chain maintenance

Any tips for maintaining the chain?

type of lube?
how often
how to do it?

unfortunately my 550 has no shaft/

k

 

I use Maxima Chain Wax. It's the best stuff I've ever used and doesn't fling off to end up all over the bike.

The R6 has a modern O-ring chain which gets lubed every 500 miles. The Seca still has an original style chain on it (I'll be updating that soon) and gets lubed every 300 miles.

If you use Maxima Chain Wax, the instruction on how to apply it are on the can.

You the bike for five minutes to get the chain warm. Put the bike on the centerstand and spray the lube on the chain while slowly turning the back tire. Then let the bike set for 15 minutes in order for the chain wax to dry.

I usually put newspaper between the chain and rear tire to keep the lube off the tire.

 

For the chain on my ZX9 I use old, used engine oil.

It's the cheapest way of lubricating a chain.

BUT: engine oil WILL deteriorate O-rings by time.

I use engine oil becaus i drove about 40k km per year, my chain (and sprockets) were ready for change before the o-rings were deteriorated.

 

Never used one but I have been told a Scotts chain oiler can make a huge difference to chain life.
Chains,noisy dirty bloody things!

 

Neighbor installed a Scotts toy, neat little toy. Bit of plumbing work.

 

Thanks gentlemen for the tips, I think I will look into the maxima chain wax product.

What is the life expectancy of chains and sprockets?

ken k

 

I noticed on the picture of Miss May 2008 in our XJ calendar, which is a 1981 550 Seca like mine, the chain looks blue. Does anyone know what the owner used on that chain?

ken k

 

Miss May belongs to me. I have Bel-Ray super clean chain lube on it. Pretty much a wax, as described in previous posts. It does keep the bike clean but the jury is still out on the job it does. The first chain I used it on was the pits! Chain would need tightening every fill up and only lasted about 2000 miles before it was totally stretched. It was an o-ring chain but I think I got a bad one. My buddy that sold me the chain sent me a free replacement and it is completely different. Chain has stretched very little with over 1000 miles so far. I think it really doesn't matter what you use, as long as you use something and keep the chain adjusted. When you can pull the chain on the back of the rear sprocket and see half a tooth, it's time for a new one. Or if the chain is off the bike, lay it down on the ground, same as it rides on the sprockets and if you can bend it into a letter C, it's shot. I've gone through several chains but only changed sprockets once. Yeah I know "they" say replace sprockets and chain together, but if the sprocket teeth don't look like fish hooks, why change them?

 

Because the final finish of new parts mated together establishes an imprint of one another on those parts. You don't get a good mate by putting old parts together with new ones.
Use the piston rings and cylinders as an example. Would you run old rings on a fresh hone job? Or put new rings in the hole without honing it? Either one is setting yourself up for premature wear and failure. Same thing with chains and sprockets.

 

I'm not looking to start a war with Robert, but I just can't see a set of sprockets being worn out at the same time as a chain. I totally agree, you don't use old rings on a new piston but lets look at a chain. We have 104 links and 46 teeth on the back sprocket. The chain goes around a whole bunch of times before it ever hits the same link and tooth combo that it starts with. Then we throw in a front sprocket. Now the chain is pressured in a straight line twice and is powered around two different radius corners.
A lot of patrons of this site just want to get a bike running so they can ride and don't have fist fulls of dollars to throw at their bike. If the sprockets are worn, by all means, replace them.
Do you replace the internal gear that your starter grabs if you put on a new starter? Nope! Not unless it's needed. Do you replace the sprockets on your cam when you install a new cam chain? I doubt it.

 

Fair enough Ranger, no battle here. I am looking for knowledge, if you have it, I want it! I will also point out that both of the examples you used ride inside the crank case and are covered with oil during operation.
This cannot be said of the drive chain (unless you have a monster oil leak).
If it were in these near perfect environments, I'd agree to forgo the extra parts replacement.
You do make a very good point about needing to just get the bike on the road. Sure you can swap in a new chain or sprockets, take your pick. Heck, I throw used tires (gasp!) on my rims when times are tight. But for the money, I still feel you are better served swapping out the whole of the assembly (as recommended by just about every manufacturer and mechanic). This gets into a decending argument of degrees.
You are quite correct, you can just swap out what you NEED just to get rolling.
Replacing worn chain and sprockets as a complete assembly is the recommended fix.
What you do to your bike is your business.
I think we have an agreement yes?

 

We're good. Funny thing that today I went searching for a problem on my bike and found a broken master link in my chain.

 

Yikes! Good catch, that could have been a serious headache.
Small wonder why I love my shaft drives.