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Oiling my chain

7K views 49 replies 11 participants last post by  Roadrunner 
#1 ·
Called dealer and they said $40 to lube my chain while they put my rear tire on. Thought that was nuts. Which lube do you all use? I used to use chain wax.

Thanks-Sid
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
I doubt mine would get cleaned and lubed with a tire change for free. They don't touch the chain when the dismount and remount the tire.

I use Motul to clean with a grunge brush. Some chain Teflon stuff to lube.

The grease that matters is behind the O-rings or x-rings. The cleaning and lubing is more about keeping the seals intact, clean and prevent corrosion on the chain. I have yet to see proof chain lube gets behind the seals.

And..... I probably just started a bunch of banter.

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#6 ·
The grease that matters is behind the O-rings or x-rings. The cleaning and lubing is more about keeping the seals intact, clean and prevent corrosion on the chain. I have yet to see proof chain lube gets behind the seals.
Indeed. If the seals are doing their job, presumably they seal in both directions


- Bumble
 
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#8 ·
There are also different situations I would use different lubes.

Wet situations such as everyday diving where you leave it out in the rain. Or multiple washes without relubing. I would use something a little more oily.

The teflon wax stuff I use is fine with garage kept and occasional rain. Too much washing or rides in the rain I will get rust starting on the chain. The OEM chain is hard to clean rust off of once it gets a grip on it.

The more oily you get and thinner the more fling off.

Don't want anything that attracts dirt and dust.

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#10 ·
LoL! Typical Stealership....Doesn't surprise me.

40 bucks equates to approx 3 cans of Chain Wax!

Geez, God forbid if it needs adjusting...What, another 40?
 
#16 ·
Boy, this meme never ends. Some say WD40 is fine, others say no. Motorcyclist actually did a study to get to the bottom of it, and found that WD40 has no adverse effect on your chain (including the O-rings). It's primarily kerosene, which is fine for cleaning your chain. However, WD40 is a solvent, NOT a lubricant. Ok to clean the chain, not ok to use as a lube. If you're still worried just use a cleaner formulated for O-ring chains - there's plenty out there.
 
#19 ·
If you lube a chain without cleaning it, you are sealing in the contaminants guaranteeing accelerated wear. If you clean the chain correctly but don't lubricate it right, the metal contact points will wear out quickly as well. There is no one-does-all quick & easy formula if you care about the life of your chain... take the time to do it right, be patient, and spend more time riding instead of trying to salvage a crap chain as a result. Think of it like washing & waxing your car- you clean it first, then wax it right? None of the 2 in 1 stuff does either very well.
 
#22 ·
WD40 is more of a cleaner and corrosion inhibitor. It's also a penetrant.

A penetrant combined with a cleaner could "possibly get behind the rings and break down the grease inside, but so could other harsh cleaners people tend to use.

In my experience WD tends to leave a gritty rough surface after it dries out. Yet many have decent results with the product.

In fact a don't use the regular WD40 very often at all. I use the "rust release" or the "silicone" products in the WD line on various items but the regular WD40 seems to cause long term issues on locks that i have.

WD40s label also state its a degreaser.

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#26 ·
Complete and utter bullshit. WD-40 is great for cleaning your chain but it is primarily a SOLVENT, not a lubricant. It's basically kerosene with a few additional chemicals. One thing to ask yourself is why, if WD-40 is such a magnificent chain lube, does WD-40 make specific Motorcycle Chain Cleaner, Chain Wax, and Chain Lubricant?

Regular WD-40 doesn't even last a single 50 mile bike ride on my bicycle. I've used it several times in a pinch when I've run out of chain lube. The chain is literally bone dry before I make it half way though the ride. 20,000 miles on nothing but WD-40 is laughable even if they lube their chains 4 times per day and only ride 20 mph.
 
#27 ·
My main use for WD40 is to get asphalt, tar, paint, and bugs off my painted surfaces prior to a good scrubdown. So in my mind if it works that well at taking oil-based crud off it probably takes the oil (or whatever petroleum based stuff used to keep your chain lubricated) off as well.
 
#28 ·
Roadrunner,

I am not a trying to bullshit anyone. I am not a bullshitter either. What I said is fact from people I know, respect, and have ridden with. I am no expert on the chemical composition of WD40, though I know it has lots of different uses. Look at the company's website. As I said, it may not be the ideal chain lube, but it does not destroy O rings, it does do a good job of cleaning chains, and does have lubricating properties that last much more than a 20 mile ride in my own experience. YMMV.

Keyticker
 
#29 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am no expert on the chemical composition of WD40, though I know it has lots of different uses.

Keyticker
It does have a lot of uses. But lubricating a motorcycle chain isn't one of them. WD40 was designed as a rust preventative for the fuel tanks on the Atlas missile, not as a lubricant. It's roughly 70-80% kerosene and 20% mineral oil. What you have then is basically a mixture of aviation fuel and baby oil. And while it does make for a good degreaser and rust preventative without causing any harm to the o-rings in your chain, it also make for a really shitty lubricant....

But again, if you feel it's so great, use it on your bike. But don't recommend it to others because it simply isn't suitable for that purpose.
 
#30 ·
Replaced my chain/sprockets 6-8 weeks ago. Obviously the mechanic must've used a whole tube of that white lithium grease. I guess it was lithium, because it was white in color.
Got home and notice the shit had flung off all over the fuckin place! Took 2 or 3 hundred miles before it stopped flinging, and chain still appeared very well lubed a few hundred miles after that.

Anyways, back to the Chain Wax...I love that stuff. Stays put, no fling whatsoever. First chain/sprockets lasted 21K miles...Coulda gone further, but rather have the peace of mind to know my shit's in good shape instead.
 
#34 · (Edited by Moderator)
No it doesn't. But feel free to destroy your drivetrain if you like. It's your bike. Proper maintenance of your drivetrain requires both cleaning and proper lubrication, not just cleaning. And just because it is says "lubricant" on the label doesn't mean it's suited for fast moving or reciprocating parts. Different lubricants are designed for different purposes.

You don't have to take my word for it - MC Garage has done testing on it as well as many others. If you take the time to watch the video, he'll tell you the same shit I've already told you several times - WD40 is primarily a SOLVENT, not a LUBRICANT. It's fine to use to clean your chain, it won't do any damage to the o-rings. But as a lubricant, it sucks total balls.

https://www.youtube....h?v=Fzyk4nq3ug0
 
#37 ·
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