Can You PRESSURE WASH A Chain? 

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Well, it's definitely clean, but it looks like a good way to fuck up the o-rings in the chain.

If u lube your chain, you lube it from the inside. If you lube it from the outside, the lube will fly off more easily. If u love your bike, don't use a powerwasher on it. Garden hose will do. To be honest, this was definitely not professional.

I really think the pressure washer and compressed air is a bit much, especially when a solvent was just used. You're just increasing the chances of washing away the factory grease that 's down below the o-rings/x-rings. Also, a bit of cardboard will help keep the lubricant from splattering all over your wheels and even worse, the edge of the tire where traction is the most critical.

1:15 that little brush we all bought from CycleGear 😂

why everyone spray chain spray without something to protect that the spray cover all the tire. then after that tire will spin a lot more and possibly cause accident

Got 25,000 miles out of my last VStrom chain by only spray lubing it every other tankful of gas. This is overkill IMHO. Today's o-ring chains don't need this extreme level of cleaning.

"Take Care of your bike and it will take care of YOU" That should be on a T-Shirt

Super cool to see Mike's pretty detailed perspective as a mechanic on something that seems as simple as chain maintenance. Thanks!

I'd also be careful with overspraying the lube onto the rear brake disc. Especially for those SuMo riders that pop an occasional wheelie outside of traffic. This can really take you by surprise. I always use brake cleaner after lubing up the chain.

Read and follow the instructions in the owners manual or after market chain manual. Some cleaners will damage the seals, some lubes are worse than running the chain dry because they turn into liquid sand paper. I still use the same technique my dad taught me. Dawn dish soap to clean, dry it, put a small dab of gear oil on a rag and hand wipe the chain down. The dish soap, dawn specifically because other brands are not the same, is an environmental friendly degreaser and will not harm seals. It’s regularly used to clean up oil spills in environmentally sensitive locations. The gear oil is thick enough not to sling off, will stay on in the rain, thin enough to do it’s job in all weather conditions, and doesn’t turn into liquid sand paper because it’s not made to hold onto dirt. All you need is a very thin coat. One wipe with a rag wet with oil is all you need. On my off road bikes I like to use paraffin wax applied as a liquid on a clean and dry chain. It repels mud and water. I have a custom chopper show bike, original chain with about 10k on it, the chrome still shines. Yes, it’s a chrome plated chain. 😂

Cleaning the chain every other tank of fuel seems a bit excessive, depending on fuel economy. My Sv would go about 250 miles at that rate when my Cbr500r would go 500. I stick to the 500 mile clean and lube schedule. Every 500 miles clean the chain, give the bike a wash, full once over while waiting on the chain to dry, then lube. Wait for the lube to dry (I’ve been using spray waxes), put all my washing things away, then pack it away.

You just had a bucketload of water pressurized under rubber seals with that washer and halved that chain's lifespan. Good luck with it. This should be labelled "how not to clean your chain".

I have 1984 MZ that I bought new. I never cleaned the non O ring chain that it came with. I replaced the chain once at around 130'000km. It was still in pretty good condition. I never used chain lube but applied grease every few thousand km as per the manual. I guess the full chain enclosure makes the difference.

Michael Neeves from MCN likes to wipe off the chain with wd40 and a rag after every long ride or so, so that's what i'm trying

For many years I have hosed my chains with engine degreaser, brushed them, and power washed on a center stand or rear stand. I fire up the bike and put it in first and let it spin for a couple minutes, then I apply the lube. I have used many different lubes including 90W gear oil, but my favorite for the last couple of years is Amsoil chain lube. Been running the last 7 years on my FZ09 with the original chain and sprocket and they both look new.

Just get some automatic oiler and forget the chain cleaning completely... the bearings in your wheel, central shock levers and rear arm will thank you for avoiding all that unnecessary pressurized water.

A piece of cardboard cut to fit, and placed behind the chain (in front of wheel) stops any overspray on to wheel/tyre. You can also use paraffin (kerosene in US) to clean the chain. As for lubrication, I can recommend the Scottoiler (other makes are available) or just buy a shaft drive 😉 A quick way to find the tight spot on your chain, draw on a piece of paper/card parallel lines approximately 1cm apart, tape it to swinging arm (behind chain) as you rotate the back wheel, watch the chain move up/down slightly (in front of the paper/card) , highest point is the tightest part of chain. Then check alignment, and tension for correct free play.

Kiss those o-rings (and any other seal he's hitting with that pressure washer) goodbye. Makes sense if he's a mechanic though. Job security

I watched your previous video and found it quite easy cleaning snd lubing the chain. Thanks heaps.

I like to use Motul chain cleaner which is a O ring conditioner so they're getting that attention right from the start. Always be EXTREMELY careful with a pressure washer or even a garden house on blast and same with compressed air. You really really don't want to force any moisture or air past the o rings. For lube it's highly climate dependent for me. In hot dry weather I like a light chain lube or Teflon spray, or something like SC-1, in wet season for street riding I choose Motul Factory chain lube and use a grease ninja to apply it. For off road machines, I do the same clean but only use SC-1 after. Off road is so dirty that any lube is a dirty magnet. That's also why using ao ring conditioner cleaner is so important in the start for me. After even the muddiest rides the chain rinse off easy.

I'm just using chaincleaner with a rag and my chain looks brand new everytime even though it's 4 years old 😉👌 Then I use motul c2+ chainwax as lube, it sticks perfectly ( I got white rims )

Love your channel but this is wayyyy too much action for an O-ring chain. I don’t even use a chain brush on my chains as it can force solvent beyond the o-rings which will soften and degrade the internally sealed grease. The pressure washer made me cringe. That is a big no anywhere where rubber is acting as a grease barrier, including wheel bearings, brake caliper pistons, etc. the compressed air exacerbated that effect by forcing what was left of the internal grease solvent and water out of the tubes. Best maintenance for chain life is to wipe it by hand with a rag soaked in kerosene, remove any heavy built up this way, and apply a chain lube that uses PTFE like Teflon chain lube. This stuff works best at metal on metal protection and also has a solvent in the spray to remove grime and deliver new grease inside the tubes of the chain. While this video shows a thorough cleaning, it surely shortened the service life of that chain.

I like the idea of chain cleaning tips but this "dirty" chain was more clean than my chain is when I call it clean since i'm an all weather / terrain rider 😏. I d like to see you try with mine 😅. after soaking grease starts clogging in the front sprocket and rear bridge, spilling on the tire and rim,... 😌

You supposed to measure the chain slack on the kick stand and does your wheel look bend?

I use dry lube for my chain, that way dirt and dust don't tend to cling to it. Learned that from my mountain biking days.

Was the chain guard removed for this video? Certainly makes the chain more accessible.

My friend and shop owner or Suspension Matters does it this way ... dudes been racing and fixing bikes all his life .. he does it this way , does a great job , just the upkeep after is important because the power washer knocks all existing dirt so you have to lube it thoroughly

Power washer on an o-ring / x-ring chain?! Bye-bye any internal lubrication that might have been inside the ring. :(

thanks for the instruction. it's good to see different methods in order to find your own way of cleaning the chain.

Nice video, I usually use kerosene but this looks like a cleaner option. Also your mechanic seems like a really nice guy! Ride safe.

Should use the compressed air on the bottom chain section. You're doubling your work by spraying moisture from top chain section onto the bottom.

Nice and sound as always! Just a question: I know it doesn’t matter to warm the chain before to clean it, but, does it matter to warm it up a bit before lubing it? or this is just another motorcycle legend? For example: if I go to the washing station, I clean the chain and then the whole motorcycle and then I go home very slow (about 2 miles away) to lube the chain so the chain would be warmed up absorb better the lube. Does those 2 miles drive without any lubricant on the chain ruin the chain?

I use everything Motul (starting with the Spray & finish with the Paste) on my 2019 CB1000-R. Without the brush & power wash ! I spray then Rinse well with a hard cloth then spread the Paste on it. MOTUL is all in 1 and both the Spray & Paste do wonders for the Chain/sprocket 😎

That’s funny how many don’t agree with pressure washing the chain but fail to state wether that has caused “verified by personal experience” a chain failure while riding. It’s hard to prove whether that may cause some serious infrastructure deficiencies to the linkages because to find out you would have to pull it apart rendering it unusable. And for that reason I agree with MotoJitsu’s statement... “then don’t doit!”

Definitely wouldn’t recommend high pressure water or compressed air over chains. Is two ways of forcing water in to the rollers and eventually getting tight spots

Dude must be trying to increase chain sales. Those harsh solvents dry the O-rings and the pressure washer blasts out the grease from between the O-rings that we want to preserve. The pressure also pushes dirt into the O-rings that he just loosened up from scrubbing it. Something like Ivory soap and water and an old T-shirt is all that's needed to clean it. Gear oil is the best lube , just use the same T-shirt to wipe it on to keep the O-rings happy.

Was the chain guard removed for the chain cleaning only or was it removed permanently?

I was just going to clean my chain and this popped up on my feed. You read my mind lol.

How do I service and maintain my scooter?

Very helpful! And thanks for the additional information from the pro!

Pressure washer is the easiest way to destroy your chains.

What windscreen does the bike have on it? Looking for something similar for my z400 🙂

If you don’t have cardboards to protect the tire and the brake disc (for one sided swingarm), then spray the lube near the front sprocket. Easy to do if the spray comes with a straw.

thankx for filming mike, always want to know more mechanical side

Good video...could you make one about adjusting the tension or slag of the chain? Thanks!!

How many miles between cleaning chains if it's mostly city riding?

Good video. What kind of bristles are on the brush, plastic or metal?

I don’t recommend using a power hose directly on the chain it can damage your o rings

I think even brushing is overkill. Don’t want to damage the O rings. I clean my chain with a solvent, or even Simple Green and gently rinse it off with a garden hose shower and wipe it down with an old towel. Dirt driveway gets a chain dusty but not necessary to clean and lube more than once a month. And it’s easy to cover the areas you don’t want lube!

I don't have access to a hose or compressed air. But, i bought a manual pump waterspraying bottle and i use a rag or high quality paper to dry the chain. No problem, it just takes a little bit longer. 💖💖💖👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I recently got a brand new Z400, I come from a chinese bike, so it feels like riding a plane, but i have just one single complain, the passenger seat is loose. I realized after a few km, so i got back to de dealership, and checked another z400, it was the same, now i'd like to know if that happens to all the z line.

Yeah I did. Exactly the same thing. The bike won’t start after that. Thanks for this.

Nothin I use gets the rust off but I've seen kerosene take all that off. I've had rust on my chain since the first 500 miles because of the rain. Think I'ma look into kerosene this next clean. Cause nothing else works.

I use shell sol d60 mineral spirits from my job lol it cleans all types of aerospace grade metals and keeps the metal lubricant on point..

Just read any motorcycle chain maintenance manual and you'll see what's wrong with this video. You don't need a pro.

Well damn. Even without having a rear stand yet , this still seems like more work than I do.

I'm always so lazy to clean my chain. I always thought what's the point, it's just going to get dirty again after a few kilometres. Until I did it 2 days ago. Makes it look like new. Now I'm pumped for the next cleaning 😄

I remember before I had Paddock Stands that I had to push my 500 pound adventure bike about 10 times so the chain could rotate and I could keep cleaning it. Then I had to repeat when I was lubing the chain. Lol

Thanks. I never realized that I need to clean my chain that often.

SAE 90 Gearbox oil it will tell you in the owners manual, a bottle will last you along time apply every 2-3 hundred miles like he said

The power washer/compressed air combo seems like a Mortal Kombat fatality on the drive chain.

How to wash away all grease from your wheel bearings lol. I use water too but a low-pressure normal hose can do the job. Dry it with a rag, wait a bit for evaporation, apply lube, and use freaking cardboard. I use gear oil as per Fortnine's recommendation, not sprayable, thus no need for cardboard.

what do you call that stand in the front? wheel what? im not american

Hi Motojitsu! Thank you for your great videos and work! I must say, damn your voice reminds of "Jessie" in "breaking bad" :D Just a sidenote :D

When i put my new chain on i painted a link red,it helps.

Nice and clean. Is there a nail? Something flashy is there on inside of tire

I loved this video, we need more like this one

I use simple green. Chain looks clean and smells minty fresh afterwards. 👍

Strangely enough, the best advice I've seen is to not clean your chain with anything other than a rag and to use a light oil that flings off and takes dirt with it. Chain oilers with light oils do a great job of slinging off crud. Waxes and heavy oils attract dirty that just grinds chain plates and Orings to trash. Excessive cleaning with harsh solvents just erases the stock lube inside the Orings and makes the chains die much faster. I saw a guy who simply sprayed a light silicone-based lube on his chain about every two hundred miles or so (pretty much every other gas fill up max) and he got ridiculous chain mileages because the synthetic lube he used cleaned the chain and nourished the oil ring seals keeping the stock lube inside the chain. He said he never cleaned the chain unless there was a day, he rode on a dirt road, or something like that and even then, he just sprayed the synthetic lube and wiped the chain off. Never used anything like a pressure washer. That would likely just push water and grit inside the chain. But I do have to admit, after your guy was done, that chain looked like brand damn new. Pretty impressive.

how to chain your clean like a bro

Dude is the Bob Ross of chain cleaning. "Let's paint some happy links right here."

I wondered, do you keep your spools on your bike all the time?

How did you remove the chain cover without removing the exhaust?

Hey man. My question might sound stupid, but can you wash your bike while it's still hot (engine)? Thanks.

Thanks for the tips. So much faster to spray off the much with water after as opposed to paper towels.

Where can I order the wheel chock and rear tire lift? Thanks

In fortnine, just lube it with a gear oil and ur done.

Kerosene is the cleaner to use. Don't get why folks use these other products to clean chains when chain companies recommend kerosene for cleaning.

A well oiled tire, I mean chain 😅 lol

Like a pro???

Good Day All : Spray wash your chains if you want , it's your bike . If you choose to do so , you will have a nice clean chain . Have a nice day .

Very good job , Mate ......... except for the card board to protect lub on the tyre while spraying .

I do my chain while washing the bike, dry it all with a leaf blower. Let the chain dry well, then hit it with Dupont chain wax. Little to no fling.

A brush with diesel is better,high pressure for the the orings🤔

had a mechanic tell me dont bother cleaning just add lube

are chain covers any good? why my bike has chain covers.

Kerosene and that 3-sided brush works for me.

This is a super informative video! I wish this came out when I started riding lol you asked all the questions I had while watching other tutorials.

I was in full agreement with him until he started using the pressure washer on the chain.

What happens if you don't have a compressed air unit?

Thats exactly how i ruind my rear wheel bearings TWICE , with a pressure washer. When a bearing goes, it sounds like a hammer hitting your wheel. Then the 3rd time i installed a new bearing , even tho its a sealed bearing, i packed grease between the bearing and the O ring and never washed my bike with more than a hose, i never had that problem again. Also dont wash your bike from the top of the gas tank because i learned another leason the hard way. Water was collecting inside the sparkplug coils and it rusted away the springs that make contact with the spar plugs. One coil is 150€ x 4 cylinders, yeah 600 bucks for a stupid mistake. But i got second hand ones for a fraction of that. 1st hand experience on my own bike here. Oh yeah, also be carefull around tripple tree bearing. A big job to do that aswell.

To anyone watching: Also make sure that the runoff water does not go into a public drain. That could end up in the ocean and do a lot of damage to wildlife! Good video! Domo arigato, Mr MotoJitsu!

I just use diesel or gasoline with a old paint brush. Then wrens with with more gas or diesel. Plus to gasoline, it evaporates so the chain will be dry to lubricate. Then I lubricate with 90 weight rear end oil. Good heavy weight and sticky to stay put.

Clean and lube the chain every other gas tank? I bought my bike to ride it and not to clean it. Or maybe your bikes have 100 liter tanks.

I heard that Rossi now cleans Fast Ed's chain on a regular basis!

I often go to the car wash to clean my chain and several times random ppl (not on a motorcycle) have told me it's very bad to use a pressure washer on the chain... my typical response as i look around is "where's your bike?" ... or I rub the bike and say "she seems to like it" ... the moment I hear any chain noise, or the chain gets wet during a ride... I clean and lube. 😁 great vid.

Please note how he uses the compressed air from the top, to spray the water right down on the chain again. That's proven to be the best technique...

I am disappointed this was not made one-handed 😂

I haven’t seen Mike since the days of Rev Moto Industries