Post by anon on Feb 1, 2007 20:11:27 GMT
From: rowlf Sent: 12/09/2002
Chain, sprocket and pinion.
These are three items that are essential to the well being of your bike. If not well maintained you will end up forking out a lot of money all too often to have them replaced.
Lubricate them often with a good quality chain spray (every five running hours/once a month/every 200m). Castol Chain Wax is supposed to be very good as it stays on the chain and attracts less dirt than normal oils. See the can in case they recommend a different maintenance interval from the above. They also do a dedicated chain cleaner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posting from GeorgeDoors
Silkolene
I started off with Silkolene long before the divvy and used it for some years. Too d**ned sticky though. It still flung off and everything in creation stuck to it. I had to clean it off both bike and chain regularly because otherwise it turns into grinding paste! Better than some but too much work.
Castrol Chain Wax
Great. As Trevor said it hardly flings off. However, you do have to be tidy when applying it. Very little ever stuck to it so no 'grinding paste' syndrome, but its still good to clean it off before reapplying every few lubes or so.
Scottoiler
Had trouble convincing myself about the initial cost. However, after much discussion with others who had one fitted I realised that their chains were outliving mine two or three times over! When you consider the cost of chains & sprockets and the cost of wax etc. it made d**ned good sense to buy a Scottoiler. I decided to do it the same time as the next chain was fitted. (Un)fortunately when I put my 600 in for new chain & sprockets I came back out of the shop with a 900 shaft drive. Problem solved altogether.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posting from Ghoti
I used chain wax (I think it was Motrax own (black and gold can)). Very good and it comes in a variety of colours (at a small price) so my chain appeared Gold. Be careful when applying as it sticks to everything it hits.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application guide
Spray lubricant on the side of the chain that comes into contact with the sprockets. Spin the back wheel for a minute or so (on the centre stand) before wiping the excess off with a cloth. If your chain has been recently lubricated you only have to spray small sections. Spinning the back tyre will ensure that the rest of the chain is lubricated when it comes into contact with the sprocket and pinion. This is a task that is best done when you return home from your ride while the chain is still warm.
Do not apply to the outside of the chain. Centrifugal force will throw the lubricant off. If applied to the inside of the chain, centrifugal force will make the lubricant work it's way towards the outside and lubricate the whole chain with less mess.
Use a large piece of cardboard bent into a 'L' shape to keep your wheel clean.
If you don't want to use a specialist cleaner, cleaning of O and X ring chains can be done with paraffin and a brush. This should not affect the rings inside the chain (see below for data about 'O' ring seals and solvents). Put on the paraffin with a brush and wipe it off well after a few minutes.
A chain should have 2 to 3 cm tolerance which prevents beating and breaking. When the chain can be pulled above the teeth of the sprocket right behind the axle it needs replacement. Always change chain and sprockets at the same time! A chain breaking during riding can penetrate the crank case and/or throw you off your bike.
*******************************************************************
Some bikers use WD40 for cleaning, which is a solvent, or water displacer. In fact the WD stands for Water Displacement. However it is very expensive compared to paraffin and (depending which of the two version of WD40 you have) it is very inflammable. See bottom for more info on WD40, Stoddard Solvent and 'O' rings.
There are a number of specialist chain lube removers available such as 'GP Products Chain Lube Remover' which is highly recommended and guaranteed compatible with 'O' ring chains. Available mail order from this link www.motorcycles-accessory.co.uk They will almost certainly be cheaper and superior to WD40 and will not damage the 'O' rings. better to use the proper product for the job, especially when it is cheaper (or dirt cheap in the case of paraffin)
Castrol also make a chain cleaning product
www.bikers-eye.com/castrol
(under ancillary products - chain)
****************************************************************
An alternative to regular oiling is to use an automatic chain oiler which will apply a few drops of oil to your chain as you ride the bike. They have a small reservoir of oil and all you need to do is fill it up periodically. It is possible to get two or three times the normal chain life out of your chain. The flow of oil does need to be adjusted properly or they can apply too much oil and make a real mess of you bike but many riders use them and swear by them.
The Scott Oiler works on vacuum taken from the engine, normally a pipe between the carburettor and the engine.
www.scottoiler.com
Available from www.mandp.com about £70 upwards **Make sure you get one of the newer ones with dual injectors. These have a nozzle on both sided of the sprocket and lubricate both sides of the chain evenly. Better than the old single injector versions.
Chaintec do an electronic version rather than vacuum so it may be easier to fit, about £60 from www.mandp.com It only has a single injector.
www.chaintec.co.uk
A loobman is a low cost mechanical device that cost just £17. It requires you to squeeze a bottle (one of our members RUKUS has one on hid bike) but it does have a dual injector (as copied by scottoiler). It also uses normal engine oil so there is no need to buy specialist chain lubricants. Recommended for those on a budget or who don't want the complexity of fitting a Scott oiler and apparently works just as well at approx one quarter of the cost.
www.loobman.com
Almost all oil based applications use Buna-N (Nitrile) for a seal material. In which case, WD 40 (or Paraffin) will not harm the seals. If unsure you could check with the manufacturer of your chain to see what they are made of.
***************************************************
