Chain lube/cleaning
 

Ok folks i sprayed my chain in castrol chain wax for the first time since i got the bike last night.

Having never owned a bike before im pretty clueless as to what im doing. So i just lathered it in the stuff. (about half a can) Nowthen ive since had a look on thetinterweb and discovered i should have cleaned it? Ok fair enough but it wasnt that dirty. But how critical is this....

Nowthen i work in engineering and deal with o-rings a fair bit. I see the chain has an oring in it. Now imo an o ring is is assembled with the greese behind it. How can i hope to lubricate it with chainwax? Also if i use a cleaning solvent wont this damage the orings by making them brittle over time?

Im interested to the bet way of doing this. Also i dont have a paddock stand so much wheeling back and forth (of a fecking steep hill) any ways to do it easier?

Cheers
Andy.

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

get a paddock stand, much easier...

when you "lube" your chain, you're not actually lubricating the rollers, the chain has lube inside it being contained by the seals, what you're doing is maintaining the effectiveness of the seals, once they start to deteriorate the chain will start to die

i use an automatic oiler on my SV, on the supermotos it's wurth dry chain lube all the way, excellent stuff. before applying try and get the chain as clean as possible with parrafin (buy a big bottle from a DIY store, it's also good for cleaning crap off wheels)

edit: and just in case the thought occured, don't for the love of god try and lube the chain while the engine is spinning the back wheel, guy in the states lost a couple of digits for that one

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

AndyBrad. If you stand on the side stand with your left foot and reach over the bike to the right hand side pillion foot rest and lean back the back wheel will lift off the ground enabling you with your right hand to spin the wheel. Just be careful not to lean too far.

I recently cleaned and lubed my chain for the first time. Used Paraffin with a toothbrush to degrease my very very grimy chain. Then took it out for a quick spin to warm the chain up then with a rag saturated in chain lube started working on the chain.

I followed instructions for a fellow orger on another cleaning and lubing my chain post. so hopefully it was right. But now I can actually see metal on my chain. I was beginning to think it was made out of grime.

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

cool....sounds like a good tip gonna try this!!!

Mr wolf.....a question if i may?.....

when i clean the chain with paraffin (a soaked rag) the rag hits the rear tyre and i often get a little bit of parrafin on the tyre is this somethin to worry about or not really???....
also....didnt think of using parrafin on the wheels....gonna try this (on a rag again...) rather than wd40 as thats bloody hard work when its not been done for a while!..again should i worry if a bit drips down onto the tyre??...

thanks!!!!

Dappa D
:smt070-------------:santa:

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

you probably don't want to bathe your rubber in it, but a few smears/drops haven't done my tyres any harm it seems, get a rag soaked with a bit and get cleaning, then hose it off and it won't take a sec to get your wheels sparkly and clean. if you get a big spillage on your tyre you could probably remove a lot of it with hot soapy water

don't use WD40 on mine so can't comment

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

Also when you lube the chain, do it when the bike has been for a run and its all warmed up... So if you have done 100 or so total miles since the last lube, when you get back. Should only need a little bit...
When I did mine by hand I did it ever 100 miles, little and often. Now I have a Scottoiler I tend to almost forget about it all together.

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

I got cheapo stands (and a free seat) here => http://www.busters-accessories.co.uk...paddock+stands

OK they may not be the best quality, but they lift the bike up, so that's kinda the point right?

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

Yep, lift it and then not drop it.

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

Do you think those paddock stands would work on a slope?

Re: Chain lube/cleaning
 

this is good stuff!!!

been putting of giving the sv a proper clean for about a month now as I wanna do a proper job but it takes hours...mainly the wheels to be fair...wd40...oil based degreeser...water based degreeser...soap and water....hose...chamie(?)...polish...buff...autoso l....buff.......im nakered just typing it lol!!!

however...mrs away on hen weekend......baby at grandparents all weekend....and parafin on the wheels sounds very easy:-)

have tried muc off...didnt rate it compared to my method above...

any good recommendations on best way to clean bike?....

grinch...howdy fella, been cleaning and oiling my chain after every clean as a matter of course.....(usually once a fortnight) in my head im thinking it needs doing as maybe me washing it has got water on the chain / removed the oil.... but now i think about it this doesnt really make sense as i dont oil it after every time it rains...(would be every day in this bloody country!)..gonna use ur method....

cheers guys....