I've never oiled a chain before.......

[Skidavi]

What is the best way to oil a chain?

In all honesty, my old bike, I used to spray on some WD-40.
Is there spray greese, or is it something that needs to be gooped on.

Any help is appreciated.
and don't freak out, I haven't had the bike that long.

[mhaythor]

In the way old days, they used to say to soak a rag in motor oil and rub it generously all over. That's not the way to go now

Start at a bike shop and look at some of your options. There are a number of 'no fly off' brands available.

I kinda like Silkolene chain lube, although some people still like 'chain wax' The 'wax' is applied by first riding a few miles to warm the chain, then you either put the bike on the center stand or on paddock stands and spin the wheel slowly and spray from the 'inside' - the side opposite the sprocket. I think you'll find the best clearance from that side, though you can also spray from directly behind the bike (you do want to coat the sides of the chain though). The 'wax' then solidifies as the chain cools. I still like the sticky grease, it just seems like it will protect better.

My understanding of WD-40 or motor oil is that the stuff will really just make dirt/sand get stuck all over the chain, potentially damaging it. You'd do better with a bike shop 'O-ring safe' chain lube. The only one I didn't like was PJ or PJB, this really stick blue stuff. I just found it to fly off and goop-up on my frame, and it's [intentionally] a bear to get off.

[j98sprint]

This could easily turn into an "I like this" or "I like that" thread because there are so many chain lubes to choose from. Mhaythor is right, there are lots of options. To be honest, most of them do the job.

Just spray it down with WD-40 and wipe it off with a rag to get the crud off. Or brush on kerosene and then rag it off to clean it. Both ways work.

Then spray it down with chain lube. Don't over do it but make sure you hit ALL of the o-rings.

j98sprint

[Sprintster]

most modern chains are o-ring type chains and don't require a lot of maintenance. but most old-time riders (like me!) just can't help ourself and we diligently maintain the chain anyway. i think it helps make the sprockets last longer.

the first thing to know is that WD-40 is NOT a lubricant. it is a solvent. it is great for cleaning your chain, but does nothing to lube it. here is what i do:

1) put the bike up on the centerstand and start the engine. let it warm up a bit, then put the bike in gear at idle and let the engine spin the rear wheel. spray a good coat of WD-40 on it as it spins.

2) while the motor is still spinning the wheel, i use a parts brush to clean it, allowing the motor to spin the sprocket as the brush wipes both the inner and outer chain run. BE CAREFUL not to get your fingers close to the chain/sprocket! it would be very easy to lose a finger ...

3) take the bike out of gear and stop the engine.

4) wipe down the chain with a rag. also, wipe as much grime and lube as you can off the back sprocket.

5) at this point i detail the wheels and usually the rest of the bike while waiting for the excess WD-40 to evaporate.

6) start the engine again and snick it into gear, allowing the wheel to spin. while it's spinning i spray on high-stick chain lube. i like PJ-1. get a good coat on it.

7) take the bike out of gear and turn off the engine.

8) let the lube dry for about 15 minutes then lightly wipe off the excess with a rag sprayed with WD-40.

[Skidavi]

Thanks for the help,
I successfully lubed the chain last week.
Of course, the good always comes with bad.

After cleaning the grime off, and lubing I decided to clean the whole bike.
While scrubbing the wheels, I needed to get the portion of the front wheel that was behind the fender. So..... I push the bike off the center stand to roll it forward. Keep in mind, my driveway is not perfectly flat so over the trident went.
I irony is I was telling someone that morning that its amazing I've never dropped it, as it is pretty heavy. Well, now its down.
Fortunately, all I did was crach the turn signal and scratch the engine casing, as well as the muffler. Could have been worse.
Except thats the kind of damage that you only get if you run your car into a wall or something.
stupid stupid stupid.

At least your stationary drop was in the driveway... I *thought* I had mastered putting the bike directly onto the centerstand, before I got the new sidestand bracket. Took it down to the bar to show it off to some friends, rolled up onto the sidewalk in front, & dropped it in front of a bunch of people. D'oh!

On a serious note, check your coolant level. Mine lost a lot when it went over.

As far as oiling the chain goes, I bought a $40 semi-automatic Loobman chain oiler just after I got the bike. Fill with heavy gear oil, squeeze for 3 seconds, then ride. It's very easy & I love it, though I think I'm going to back off to using every other fill-up instead of every fill-up: my chain guard has been leaking a little bit lately.

Cheers,
-Kit