Chain lubrication

What's up guys?

Here's a popular subject: what to use to lube a chain?

I know a lot of you swear by Scottoilers, that's way out of my price range so I'm looking at something that involves getting grubby.

Are chain lube sprays any good? If so are any better than others or are they all pretty much the same?

I'm going to get a cleaning brush and some form of decent lube and try looking after my chain a bit better.

[timwilky]

No point in lubing a dirty chain.

So invest in paraffin and a stiff brush to give it a good cleaning. Ideally remove front sprocket cover and clean/inspect there as well. I note you have a 2001 bike and would guess you should be on at least the second if not third chain. So inspect the chain carefully, the front/rear sprockets for wear/hooking etc.

I tend to use Castrol chain wax. A scott oiler is a very good extra. but not practical for my bike, hence the spray which gets used at the end of a ride onto a warm chain

[Craig380]

I like Silkolene spray chain lube (not wax). However, I always apply it by brush, rather than spraying straight onto the chain. I just squirt a bit into the cap from the can, then use a 1-inch brush to paint it onto the inside of the chain with the back end on a paddock stand, so I can spin the wheel easily. The can of lube lasts much longer, and brushing it on works it between the plates and rollers nicely without making the chain stupidly sticky & gummy.

However, my bike's strictly a weekend / sunny day toy, so that's pretty much ideal conditions for chain life ...

Thanks for your input, I've been looking at the brushes that are marketed as chain brushes to get at it from all angles (possibly even 2, 1 to get the bulk of the dirt off then 1 that stays a bit cleaner to finish it off better)

It's done 22k miles and I think this is it's second chain which I replaced along with the sprockets about 500 miles ago so they're all good. I probably should have looked into this before replacing it all tbh though.

So you'd say that lube sprays are alright?

I've heard about people spraying paint into the cap and brushing it on to use it in a more controlled manner and use less so it makes sense to do it with chain lube.

Is this another thing where everyone has different opinions so you can't really say that one thing is better than another? Haha

[Biker Biggles]

Old engine oil.Free and effective.I never bother to clean the chain and my last sv one did about 24000 miles.

[Nutsinatin]

Paraffin is great for cleaning chains, a 4L bottle is less than a tenner and will last years, although I use Tescos value toothbrushes as they are 18p a pair - use them once and then bin them (use them to clean other bits of the bike as well). As for lube the I have a Scottoiler (higher initial outlay than a tin of lube but 500ml lasts me about 5000 miles) but I've previously used wurth dry chain lube. Good stuff in the dry that picks up very little dirt and lasts for about 300 miles between applications. Silkolene sell a 'Maintain' lube that's okay for all weathers and doesn't fling much but their 'Race' version is very thin so washes off in rain, flings everywhere, requires constant re application and is generally pants. Not found a good lube for wet weather/winter other than Scottoil.

[Craig380]

Definitely use different brushes to clean & lube the chain. I just use old paintbrushes 'cos I'm cheap.

Engine oil is an excellent lube too, and I've used it before. The reason I prefer chain lube is that goes on thin but dries stickier as the solvent evaporates so it stays on a bit longer.

[Fen Tiger]

A cost effective alternative to a Scottoiler is a Loobman. Gravity fed like the Scottoiler but operated by a button press instead of a vacuum source. Can be filled with your choice of oil. Scottoil works well in the Loobman but cheap engine oil ok too. Have a look at their website for more detail. I went for a Scottoiler on my SV because I think it is easier to find a convenient place to mount the reservoir.
If you don't want to fit an oiler I would use EP 90 or EP80/90 dribbled sparingly onto the inside of the chain every 200 miles or so. Smelly, but the right oil.