Chain Cleaning

[tricol]

Why is this such a messy disgusting job?

Am I using the wrong cleaner and lube? I enjoy cleaning my bike, probably beyond weeksy levels, but cleaning the chain is the worst bit. I'm using Muc-off cleaner and all weather lube. It goes all over the wheel, all over the guard, and on the tyre edge. It's such a messy job. I don't think I'm putting on too much lube as I know that can contribute to an overly dirty/oily chain.

[wull]

Motul C1 and C2 is what you need plus the brush that Motul do and the autoglym brush, you can use cardboard etc to keep the worst of the grime off the bike etc but the products above will make the job easier and have it looking tip top.

[Dodgy69]

It depends how your doing it. I do mine approximately halfway along bottom run. Cardboard behind to help keep off exhaust etc.

[tricol]

I do it at the sprocket. I have a good brush (everyone has the same one). I use a piece of cardboard, but it doesn't do much. I just find that after 1/2 rides it's covered in crap again and I'm left with bit of it all over the wheel hub, swingarm, and chain guard.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I've come to the conclusion that using solvents to clean O ring chains isn't good for the O rings and a shiny chain isn't very important

[MrLongbeard]

Back in the day, paraffin for cleaning, Wurth High Performance Dry lube, for, erm, lubing, but nowadays I just enjoy the cleanliness of a belt drive

[Supermofo]

I do it at the sprocket. I have a good brush (everyone has the same one). I use a piece of cardboard, but it doesn't do much. I just find that after 1/2 rides it's covered in crap again and I'm left with bit of it all over the wheel hub, swingarm, and chain guard.

Sounds like you are using too much or it's a very wet lube. Loads use Wurth and that doesn't fling much at all but I couldn't get on with it. I've been using Castrol racing lube for ages, again very little fling but it does turn rather sticky. I've just bought some XCP lube which is well rated but sounds quite wet so the trick apparently is little and often and that avoids fling.

I used to use paraffin for cleaning. Little pot and a paint brush using very little paraffin would do the trick. Currently using WD40 chain cleaner. However I do wonder if there is something in what @Le_Fromage_Grande says. Hence why I'm thinking of using the XCP as it's non sticky, which means less/no dust stuck to it and no need to clean it. The Wurth/Castrol I find summer dust sticks to.

[KungFooBob]

Easy fix, couple of options...

Trade the bike in for a C90 with an enclosed chain, then it doesn't matter what it looks like and they stay lubed for ages.

Trade the bike in for a nice BMW with a cardan shaft.

Simples.

[Dodgy69]

Always messier at the sprocket.

[Supermofo]

Well I've just used the WD40 chain cleaner and brush as wanted to get the shit the Suzuki dealer put on off first before re-lubing. I used a piece of cardboard between the chain and bike with an old news paper underneath and hardly any mess. I don't use much spray and start about 2 inches before the rear sprocket and run along to wherever I can get to. At the moment I don't have a paddock stand so do a section at a time. Spray, 30 secs, slow brush up and down (fast = lots of flecks) and then wipe off with a rag. No mess on the bike at all.

Now gotta decide whether to use the last of the Castrol as I know how long that lasts/how much to use. Or try the new XCP but might need to take that with me on my trip as people say don't use much at all and don't know if that'll last the 450-500 miles I'll do to Yeovil and back.

[the_priest]

3 old toothbrushes taped in a nice U shape. Paraffin to clean and chain lube of whatever flavour I have lying around. Sparingly. I don't do many miles now, so it is only every month or so.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

How often do people lube their chain, I do mine about once every 1000 miles like Suzuki recommend, the chain has lasted 18000+ miles and doesn't feel worn

[Supermofo]

How often do people lube their chain, I do mine about once every 1000 miles like Suzuki recommend, the chain has lasted 18000+ miles and doesn't feel worn

I do mine every 300-400 miles I'd guess. I generally do it when it looks dry rather than set miles. I don't tend to put loads on and typically only on the inside run and let the chain spin spread it out which seems to stop pretty much all the fling.

If your chain has lasted 18K then it sounds like whatever your doing works. Hopefully means Suzuki use decent chains.

I tried to do my good deed yesterday, there's a kid at the end of the road with a 71 Reg YZFR125. He parked it in the street yesterday and I noticed the chain had several inches of slack and was orange with rust. I missed him before he went back out but caught him on the return and said he really needed to adjust and lube the chain. Close up it was properly loose, I could pull it away from the rear sprocket at the back, it could touch the tyre really easy and was almost touching the swingarm. Not seen a chain that baggy since the chain fell off my TZR125 when I did the same as him I said if he wasn't sure how to adjust/lube I didn't mind giving him a hand. He said he lubed it the other day (didn't look like it) and he'd adjust it. But I think he thought I was just being an old tosser I did try at least.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

On bikes I've had where the original chain has been fitted it's lasted a lot longer than after market chains, even on my DRZ400 which got hammered through mud and sand, now I'm in my mid 50s and ride gently I'm not going to stress the chain on a 110bhp bike.

[Supermofo]

Maybe I'm not such an old fart. That kid came over today and thanked me for letting him know about the chain. He said he'd lubed it but his Dad had gone away with his tools so he'd do the slack at a mates another day. So I offered to do it for him. Fuck me it was loose, I stopped counting turns and did it off the marks and had to move the wheel back a long way. He said he'd had the bike serviced a couple of months back but didn't know if they'd touched the chain, I'd say not!!

Anyway chain sorted he tells me there's a nail in the tyre! So I put some water on the head of the nail and no bubbles but said we'd check the pressures anyway. The rear had 14psi there was also air coming out of the valve! After a bit of fiddling that stopped, so I pumped it up to the spec 32 psi. I told him he'd better get it sorted, he said he do that next week, kids I told him to take it easy and recheck the pressure later in that case but get it sorted ASAP.

I also sorted his brake guard as someone knocked it over at tesco and bent it, I got that straight. He then tells me he replaced the brake lever but his mate snapped the bolt holding the lever on so it's not attached at the bottom

He fired off up the road a bit later with a wave, kids I told him if he needed any help with anything give me a shout and I'll help if I can.

[KungFooBob]

Maybe I'm not such an old fart. That kid came over today and thanked me for letting him know about the chain. He said he'd lubed it but his Dad had gone away with his tools so he'd do the slack at a mates another day. So I offered to do it for him. Fuck me it was loose, I stopped counting turns and did it off the marks and had to move the wheel back a long way. He said he'd had the bike serviced a couple of months back but didn't know if they'd touched the chain, I'd say not!!

Anyway chain sorted he tells me there's a nail in the tyre! So I put some water on the head of the nail and no bubbles but said we'd check the pressures anyway. The rear had 14psi there was also air coming out of the valve! After a bit of fiddling that stopped, so I pumped it up to the spec 32 psi. I told him he'd better get it sorted, he said he do that next week, kids I told him to take it easy and recheck the pressure later in that case but get it sorted ASAP.

I also sorted his brake guard as someone knocked it over at tesco and bent it, I got that straight. He then tells me he replaced the brake lever but his mate snapped the bolt holding the lever on so it's not attached at the bottom

He fired off up the road a bit later with a wave, kids I told him if he needed any help with anything give me a shout and I'll help if I can.

Reported: Grooming.

[westers151]

Why is this such a messy disgusting job?

Because it's oil and grime? FFS, grow a pair

[tricol]

[KungFooBob]

[wull]

I’ve got a chainmate for lubing the chain, used it for years now, it’s brilliant.