Cleaning the chain?

[zenman]

Do you have to do this? I've been told that only dirt bikes need to be cleaned. What I've been doing is spray it with bike grease every time a spot of rust appears. If it needs to be cleaned, what's involved?

[fireguzzi]

To clean mine I put it on the center stand, get a shop rag and hold the chain AWAY FROM THE SPROCKET and spin the wheel backwards while holding the chain. Spray some chain lube and do it again until its pretty clean. Then lube it again.

And yes there is plenty of road debris to get your chain dirty, so it's not just for dirt bikes. You will have a happy chain for many miles when cleaned and lubed.

[Wrider]

All chains need to be cleaned. Use a spray cleaner like Fireguzzi. Get it so that you can get the chain to spin (centerstand or roll it back and forth). Use the spray and a rag/cloth. I assume you're smart enough to know, but some people aren't, DON'T put the bike into gear and let the motor turn the chain/wheel while you're cleaning it! Amazing how people have lost fingers isn't it?
Wrider

[Skier]

Street bike chains need to be cleaned, too. I use some diesel fuel and a toothbrush to get the gunk off, some Simple Green to wash the diesel and grime away and follow up with some chain lube. Works great and I get about 20,000 miles out of my chain.

[shane-o]

I clean my chain about every 3000kms, oil it every 1000kms (more if I have been riding in the wet a lot).


My method is prolly a bit lazy but ill tell ya anyways;

I buy 2-3 cans of real cheap arse engine degreaser (like the made in china dollar a can stuff)

Hose the chain & sprockets down with the 3 cans spraying some on oily engine spots as well, let it sit for a bit, then with a stiff dish washing brush, give the chain the once over, then hose it down with H2O, then reapply my chain lube.

Takes me about 15 mins and I get about 30,000kms from a chain

I did say i was lazy

oh and I don't have a centre stand so I walk the bike in neutral to get at all the chain.

Cheers

[toolbox]

my chain appears to be made of rubber....

[gsJack]

I never clean a chain and see no need to do so with a sealed chain. The lube on the rollers is for the sprockets and can last for many days of riding or can be washed clean in half an hour in the rain so when I see shiny rollers I throw it up on the centerstand and lube it when I get home. When I get a new rear tire I clean the excess off the wheel.

And yes, I do lube the chain with with bike in gear and motor running but you shouldn't. Just riding the bike is more dangerous than chain lubing.

[zenman]

Thank you dudes!

[ElChado87]

Well, I found that rolling the bike around to lube the chain is a real pain in the arse, so i eventually bought spools and a paddock stand and it makes it sooo much easier to maintain the chain. At least when your at home... but for cleaning on the road I was told on this forum about this little gadget to take with you. Mostly for sport bikes or standard bike that don't have a center stand like mine...

http://www.motorcycleradar.com/quick_stand.htm

Haven't bought it yet, but looks like a good idea to me...

Also look out if you have a sealed chain that your chosen chain cleaner doesn't eat the o-rings... I buy a chain cleaner specifically meant for o-ring chains, its's made by Motul I think, and I use the kind of chain lube that sticks to the chain and doesn't fling, but be careful It is extremely difficult to wash off of your hands...

[paul246]

Also, being too aggressive with a brush can damage the O-Rings.

I have a lift, making the job quick and easy. I use a soft paint brush and liberally apply kerosene (harmless to O-Rings), and wash down the chain while rotating the back wheel.

Then I take an old towel and dry the chain off, taking a lot of the residual crud with it.

Next, I take another old paint brush and apply 90W gear oil.

Finally... and only because I have the stuff laying around, I apply a small amount of moly paste (70% molybdenum) to the inside surface of each roller where they meet the sprocket teeth.

Additionally, I always check chain tension each time I clean. Trick here is not to get carried away trying to keep the chain on the tight side of the spec'd limits. If you keep tightening, the chain will keep stretching and you will be replacing the chain sooner than normally necessary. Better to let it sit on the loose side of the specs and keep a close eye on it.