chain lube and cleaning

[stranger12]

Hi all,
My bike is a sym xs 125, I know i should maintain the chain and lubricate it. would i need something like wd40 for cleaning and then some sort of lubricant?

what lubricant and cleaner do you recommend

I am in the process of finding out if my chain is o-ring type

thanks

[Codemonkey]

Use paraffin to clean it and some engine oil to lubricate (used oil if you're feeling cheap!).
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Test Passed 10/05/2011 Current bike: XJ6-N

[karthead]

wd40 is great for loosening rust and getting dirt off. maybe while having your back wheel raised, turn the wheel and spray the chain with wd40 at the same time and turn it a few times. then probably grease or engine oil on the sprockets while your turning (if your using grease just apply it to the sprockets rather than the chain)
hope this helps!

[P.]

Old engine oil and a toothbrush once a week

[orac]

i use wd40 to clean it with a bruch and a rag. and use a good quality anti-fling chain lube. i use morris which iirc is about £8 a tin and lasts quite a while. doing this has allowed my chain to last somewhere in the region of 15000 miles and still has plenty of wear left in it
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Current rides - 2016 Triumph Street Triple Rx, 1994 Suzuki Bandit 400 VM, TGB 204 Classic 125cc
"with nothing left to lose, there is everything to gain. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

[_Iain_]

On centre stand, start bike, put in 5th gear let clutch out.

Get tin of chain cleaner and toothbrush, hold toothbrush on chain and spray fuckloads of chain cleaner on it. I use the wurth stuff cause thats what the bike shop had.

Bike back into 1st, spray chain lube into it thoroughly from all angles. Again i use the wurth dry lube for this bit. Then switch the bike off and allow the stuff to dry.

However it would seem im being very posh with it all

Every 600miles, whenever it gets wet, or once a week. Whichever comes first
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[P.]

[Alpha-9]

[lihp]

Wow a lot of poor maintenance advice here! and also some very dangerous advice too!!!

First off, do NOT have the engine running and wheel turning while cleaning or lubricating a chain

[Rogerborg]

I'm a paraffin convert, it shifts crud like you wouldn't believe and will cost you a lot less than going through tin after tin of spray solvents.

You might find it sold as "lamp oil" at your local DIY place.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[dodgydog]

[DrDonnyBrago]

Paraffin in a bowl - old paintbrush - the rest is self explanatory.


Relube with engine/gear oil.

[orac]

on the centre stand yes, engine running and in gear no. if your chain lube has a straw to ensure that you are far enough away to not get if something goes wrong maybe. but the thing wont stop if, or be careful becuase you are doing something risky, its just chew strait on through your fingers
____________________
Current rides - 2016 Triumph Street Triple Rx, 1994 Suzuki Bandit 400 VM, TGB 204 Classic 125cc
"with nothing left to lose, there is everything to gain. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"

[WetSparks]

One word, Scottoiler

[_Iain_]

Meh, works a treat. I'm not one for health and saftey.

Used to do all my old pushbike chains in pretty much the same way. Wd40/white spirit/whatever was in the shed, toothbrush it and have a mate spin the back wheel up to speed. Squirt of 3 in 1, spin it up real fast and done.

I still have all my fingers. Its just a case of being careful. I realy dont see how anyones mashed their fingers doing that...i mean my fingers at no point go any closer than about 15cm from the chain.

You'd have to be proper special and paying no attention whatsoever to what you were doing! Its no more dangerous than adjusting the timing/carb/ whatever whilst a car engines running. All them spinny metal bits moving around near your fingers...idk.

Shall proceed to go and read up on how theese people have fucked themselves up...should be good for a laugh!


Edit - the guy who lopped his fingers off stuck a fecking rag & wd40 on a moving chain?! Thats darwin award shit. The cloths gonna pinch up in the links. Toothbrush bristles just rip out. I stand by my advice, use toothbrush be very careful.
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[J.M.]

[stranger12]

lots of good advice and a bit of tragic

while on earth do u want to risk loosing ur fingers even if it is few cms away from the chain just for cleaning a chain

i rather spin the wheel slowly and do spend more time

can you just wipe the cleaner over it using a cloth or something similar and then lube it

thanks to all,

[andym]

I use white spirit to clean it... I've put the bike in first gear and used a toothbrush to slop shit loads on there... clean it every couple of weeks and oil it every few days... but that's just me.

I have heard that if you use oil it's better to heat it up then really coat the the chain that way it gets into all the bits and pieces then cools and thickens again

[Sako]

something not mentioned yet is to go for a 10 - 15 minute run before cleaning your chain, it heats up all the gunk/crap and makes it much more of a liquid, makes cleaning it easier.

[_Iain_]

If they cant reattach the mangled/cut off bits ill post up a thread titled "Okay, im a wanker" and it will contain pictures & video's of me eating said finger pieces.
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[andym]

I only ever lost 1 toothbrush head cleaning the chain with the engine running etc

[GREENI3]

Don't use spray lubes or cleaners. Waste of money imo and aren't anywhere near as effective as gear oil and paraffin.

I've used Wurth dry chain lube and tbh its absolute cack!
I was adjusting the chain nearly every week and surface rust was starting to appear quite soon after as well.
Cost about £8 for a 500ml can and you're lucky if you get 3 uses out of one.

Same goes for the Wurth brake and chain cleaner; £7 a can, get about 2 uses out of it, but was actually quite good at getting dirt off the chain.

Gear oil (£3.67 for 1L) and paraffin (£6.97 for 4L) FTW!

[P.]

I have no centre stand... I have to move the bike. Effort

[orac]

[Baisemontchou]

20 minute ride to heat everything through then paraffin a bowl and 3-sided toothbrush thingy to clean, Muc-Off chain cleaner is very good, but it's very expensive compared to simple paraffin!

Have been using Wurth dry chain lube, but after seeing all the posts will maybe try engine oil.

I find it difficult to take the posts recommending putting the bike on a stand and then putting it in gear seriously, if you've put it on a stand, whats hard about turning the rear wheel by hand? Nobody can tell you not to do it, but don't recommend it to anybody else!
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Current Carz: Jeep Liberty, Kia Sorrento Diesel
Current Bikz: '06 Honda Shadow 750 Custom, '02 Sachs Roadster 650, '10 Yamaha R125, '12 Derbi GPR 50, '04 Yamaha TZR 50.