Triumphrat

OK, now I take very good care of my 2002 Bonnie, but I do park it in the street, albeit covered.

I was out of town for a few weeks, and some bastard stole my cover. During this time, the bike sat in quite a few long periods of rain. I keep the chain well maintained, but I returned to find it covered in rust spots! I am assuming this is due to exposure coupled with lack of use.
I am looking for advice on whether to work on cleaning the chain (and tips on removing the rust) or at this point should I replace it? It would be a shame, as it has only 2400 miles on it.

Any input is appreciated.

P.S. Always lock your bike AND your cover!!

Will

As long as the chain doesn't stretch to the point you have to adjust it every time you lube it, it is OK. The other sign of chain distress is tight spots. If you don't have either of those problems, I wouldn't worry much about a little superficial orange.

__________________
Will
It's a squid thing. You wouldn't understand.
SponsorHouse profile

Slinky

It should be fine, it's probably only surface rust on the rollers. Lube it & ride it and the rust will disappear.

__________________
"You can't fly with the eagles if you keep scratching with the turkeys."

Jcatbert

Mine does that when it sits after a few days, even if it's covered. I spray mine with WD-40, heavier on the rusted areas, then wipe it dry. Next take it for a spin to heat up the chain. Then wipe it and apply your chain lube of choice. Let it dry 10-15 minutes before riding.

__________________
Jerry V. - Northern NJ

stevent

Mine has 21k on it and still good. When chains are worn out they get a redish dust-like film on them, need adjusting every few hundred miles and at low speeds the bike will be real jerky from the tight spots.

Triumph recomends putting a weight in the middle of the chain to measure stretch but an eaiser way is to try'n pull the chain straight back off the rear sprocket. Any significant amount means the pins are wearing down, but you'll be able to tell by adjustment intervals more than anything.

For you, I would soak the chain down in a good penetrating oil like WD40, CRC or YIELD, let it sit for a while then ride the bike to fling it all off. After you're done spray it with a good chain lube like ProHonda or something and you're good to go. :-D

[ This message was edited by: stevent on 2004-07-27 08:56 ]

__________________
stevent....."May the Goddess turn the hearts of those who hate us, if not their hearts then turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping..."

Jhumphrey

At 2400 miles theres hardly anything wrong with that chain. What your looking at is surface rust. As was posted previous, clean the chain, ride the bike the heat the chain up some, then apply lube of your choice. I would recommend chain wax or other high quality lubricant.