Chain Lube Recommendation?

I adjust the chain to have 1 1/4" up and down slack. When I sit my lard ass on the bike the chain still has a little slack left. Better to be a little loose than too tight.
Steve

Master Gamma makes some excellent points. (and many others as well)

I too am guilty not lubing my chain when it's hot, but I do wipe off the excess while wet then let the solvents to evaporate for at least a few minutes.

By the time I put old Bessie in the stable lubing my chain is't really on my mind. I might try to incorporate the lubing before bed time into my routine. It makes perfect sense, for sure.

My new EK O-ring chain isn't very old, Probably ~3-4K K miles since I changed the chain / sprockets during the top end overhaul I did in the fall of 2017. I think I re-adjusted it once after I replaced everything , and it hasn't stretched at all, from what I can tell. After the run in, it seems to have stabilized .
At this point I do wish I had listened to Steve a little closer, and took the sprocket ratio up (or down?) a tad, since it's too zingy with the stock 15/39 ratios. He tried to tell me, but do >I< listen? Nooooo. lol

39 tooth rear from Z1:



15 tooth front from Z1:


Both were aftermarket parts. Notice the lock plate holes in the new aftermarket front sprocket. Like most aftermarket parts, it is close but no cigar. I had to grind down my OEM lock plate to make it fit the aftermarket sprocket. :sick:

It is a riveted chain. I bought the tool to do this.

And another opinion—

Interesting video, but those artificial tests naturally are quite different than many thousands of miles of real world experience. Ed

And heat.
Steve

old_kaw wrote: Master Gamma makes some excellent points. (and many others as well)

I am guilty not lubing my chain when it's hot, but I do give it a chance for the solvents to evaporate. when I do lube it. By the time I put the old gal in the stable lubing my chain is't really on my mind. I might try to incorporate the lubing before bed time into my routine. It makes perfect sense, for sure.

My new EK O-ring chain isn't very old, Probably ~3-4K K miles since I changed the chain / sprockets during the top end overhaul I did in the fall of 2017. I think I re-adjusted it once after I replaced everything , and it hasn't stretched at all, from what I can tell. After run in it seems to stabilized .
At this point I do wish I had listened to Steve a little closer, and took the sprocket ratio up (or down?) a tad, since it's too zingy with the stock 15/39 ratios. He tried to tell me, but do >I< listen? Nooooo. lol

39 tooth rear from Z1:

Attachment not found

15 tooth front from Z1:

Attachment not found

Both were aftermarket parts. Notice the lock plate holes in the new aftermarket front sprocket. Like most aftermarket parts, it is close but no cigar. I had to grind down my OEM lock plate to make it fit the aftermarket sprocket. :sick:

It is a riveted chain. I bought the tool to do this.

Attachment not found

With those sprockets it must be like a two stroke. :woohoo:
Stock Z1 is 15/35. I'm running 16/35. A little slower on takeoff but not as buzzy at 70+.
Steve

There is one thing that puzzles me that the gentleman in the video talked about. When he was talking about the chain rollers coming in contact with the teeth on the sprockets that all types of chain lubes don't stay there for long and are pushed aside so it will be metal to metal after a very short time.

I just went out and checked the sprocket teeth and the chain rollers on two of my bikes to see if what he stated was true that all the chain lube being gone on both. And be metal to metal. WELL!!! The teeth on my sprockets and the rollers on both chains still have a nice sticky film of chain lube on both!!!!!!! The Kal Gard Chain Kote that I use has a high percentage of molybdenum disulphide in it. I know on huge gear drives in industrial equipment they use nothing but molybdenum disulphide paste on them . I wonder if that is why Chain Kote goes against what was said in that video!!! Could molybdenum disulphide be the magical ingredient that makes your chain and sprockets last many many miles longer?? So I will keep using nothing but Chain Kote for chain lube!!!

Looks like that is a common ingredient though it's not listed on the cans. That would make it superior to GEAR OIL. :sick:
Steve
www.webbikeworld.com/pj1-blue-label-chain-lube-review/

Yes, Dr. Gamma, I found that claim about metal to metal odd as well. I have looked at a couple of other videos that make the same claim. For the last few years, I have been using DuPont dry Teflon chain lube and the chain stays pretty dang slippery between applications.