The chain lubes test is finally complete - you can watch it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-noshjM5CDas.html Thanks for your patience, John
i clean my chain with parrafin, wipe dry, then apply 80/90 gearbox oil, then wipe off excess, as advised in the owners manual. if anyone is familiar with ryan F9, he did a test and came to the same conclusion
80W90 gear oil applied to warm chain. There is no point trying to layer it on because it will fling off. Just apply half a tea spoon of oil with a narrow paint brush and wipe away any excess to leave a micro layer that stays put with no noticeable fling. Need to apply it more frequently than chain gloop though but it does only takes 2 minutes with no mess. Cheap too!
That's what I do. I do after every ride. Whether 100 miles or 700 miles. A bit of fling .... I'm sure I put more on than I need to ... but my chains are laying 40,000+ miles.
I use a diesel-soaked rag to clean the chain, then wipe with a dry rag. Then apply MucOff dry lube onto the inside of the bottom rung of the chain, while turning the back wheel backwards. I paint the joining link of the chain bright red to make it easier to find and check and this also serves as a marker to ensure the entire chain is cleaned and lubed.
I never oil my chains and they last several years. Granted I live in the desert, but lubing them just creates a mess and a chain is a relatively inexpensive replacement item.
"we asked a man who makes and sells chain lube, do we need to use chain lube" something tells me that the answer would be yes. If he was selling a Banana as chain lube and you asked him if it was needed and you wanted to pay for it guess what his answer would be ?😁😁
The man who sells chain lube is telling the truth. It's not to lubricate the inside of the rollers on the chain(if they have O rings), it's to lubricate contact between the outside of the chain roller, side plates where it comes into contact with the sprocket.
I bought a liter of chain saw oil years ago, haven't used half of it yet. It lubricates well, dirt doesn't stick to it much and if you don't apply too much it sticks to the chain well. I simply apply it with a finger.
Yep. Dish soap and a toothbrush in that pinch point he points out to remove old dirt. Hose off. Blow or sun dry. Toothbrush and chainsaw bar oil applied at that same pinch point as you rotate your wheel. Rub it on the side of the links last to avoid visible rust. Thats good nuff. Costs about 3c a treatment.
I keep telling the younger guys, gear oil & non O-ring chain is far more cost effective & lasts longer than any O-ring rubbish, they only developed the O-ring chain, as most riders are bone idle & not wanting to actually clean a chain properly, plus the crazy price on top for chain lube & crazy chain prices for a chain that is inferior to a no O-ring chain, as they can never be cleaned effectively nor lubed either... it's an industry rip off 100%.
I use maxima clean, lube, and wax After applying all of the above I can feel a difference as far as the movement of the chain itself. Makes so much difference
If the main objective is o-ring integrity, shouldn't we just use a silicone based dry or wet lube ? Silicone is the go to for lubrication of o-rings in other fields
Nearly 4000 kms on a zzr1200 two up fully loaded, around France, dry lube at the end of every day, is a high quality chain, didn't adjust it once and still no need to, nó grit stuck and no fling, rag and wd40 to clean, 12,000 kms and chain still good. Dry lube wax👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
arrrr us Brits can be sarcastic, but as long as we keep each other entertained with it😋👍 I do think that all experienced motorcyclist and every single motorcycle racer will tell you.... why the hell is anyone spraying their chain with any aerosol, chain lube or cleaner? Chains just need small smear of gear oil as per the chain mamanufacturesnstructions.
@@King-Arthur-The-First If its o-ring yes. Not all bikes use o-ring though and not using some kind of chain lube/oil in bigger quanteties than a smear will kill the chain within a matter of weeks.
I have been using WD40 spray to clean the chains on my Street Triple and Speed Triple for over a year now.Spray on and wipe off.After every ride of over 50 miles.The chains are still looking very clean.Each bike has covered about 5000 miles.There is never any grit on the chains because there is no lube for it to stick to.Still not showing any obvious signs of wear.And when I spin the back wheel with the bike on the Abba stand it has that nice smooth buzz sound.This This cleaning method was advocated by Neevesy from MCN so I gave it a go.Takes about 5 minutes.
I've been riding for 40 years now. The chain on my Firestorm has just been changed along with sprockets of course. 32000 that chain had done. It had zero corrosion due to lots of lube. I spray the chain liberally then wrap a rag around it while turning the wheel by hand then repeat. The chain now looks good and ready to go. The other trick is don't have your chain too tight. Adjust the slack with you on board. Your chain will thank you for this.
Gear lube, and be done with it. Cheaper than chain lube, and is actually what DID recommended on my new 520 O-ring chain, same recomendation by Honda on the bike's manual.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274319990313?epid=652688914&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3fdebede29:g:XZQAAOSw~HBefnBh&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACgBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%252Fn%252BzU5L90Z278x5ickkY3FSd4Ad8xn3oRtkVexxrKQuNfZ0NUK7P1qFxyQGTK9guZHnbT3V7bNjTpKtTFDpdPVvrWEDj3FwGsxYR36H9iebqlcjlbmNeWCErLuPPFl%252BzV3fpbCw4jKU6cnDSVBU06hVtoBZSrz0V4sNJbuXeq8YTUNKgOwBuDgnIyqgAshqg6E6qPavikbnBpoBPCvHGcDZJTb3kZDamrKQy6yMEbufsbc012E4hCoL990vFkKQ3bgPVUxfZbT5Yc%252BqqP7OkCZHKL8yohn5RtgAdfC3izCfbdZ5r8lymBNWC%252B8yH92ZvWbO2Eg4zuyvg2tp2LI9hC6FVgnTEQXgGOiK2mgI2JzbhGgUhZ%252FaCuxFXRYp6mdh6PtcxPznGPeNY0DlxrVtwD04OW1xT08j2c9O5pmqLMzYH6h%252FjePTUM3u%252FXC%252BoWXudxEGDsSGFFf%252Ba3BGn4%252BjaAIpk8rxKMliwMCH1zKJ37v1dTFuVBn63TI8N0I1ceU%252Fl2XxD8fXi7SWFoEDI8XbbXoHECzyF88e8q4igKwoTxVJGJFg9yEOMBiP7xaKwxngbIMVvDMWxjoI7crUV3n59IOiJXIAcLzjjKwdZOYrvHdiZROLHYDzpPJjqwL%252FGYIW2g%252B%252FGF9o%252BkTmk6HclnJG3N%252BQ4%252FG9NXdnTBtt4ILEDAlAnb6RhlMq0ip1NUjTlgOEP2YlvzNeVuMK0Y83IW9WTzPNckyFrNWkB%252BKwz%252FWoLZ3YYEXp%252FVgYc9qnsLdq7vTQQkXKjKxC4%252BHt0KSBdGkXGFPxZTNFJq7IojrzLBeyonEGDBUj2Ji2Ovt9uK3bjhM%253D%7Ccksum%3A27431999031318414f6cc3034c8b92e86ff5f053755c%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2334524 this stuff okay?
Omg, FINALLY someone was able to explain what lubing an o-ring chain actually does. How does this video only have 3.2k views!? Also really appreciate that you guys actually reached out to experts and share their opinion was just adding more persona preference/noise to this darn topic. 10/10
Maxima chain wax is extremely popular in the us for good reason . No fling , no rust and works the best. You guys should try to order one for the test .
Chainsaw and cutterbar oil I use on non "O" ring chain, on 110cc Honda cub with enclosed chain, excellent results. Applied with paint brush and occasionally use chain spray lube. 80,000 Km so far. Seems once the chain is 'run-in' (polished) then a steady state condition arises. Beautiful. Note: the full enclosure does act as a suction 'focus' around the sprokets though far preferable to an open chain for (in my case) postal delivery. Removing the top 1/2 of chaincase is speeded-up by replacing the two 10mm bolts with two screws.
I'm using 80W90 gear oil for years. thin layer with brush every ~800km (maybe ~400km in wet conditions). Its very cheap and it works great. (*by the way it is what REGINA chain recommends on their chain maintenance manual. you can yourself on their site.) For me, It doesn't make ANY SENSE to spend extra money on chain maintenance on chain spray lube and cleaners. Chains are relatively cheap and easy to replace anyway, don't take it so seriously. IT IS JUST A FRICKING CHAIN.
A freakin' chain that can fail while you're going 80+ MPH on the freeway and now you're relegated to sippin' Big Mac's through a straw all because you don't see it as a big deal to maintain.
@@tonykartracer8032 I didn't say that chains shouldn't be maintained. I just say that you don't need to spend money in order to do so. It doesn't make sense to spend so much time and money on a cheap chain.
I use paraffin, some old clean hand towels and a toothbrush for cleaning the chain ... always brings it up like new. Then I use Wurth HP Dry lube and a ChainMate for lubing duties. Lube after each couple of rides and give it a full clean once every 300/400 miles or so.
@@rockintigger I've got better things to do at the weekend. That said, it's a small price to pay for hardly ever needing to adjust my chain. If the Scottoiler is adjusted correctly there's not much "throw off" onto the back end. Flow needs to be adjusted seasonally due to ambient temperature.
Just use standard gear oil (most of the time gear oil is mentioned in your hand book) stop buying chain lube.....Looking forward to seeing the results of your tests.
Tried gear oil for a while, great in dry weather, but would wash off when bike was left out in the rain leaving me to run the chain dry. Changed to a rock oil spray, been good so far feels very tacky though. Will be interested to see how it copes nearer the winter months. My commute is a 50+ round trip and use the bike in all but extreme weather. Having chewed up 2 chains in 18 month anything that helps prolong the life would be of great interest. Looking forward to the results!
I used Wurth dry chain lube before I went shaft drive - it’s a leap of faith as you can not see it so you just have to believe it’s there doing it’s job. What I did (which initially was a faff I’ll admit) was clean off all the grease I could from the chain as soon as I bought the bike (Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport) using a chain cleaner and then painted the side plates with metal lacquer to protect them from corrosion, sprayed on the dry lube and continued to do so every fuel fill up for the next 12,000 miles until I sold the bike with the chain and sprockets still like new. The chain stayed clean, no “fling” on the back wheel, no corrosion and it only ever needed adjusted at tyre change time. Grease and wax just attract grit and make a grinding paste so you end up in an endless cycle of cleaning, lubing, cleaning, lubing. It worked for me anyway.
Been cleaning my chain with kerosene for years. Then I wipe away the residue and lube it with Wurth dry lube. Keeps chain in A1 condition and zero fling on my back wheel .
Is doesn’t matter if x link chains trap grease in rings. If the surfaced the chain becomes rusty the surfaces will wear down the o or x rings allowing the grease to be washed away.
Have been round and round this one for decades. Today I use plain old WD40 on all the bikes with chains - not the expensive WD40 bike product stuff, just plain old WD off of Amazon. As an overall experience it's superb, especially as it makes cleaning the sprocket and the rear wheel an absolute doddle
.... I was tought about "chain lube" by my buddy who raced "moto-cross" ... so I applied those lessons onto my bike chain ... I use a chain wax and just replaced my chain w/ +7000 miles at the beginning of the season... and ... I can clean the old chain and get another +2000-3000 miles yet ...maybe more .... walking home sucks because of a broken chain ...
I've been saying for years, why dont they design bikes with enclosed chains with an inspection flap, they could make them look like a shaft drive system in bet. Here in the uk with our heavy rainfall, it would make sense and maybe our chains would last a lot longer. Maybe the manufacturers wouldn't like this though and that's why it's not happening.
The only problem with paraffin/kerosene is, it's penetrating the seals in no time, getting into the grease trapped inside the o/z/x rings. Very good cleaner tho, but not for sealed chains.
I ride old Eastern European two strokes, I have an MZ, CZ and a Russian Voskhod. They all have fully enclosed chains, all of them are very well engineered chain cases especially the Voskhod. They are all western chains and are non o ring and they all look as clean and perfect as the day they were put on, the CZ chain for example has been on since 1989 and has covered around 40000 miles. It has only ever been lubricated with ep90 gear oil , a little squirt maybe 4 times a year. I’m sure this is completely down to the chain cases keeping them clean. I never clean them just lube them and they rarely need adjustment.
I tried gear oil for the first time. I am never buying chain lube again. Sure, it flings a bit from start. But what it also flings off is dirt and gravel. And the chain looks like new, is dead quiet and it stays this way for quite some time. The gear oil is also dirt cheap.
I always clean my chain thoroughly before lubing with EP 90 gear oil and then wiping off excess. With dry weather riding I do that every 500 miles - wet weather more frequently. Any other method will turn your chain lube into grinding paste - Been doing this for at least 40 years now - All chains wear out in the end but my GSXR 1100 back in the 90's, drive chain lasted 23000 miles before I had to replace it and I used to to ride it extremely hard. I bought My 2005 Z1000 new and still have it - and it still has its original chain, although I'm only a fair weather rider now as I'm getting on in years. The only time I have ever used spray on chain lube in the past, was when European touring and then I had a very large can of industrial chain lube (much cheaper) - and then washed it all off when I go back home.
This is probably the most sensible video I've seen till now. Talking about what should be talked. My owners manual specifies to use a sae 90w oil. That's it. Iam considering to use a 140 oil. Would highly appreciate your opinion on that. The bike is a ninja 650. Thanks
I tried S100 lube out of curiostity, and it was the best lube i have tried in 30 years. I ride 10% gravel roads, and wondered why my chains wore out so quickly. The reason was called: Maxima
I use Honda.. it's not tacky.. and keeps corrosion protection down.. doesn't fling and it's cheap.. I don't over think it... If I'm in the rain and muck.. I spray it off with the Honda cleaner and a quick spay of lube.. no more than 3 minutes..
The cost of the chain lube isn’t cost effective compared with replacing a chain Yes this lube does work but your better of using wd40 and cleaning your chain properly and replacing it more often rather than spending £30 on 2 cans of this stuff 🤷♂️ A good chain can be had for £50 now Makes even less sense if your riding off road machinery
Yes, but it's not just for wear. As discussed, It's also to keep the 'O' rings (Or 'X' or whatever) soft so they retain the grease as well as to reduce wear on the sprockets, help with smooth gear changes, reduce noise etc. And in doing all of that it reduces friction so increases power transmission.
Why not go further. Don't bother with fork and shock oil refreshes, engine oil and filter changes. And hey, why bother washing the bike either? All of these will save you money, just change the bike instead.
@@raydavison2972 That's a bit different. Swapping sprockets and chain isn't that hard. I'm terrible about chain maintenance and I still get years out of a decent set. There's a certain point where the expense makes no sense whatsoever. Those other things are either a pain to repair the damage from or can result in extremely expensive damage to the bike. In terms of the chain, as long as you maintain the slack and pay attention to the wear on the chain/sprockets, there isn't much harm done to anything else. By the GP's numbers, you'd have to be going through a new chain/sprocket set ever like 6 months before you get anywhere near the point of braking even. What's more, there's an environmental impact that comes from this stuff washing off.
My chain is sticky and greasy after I start spraying it.. before that it was great. Now I try to find how to clean it perfectly and never lube it again. Bike is Aprila Rsv4
The rollers on a modern O or X ring chain are pre greased & sealed in at factory .90 gear oil is needed just to stop corrosion & prevent grease sealing rings from drying up & tearing .The oil or grease serves no purpose between outer chain rollers & sprocket teeth as it gets squished out.. The outer roller surfaces & sprockets are sacrificial & designed to wear at a reasonable wear rate subject to correct chain tension adjustment & also proper alignment .
the longest lasting chain, that I've had on a bike, was a 428 on a 1979 CZ 250-471.4 , which lasted just over 15,000 miles. I never used chain lube, instead relying on the inbuild total loss drive chain oiling system & fully enclosed oil bath that the bike had as OEM. The 428 chain only had to deal with 17 HP & 28.5 Pounds/Foot of torque though. When it came to replacing the chain the fully enclosed chain guard with oil bath made it a messy job, so I ran without it. The hot gear box oil drip feed, through the output sprocket shaft centre, still functioned, giving the exposed chain a service life of 7,000 to 8,000 miles. The system loses 1 drip of gearbox oil per 2 or 3 miles, which also lubricates the automatic clutch actuator, before ending up on the primary sprocket and being spun out into the chain. The owners manual recommends topping th gearbox oil up very 1,000 miles. The only fault with it is when the tiny O ring metering washer wears out and the the drive chain is over lubricated, flinging a lot about the right side of the tyre (it costs 2p to replace).
My Royal Enfield 1986 has this system. It's called prether or something. Mine has 18 bhp and its a 350 cc long strong engine. Chain lasted for a long time that I was so amazed that my friend changed his chain for his new bike..
My two cents (yes I'm cheap), I use 80/90w gear oil mixed with a a very small amount graphite on a hot chain it's so cheap I have to relube more often (350km) more so in rain obviously as always. It removes contaminants from the chain as it eventually flys off because of the detergents in it. Grime just wipes off easily with rag.
What about chain cleaners though (I don't think Ryan F9's chain cleaner experiment was sufficiently scientific - what's the likelihood that balloons have exactly the same chemical composition as chain seals)? I think using Motul chain cleaner might have caused me some problems but can't be sure of what's caused one of my o-rings to split. After watching this it could also be that my alignment is very marginally 'off', or it could be something else entirely.
I'm building the chain cleaners test at the moment; it will be a way off, but it'll look at O-ring compatibility (as well as the plastics used on chain guards). Cheers, John
@@bennettsbikesocial I would be curious to this as well since RyanF9 tested that Parrafin (Kerosene for the U.S.) would creep through the o-rings and essentially wash out the grease, but it is generally the most recommended chain cleaner from bike manufactures in the owners manual.
I clean regularly with WD40, then use a a good quality engine oil in a soaked rag then wipe off the excess so not to have a mess. Engine oil has to maintain a film between the most extreme place in the engine the big end bearings, so maintain a film on a chain with quality engine oil is no a problem, also has detergent in the oil so when wiping off the excess it polishes the outer chain after cleaning and re oiling. Down side takes more time and too much oil makes a mess, I used wax lube but it goes hard and is tough to clean, if I use spray I used Motul road and track that seems to be the best for me. Bikes Ducati 1299, 1199, 749, Scrambler and Desert sled used on tracks and road and I don’t have wear problems.
I made my own oiler with a plastic bottle filled with W90 oil, some plastic tubing and a gas pump from a chainsaw parts shop. A few pumps when the chain becomes visibly dry and I'm good for another 200km or so
Chain lube is ok for road bikes , but no good for dirt bikes. Our group stoped using chain lube and we have doubled the life of our chain and sprockets. I clean the chain after every ride with degreaser or bike cleaner. Then spin out the water. Spray with WD40 or Inox. 100 percent doubles the life. The chain lube attracts dust dirt and mud and and turns it into a grinding paste which increases wear.
Fort Nines video is pretty cool apparently gear oil is best multipurpose chain lube. Should be something pretty viscous tho so it won't splatter around while riding. Something like 80w90
Fort Nine's videos are very well produced. Here's my full test, which contradicts some of the findings though ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-noshjM5CDas.html
lubricating in o ring chain is not nesesary cos it is sealed. is worse cos the environment dust and sand stick to the oiled chain and that is worse than a dry chain where the dust will not stick.
So how much £ will it save you? If you u use premium brand . But it only adds a year on to the longevity of the chan. What is the difference between using wd40 and sdoc100 and just getting a new chain earlier?
damn, that guard thing on there is genius. our apartments dont like it when you are working on your vehicles. and hate it when im lubing the chain. i use paper bags and cardboard to shield the ground from over spray. but thats nice.
I guess climate and temperature will be another variable. If you ride in 40c hot summer weather, im sure its not going to adhere to the chain as well. Such a tough topic this one, good on you for giving it a go.
To a point, though the heat generated in the chain itself should exceed ambient temperature. Ultimately, as long as we can control the testing environment, and make it repeatable, it should giv a fair comparison.
In winter I use IPONE chain lube, and for summer I'm using Renthal Chain lube (oil). The two are not sticky for dirt, and preserves very well the chain!
I like the belt so much on my HD. No mess, lighter than a shaft, simple. I would think they could make one for any application by now. Though I guess the front sprocket size is an issue.
@@bennettsbikesocial My Harley is 19 years old and on original belt. Pretty low maintenance for a heavy bike. Swing arm is as easy as removing a wheel.
Chain alignment or wheel alignment, which is more important? They are not the same and both are important and will be the same if the frame, swinging arm and engine mounts are all perfectly aligned but they never will be even from the factory.
Good question, and that's why keeping the O-rings well lubricated is important; personally, I'd align by the wheels (I use two straight-edges when I want it bang-on). John
I have a giant box full of chain lubes that i have tried and hated. I finally settled on the BelRay SuperClean. In my opinion it's got the best mix of tackiness and lubricity. Also it sprays on clear but dries on white, so that you know when your chain is no longer white it;s time to clean and reapply.
So are the brushes that we use to clean chains actually potentially harmful?? If the bristles of the brush were to penetrate the o-rings... surely they are more of a threat?
This is the full test video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-noshjM5CDas.html The plan is to test cleaners, but it's taking some time to get to. WD-40 won't affect the O-rings, so is okay. I also found it won't creep past them. Personally, I use paraffin.
What about chain oilers eg. Scotoiler I do think they extend chain life maybe cos of the oil or maybe cos the chain is always clean but either way they improve chain life
I've never heard of using diesel, and is imagine it'd be pretty messy. Personally, I use paraffin (kerosene). Here's the full test ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-noshjM5CDas.html
Anyone else catch the Wilhelm Scream in there? 😱 ...I’m considering moving to a basic silicone spray for lube, probably need more regular application but picks up way less dirt
Bennetts Bike will be interesting to get the data. Was going to limit the silicone spray use to my enduro bike, the road bike still (currently) gets a non-brand loyal, proprietary aerosol motorcycle chain lube.
@@peter_king I use silicone spray on my enduro. Never get grinding paste chains again. Never have to clean them with chemicals again. Chains be going strong for a long time. I use chain lube on the road bike as it doesn't get washed and filthy like the husky.
Only thing I can say... bought new bike in may, rode for about 2.500km without lubing, no issues. Used a chain cleaner (S100) and then applied lube, and since then my chain makes a very annoying whine/buzz when accelerating. Never did before :(
@@bennettsbikesocial yep checked all sort of things, tightenes/loosened chain (perfect now), lubed it, re-cleaned it and applied different lube, even tried with oil as lube...problem remains, chain is making a buzzing noise when accelerating or when under stress (goes away when clutch is engaged). dealer took a look at it, no other problem detected, diagnose was : chain probably damaged by the cleaner, no harm just an annoying noise.
@@lapinobel That cleaner can't really damage the chain. The chain still spins when the clutch is pulled of course (though not under load) - sounds more like an issue in the transmission but it's impossible to say without seeing it. Hope you get it sorted! What bike is it?
@@bennettsbikesocial Kawasaki Z900RS. Visited 2 dealers, both say there's nothing wrong with the transmission. Gotta say, the noise was immediately apparent right after the first 10 meters of driving after I cleaned/lubed the chain. Maybe the chain just got more noisy due to being 'clean' ?
That's what's stated on japanese motorcycle manufactures service manuals. We must give credit to them. Japanes engineers know what they're doing. Honda alone has more than 800 motorcycle Grand Prix wins. Just an example (not from Honda): "If a special lubricant is not available, a heavy oil such as SAE 90 is preferred to a lighter oil because it will stay on the chain longer and provide better lubrication." On road bikes, the only downside compared to comercial spray lubricants is more rear wheel fling
Iv been using TRU-TENSION chain wax found it pretty good with minimal fling when fully dry before heading out the banana chain lube they do is also good with a gorgeous banana Fragrance but dose fling a bit more than the wax
30 year daily rider here: Nothing works like a ScottOiler. The slow but continuous flow on the chain with oil cleans it and helps it last a long time. I use the cheapest two stroke engine oil I can find to fill it, and wash the drive and wheel down with Simple Green and a hose about every other month. Thats all thats needed. It just works. My current bike is a 98 bought new that now has 120k miles on it. I put a ScottOiler on it in 99, and its been there ever since, and still works. Done.
