in need of a new chain

For lubricating the chain the manual may show exactly where to put the lubricant. On my 81 650 it says to apply it between the rollers & side plates so that the oil will penetrate to the rollers & bushings where most wear takes place, then wipe off the excess (from the manual). I don't think you'd want oil on the rollers where they contact the sprockets.

Ride the bike first to warm up the chain. then lubricate it & wait about 5 minutes to allow the oil to soak in. spin the wheel a few times. then wipe off the excess.

Also, check the chain adjustment so that there is the correct amount of slack (total up & down movement at the center).
I use a wooden folding carpenter's ruler taped to a wood block. this frees up both hands. one for the chain & one for the wheel.

ps: I use Liquid wrench chain lube. it's readily available & cheap. the stuff kinda dries to a nice film that's sort of similar to 90W gear oil, but without the horrible smell. hee. when the time comes for a new chain, i may switch to Dupont teflon chain-saver.

650ed wrote: I've been using Maxima Chain Wax for quite a few years. My current O-ring chain has about 25,000 miles on it and it has barely stretched at all. Ed

Maxima is good stuff. I've used Champion now for years. My chain and sprocket set has roughly 15k on it and I've barely had to adjust it. Good stuff on the cheap.

Don´t forgot to clean the chain before you lube the chain. Chain lube catches street dust and dirt particles that do abrasion work
on chains, sprockets and o-rings.
I use kerosene and an old finger nail brush every 2000 - 3000 km. This extend the lifetime of chain and sprockets up to 50 %.

Michael

I clean mine with the same chain wax I lube it with. I spray on a liberal amount and wipe it off the chain and rear sprocket with paper towels; this removes the vast majority of the grime without introducing and "foreign" chemicals to the o-rings. Then I apply a normal coat of chain wax and wipe off any excess. Over the years this has worked very well for me, but I ride on paved roads, so if one rides much on dirt roads it may not work as well. Ed

martin_csr wrote: I don't think you'd want oil on the rollers where they contact the sprockets.

Martin I've seen bikes on a dyno pick up 1 to 3 hp by spraying the chain and sprocket with a good lube.

Okay. Thanks. I was thinking of grit n stuff wearing the components if an excess amount of lubricant is left on the rollers. The Kawasaki manual doesn't say to lubricate the sprockets & rollers. it only says to lube between the rollers & side plates (o-ring chain).

zukdave wrote:

martin_csr wrote: I don't think you'd want oil on the rollers where they contact the sprockets.

Martin I've seen bikes on a dyno pick up 1 to 3 hp by spraying the chain and sprocket with a good lube.

I realize you are saying mainly the lubing of the chain and sprockets picked up the power you're speaking of but I would value your opinion on possibly what would make the most...... I've always thought a 1/4 here a 1/4 there adds up

I bought a X ring chain mainly for that reason as they claim slightly less friction and life.