dunked in liquid grease and done properly once a year but I am not going to go through all of that every 200 miles.

[rpyles]

So now that we all have these clean, well lubricated chains, what about the automatic oiler on the bike? Is there a way to turn it off or disconnect it?  Or do you leave it on anyway?
Richard

[Bob Wessner]

Yes, the auto chain oiler is adjustable between zero flow and "really mess-up my rear wheel." There is a slotted screw within the front sprocket mount. Turning it will either expand (slow flow) or contract (increase flow) sort of a rubber stopper-like part.

[dusterdude]

bob,turning it which way will do what

[cbjunkie]

both ways...

[Bob Wessner]

bob,turning it which way will do what

Sorry, should have included that. Here's better detail.

[rpyles]

Thanks, Bob - a picture is worth a thousand words. 
Richard

[dusterdude]

thanks bob,you`re the greatest.

[Egil]

How shall l tell this .
In my(1977) Honda Original Service Manual CB750F2/K7   , this page is`t there  .
They ref. to O-ring chain  !

[cntrhub]

So Dave... do you purge on your chain now? Must save on chain lube... and biodegradable too! I hope we can laugh at this now. I was wondering....who else got sick/died eating that pie? Were you the only lucky one?

I'm going to let you experiment with the WD-40. If I were to use a water displacer lube/penetrant, it would be GM Goodwrench Heat Valve Lubricant.

The chain sprays have to work fast before they tack up. You kind of wonder if the sealed o-ring chains can get 16K even if not lubed? The can sprays are hard to clean because of the tackiness. WD and Heat Valve would be a snap to clean, having the benefit of thin running lube. Whatever is peppered on the bike and clothes is much less than oil or spray I would assume.
Which brings us to oil. My gig is 90W rear end lube. I used to hand squirt (gun) each of the 4 sides of the chain. Now I'm thinking I can kill two birds using a stiff brush. Oil is a cleaning detergent, and brushing on 90W is going to be a mess, but I will do it after every ride. Clean gear oil brushed on will both run the grit off the chain, plus lube the chain at the same time.  Let it drip dry over night, and hand dry the links before a ride. Gear oil cleans easier than chain lube.

You have me thinking about the WD/Heat Valve Lube angle.

[Egil]

You can clean the chain whit using  diesel fluid   you do`t need a special chemical drougs
 ( diesel fluid same as farmersand  and Land-lord`s use on theirs Tractors)
Oh I forget that mostly all "big" trucks goes on petrol in the north American and a few different areas

[ofreen]

Here's an update to the WD-40 experiment.  After 8500 miles since new, I've adjusted the RK chain on the 750 for the first time since the adjustment I did at around 200 miles.  It didn't take much, just turned the adjuster bolts two flats.  The sprockets look good and chain still runs quietly.  The nice thing has been how clean everything is staying.  So far, so good, so the experiment continues.

[amattel]

Here's an update to the WD-40 experiment.  After 8500 miles since new, I've adjusted the RK chain on the 750 for the first time since the adjustment I did at around 200 miles.  It didn't take much, just turned the adjuster bolts two flats.  The sprockets look good and chain still runs quietly.  The nice thing has been how clean everything is staying.  So far, so good, so the experiment continues.

Thanks for the update!  I am ready to drop the messy stuff and hop on the wd-40 train!

Adam

[TARKUS512]

Do you mean with my left hand or my right?

[Stormer]

Motul chain lube at every 200 miles.

[nickjtc]

This will probably sound like yet another endorsement for Scottoilers....but anyway here goes.

My last bike was a '00 VFR800, bought new in '01. I fitted a Scottoiler at the time of purchase. When I sold the bike last year it had 89,000km on it and was still on the original chain/sprockets. I adjusted the chain maybe half a dozen times in the five seasons I rode the bike. It, and the sprockets, still looked like new.

I rode a KLR650 for part of a season (with a Scottoiler) and in 15,000km there was no appreciable sprocket wear visible.

I have just replaced the chain/sprockets on the CB650 and fitted a Scottoiler straight away. It will be interesting to see how they last......

[Zip]

I lube my chain with motor oil applied with a 1" paint brush.  For me, this is the best of all worlds.  The brush and oil cleans the chain, the brush applies the oil exactly and sparingly, so there is little to no splatter, and motor oil is waaay cheaper than any of those spray on chain lubes, some of which ain't worth sh*t <cough;chainwax;cough>, imho.

My FJ has about 25k miles using this method, with many k to go, and the chain has only been adjusted 3 times.

Zip

[stresssolutions]

Here's an update to the WD-40 experiment.  After 8500 miles since new, I've adjusted the RK chain on the 750 for the first time since the adjustment I did at around 200 miles.  It didn't take much, just turned the adjuster bolts two flats.  The sprockets look good and chain still runs quietly.  The nice thing has been how clean everything is staying.  So far, so good, so the experiment continues.

How about an update, year or so later??

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

I am really wonder if anyone out there ever ran a 0-ring chain on a bike without lube for any length of time.  I lube the chain and it collects dirt and the oil seems to just fly off.  I wonder if i am just jerking off.