TOPIC:

What chain lube is good these days? I always used Castrol back in the day, but it never did stick very well and managed to get over everything. I just replaced my rear tire and took the opportunity to do a thorough cleaning of the sprocket, hub, etc. Is there something that will provide decent lubrication without ending up all over everything else?

I use Motul...in the tube with the brush.

hardrockminer wrote: I use Motul...in the tube with the brush.

Would that be the one they call "Chain Care Paste"?

I've been using Maxima Chain Wax for quite a few years. I spray it on and wipe off the excess. My chain has 26,000 miles (17 years) on it and I have only needed to adjust it a tiny bit in that many miles, so I'm a big believer in Chain Wax. I reapply it about every 200 - 300 miles. Ed

Tried the others and went back to PJ1 Blue label.
Steve

www.chapmoto.com/pj1-blue-label-chain-lube-parent-19-5024

Typical chain lube directions read something like "...apply sparingly...".

Ever try to water a small, delicate flower from a fire hose?

We've found that the aerosol lubes can be quite difficult to modulate the output. Usually they're either 'ON' (way too much, way too fast) or 'OFF' (well...OFF).

A workaround we've been using very successfully to eliminate the wasting lube & making a mess is, to spray an ounce or so into the can's cap, then use a flux brush to apply the lube to the warm chain. A surprisingly small amount goes quite a long way way when applied with a brush.

To answer OP's question, we use Gunk Liquid Wrench Cycle Chain Lube, PN# ML2S on our O-ring chains. It's an older formula that's no longer available. When our last two cans are gone we'll likely try the Motul potions. We use older Kal Guard chain lube on our Z1's that still have non O-ring chains to assist the rear rim, er... chain oilers, in their tasks.

Good Ridin'
smjim & Z1BEBE

I had been using LW cycle chain lube in the blue can (see pic), but since it's NLA, I now use their chain & cable lube #L711 >> it seems pretty much the same and has been readily available & cheap. I also use it on the control cables. But it now may be NLA as I don't see it on their website >> instead, they list an anti-sling chain lube which is probably double the price. If the regular LW chain lube isn't available any more, I plan on switching to DuPont Teflon Chain Saver.

As for overspray, it's kind of surprising that nobody has come up with a better spray valve. I try to slowly press the button until it starts oozing out, but it's difficult to keep barely pressing the thing long enough to do the entire chain, and I always end up spraying a blast several times during the lubrication process. A while back there was an EB lot of 12 LW squeeze bottles, but 12 was a bit too much chain lube to have at hand.


....

SWest wrote: Tried the others and went back to PJ1 Blue label.
Steve

www.chapmoto.com/pj1-blue-label-chain-lube-parent-19-5024

I have also been using the PJ-1 Blue Label . It is wax based and has excellent cling / lube properties after the solvents evaporate.

My OEM service manual says to use gear oil.. I have done this, and it makes such a freakin mess, that I needed to degrease my butt after it flew everywhere. I think the manual is quoting what was used in the automatic oilers in days gone by. My Harley had an OEM chain oiler what was nothing more than a controlled oil leak tied into the engine oil system, with no external tank. Hence the saying "all Harleys are leakers. Yep, especially when you cause it to leak

Lubing the chain is easy.
Steve

Lets talk some basic chain maintenance along with chain lubes. First thing you have to have is a properly adjusted chain. ALWAYS check your chain tension with both wheels on the ground, and you sitting on the bike. Just reach down and check the play in your chain. If you set your chain tension up on the center stand, then roll the bike off the center stand. You will see that the chain has tighten up considerably!!! On my Kz1000 if I set chain tension with the bike on the work stand, then roll it off the stand and sit on bike. My chain gets as tight as a banjo string!!!!!

Always apply your chain lube when you come back from a ride. A hot chain helps the solvents in the chain lube evaporate a lot quicker. If you spray your chain before you go out for a ride, you find out the chain lube has covered the rim and inner fender of your bike!!! Always spray your chain lube on the inside of your chain. Centrifugal force will cause the chain lube to be forced through the chain. If you spray the outside of the chain. Its just going to be thrown off the chain covering your rim and tire. As you spin the rear wheel by hand you can hear the chain get quieter as you spray on the chain lube. It don't take much lube before you will hear the chain get quiet That is all the chain lube you need on your chain.

All of my bikes have either gold or white wheels, and most don't have any type of chain guard on them. Plus most of my riding used to be done at far from legal speeds. The only chain lube that I found that flies off the least is Kal-Gard Chain Kote. Even on my little Rg500 with white wheels the Chain Kote barely leaves just a few black daps of chain lube on the white rim!!! I never found anything close in chain lubes that stays on the chain like Chain Kote!!!!!

Very good explaind Dr. Gamma.
The only thing you miss is, you have to clean the chain/sprockets from the old lube that catches a lot of dirt and road dust.
The dirt and road dust do a abrasive Job on the chain and sprockets. I clean my chain with diesel and a finger nail brush every 1000 miles.

The chain can be adjusted while the bike is on the center stand as long as the proper slack is left in the chain. The instructions below are from the factory service manual. I have been using Maxima Chain Wax (2nd image) n my Tsubaki O-ring chain for 17 years (more than 25,000 miles) and my chain has barely stretched at all. I lube the chain every 200 - 300 miles, wipe off excess lube, and not much lube slings off. I think the real chain killer is when folks don't leave the correct amount of slack in it. Remember that the distance between the engine sprocket and the rear sprocket gets longer as the rear wheel comes up to the center line (like when hitting bumps) so if there is not enough slack the chain must stretch or it will break. Ed