Does anyone have recommendations for chain lube?

Ask 20 bikers and you'll likely get 10 different recommendations and another 10 being smug about having belt drive or shaft drive bikes.

I used Motul chain paste when I lubed my chain today. It's clean and easy to apply (the squeezy tube has a built in applicator brush) and it doesn't fling off onto the wheel or back of the bike. It takes maybe 3 minutes more than using a spray lube but the cleanliness is worth it.

Before I discovered Motul C5 chain paste I had good resuls with Putoline DX11 spray. It was recommended by my local motorcycle mechanic who uses Putoline spray on customers' bikes because it's quick to use and effective ... and he isn't worried about cleaning the fling later.

Whatever product you use, its best to warm the chain with a ride first then after lubing don't ride for several hours until solvents have evaporated.

 

Ask 20 bikers and you'll likely get 10 different recommendations and another 10 being smug about having belt drive or shaft drive bikes.

LOL Yep!

I use a ScottOiler and whatever oil came with the unit. I honestly don't know anything about that oil except that it's blue and oily. Like @1peter said, you are oiling it just to keep surface rust away. The chains are sealed to keep grease in. If the seal keeps the grease in, it will also keep whatever oil you spray on it out!

Pick the lube you want to use and don't worry. All of the major brands are fine.

 

Oiling the chain every time you fill the tank is definitely not neccessary...If you do the research you will find that you only need to lube a chain to keep surface rust away, help with sprocket wear & keep the o'rings in good nick so they can do their job properly (by keeping the chain sealed)...Chains are a sealed unit & are self lubricating so even if you never lube your chain it would still go on happily doing its job for thousands of kms until the o'rings eventually dried up and started allowing moisture to get in...Most people dont understand this & completely "over lube their chain" which just ends up creating a mess because the lube will fling off all over your wheel & provide absolutely nothing to the life of your chain ! After trying Motul, Maxima chain wax & just about every other brand on the market I have found that Honda chain lube "with Molly" is excellent because - 1. It does not fling off at all if used sparingly - 2. Is not tacky so won't collect grime - 3. Keeps rust away & 4. You can ride soon after applying it without any issue...But, you can use just about anything imo...WD40 is fine, 80/90 weight gear is great, etc, etc, and regardless of what you use, the idea is to put very little on the chain whenever you notice it is getting a bit dry, then wipe off any excess so the chain has a very very light coating...To clean the chain I usually damp a rag with kerosene and spin the back wheel (by hand) while holding the rag around the chain...This is usually enough to clean it, but every now and then I might use a soft tooth brush & do the job properly...but the last time I can remember being bothered was probably around june 1995 & i have never had a chain wear out prematurely.....

 

I'm not so sure about WD40 but some people just wipe the chain down with an oily rag.
DuPont Chain Saver is what I've been using, spray it on, let is sit a bit and wipe it off once every 1000 miles or so.

Be careful with cleaning chains, I destroyed one with a Grunge Brush and kerosene.
Won't be doing that again!

 

I'm not so sure about WD40 but some people just wipe the chain down with an oily rag.
DuPont Chain Saver is what I've been using, spray it on, let is sit a bit and wipe it off once every 1000 miles or so.

This is what I've been using on my 2015 S750 since it was new. Love the stuff. Original chain with 32000km still within spec and no kinking links.
For those that don't know, the WD in WD40 stands for water displacement. So it's probably a good product to use after riding in the rain or doing a bunch of water crossings if you dual-sport or adventure-ride.

 

I researched WD40 & many people use it as a lube with zero issues for the life of the chain, so I am pretty sure it is fine...And, after enough people started saying they were using it, WD40 released a product for chain lubrication...I wonder what is in the can, lol.. WD-40 Specialist Motorbike Chain Lubricant 400ml

 

I clean the chains on our Tigers with WD-40 sprayed on a rag and use Maxima chain wax. The chain on my wife's Tiger lasted 30000 miles.

 

I used to use Maxima but it is very sticky & attracts grime...You could just use the WD40 without worrying about the Maxima...Mind you, we could probably all use canola oil & our chains would be fine...

 

I use Bel Ray Super Clean Chain Lube. Doesn't attract dirt and doesn't fling lube all over the bike. I believe it's wax based with a solvent that flashes off after
it's applied. I wouldn't use anything else.

 

I also use the Belray Super Clean and did on my Ducati Monster 1100 Evo. Chain was still in good shape @ 15000 miles on the Duc when I sold it. Frequency: I've heard everything, so I try to lube it every 4 - 500 miles.
Anyone else using a brush to wipe the accumulated crud off? Minimal crud, but still

Also have friends who use nothing but WD 40 and have great results.

This conversation has more opinions than tires.

 

Here's the WD40 chain lube MSDS.
Maybe someone here could decipher better than I can?
What I see is lots of parrafin and it kills fish so does double duty as a shark repellant.

https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/items/coshh/88623.pdf

 

Great product for those who surf & ride motorcycles...

 

I've used WD40 on my chains since '95 when my '89 Hawk GT chain started "clinking" after using chain wax for a bit. That original chain lasted 44K miles before I noticed some links getting a bit stiff about 3 years ago. Sprockets looked virtually new with no noticeable wear. My 2014 FZ-09 original chain is at 14K miles and is going strong. Other bikes have fewer miles. I only have adjustment my chains once or twice every few thousand miles. Two disclaimers- I avoid riding in the rain as much as possible (pretty easy in California), and my bikes are all garaged so they have minimal exposure to the elements. Riding and doing my own maintenance/repairs since 1974.

 

Oiling the chain with every tank fill might give you a feeling of 'I'm looking after my new bike' but will soon get tiresome. Every few thousand miles should be sufficient.

I clean my chains with WD-40 or whatever similar light spray I have in the shed, wipe it down and follow up with a chain lube that doesn't fling off.

I use Motorex Road Strong. They make a small can for when touring that can be refilled from the larger can through a fitting in the bottom.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice!! Really appreciate it. Super helpful!!

 

Its what we do...give just enough mixed information so you walk away & have no clue as to what you should do next...Our work is done ! 😃

 

My tuppence worth..

You don't need to lube and clean your chain every tank fill. But...and there is always a big but..(No pun intended)

You need to be aware of your riding environment, so if you are riding/commuting daily in salty/dusty/sandy road conditions, then chain maintenance like cleaning should be done daily along with your pre ride safety checks using a light penetrating oil, wd 40 or acf 50 are both excellent products to use.

If like most riders I know, you tend to ride for pleasure and the road conditions are dry, and clear (no dust storms/sand dunes) and you don't ride in the winter when they salt the roads, using a thicker more sticky chain lube is fine, to be honest they all fling If you put too much on, even the non fling ones fling a bit.

Personally clean my chain every 500 miles, i use kerosene and a toothbrush, then dry it with an air line, apply a bit of ACF 50 by running the chain though a rag soaked in it, and then apply whatever chain lube I happen to have at the time, I don't apply it directly to the chain, I squirt a generous amount of lube into a microfiber cloth and run the chain through that a few times.

I

 

... clean my chain every 500 miles, i use kerosene and a toothbrush, then dry it with an air line, apply a bit of ACF 50 by running the chain though a rag soaked in it, and then apply whatever chain lube I happen to have at the time.

I'm curious: what additional benefit does ACF-50 provide over chain lube? And does ACF-50 pose any risk to the O rings in the chain, or risk to the original grease that the O rings are there to protect?

 

Interesting thread for me for 30 years I was one of the "smug ones" riding only shaft drive bikes, and the last time I lubed a chain (pre "O" ring chains) I melted a large can of wax lube on the cooker and dipped the chain in it then hung it up to drain the excess and let it "set".

 

Safety note - a few people have mentioned using a rag while spinning the rear wheel. Do NOT do this under engine power. If your hand gets caught somehow, fingers are going to go between the chain and sprocket. Picture that. Back when I wasn't as good at the "what could go wrong here" analysis, I could have seen myself doing this, that's why I'm stating what should be obvious. Spin the tire with the engine off.

I've been lubing chains regularly for years - especially since I had a chain start to ask for replacement when I was about 700 miles from home. My default interval is 300 miles, and I use Maxima chain wax. My interval is probably shorter than it needs to be, especially since like the California riders it's easy to always ride in great conditions when you live in the high desert. I really clean the chain every couple of thousand miles (when it looks like it needs it), but I add a little of the Maxima every 300-400 miles. The best way to do it is to get home from a ride, and lube the chain while it's warm. Then park it. Doing this with the Maxima, I get no fling off.

I once bought a cool clean and lube tool that had brushes and little lines in it like oil lines that were supposed to direct sprayed lube (using the little red tube lots of cans come with) right onto the o-rings. Never could get it to work right. Don't bother. Spray cans, rags and a toothbrush are all you need. I do have a piece of cardboard that's just the right size and length to hold behind the chain when I'm spraying the Maxima wax. That's helpful.

Now on to a question. I recently found myself with a seriously dirty chain. Did about 25 miles on a wet, muddy dirt road. Caked the underside of the bike (2014 EFI Scrambler), the whole oil cooler, the headers... You can imagine what the chain looked like. Didn't have the Maxima with me, so I bought some WD-40 and some Liquid Wrench White Lithium Grease. The label on the grease says "stays in place & prevents rust). I did a serious chain cleaning with the WD-40 and some rags and a brush with plastic bristles. The bike has been sitting for a day or two, and I'm wondering how much benefit if any the grease will offer. I'm thinking one last wipe to get any wipeable WD-40 off, then a very light spray of the lithium. Thoughts?

Yes, I'm overanalyzing. It's a forum, it's what we do.

 

You asked for thoughts, so -- Chain wax (like Maxima) will attract grime because it is sticky, so the more you use, the more grime you will have stick to your chain, and, why remove the WD40 from your chain when many bike owners use it "with complete success" as their only chain lube...As previously mentioned, chains are a sealed unit & do not rely on exterior lube for proper operation...So in reality, you could have cleaned your chain (which was covered in muck) & not applied any lube whatsoever, then ridden your bike for thousands of kms without it having any effect on the life of your chain...

 

 

My strategy has evolved over the years and it seems everything works if you do it often enough. Right now I wipe the chain thoroughly with paper towels every 500 miles of so until it looks shiny and clean. Maxima chain wax got a good rating in a comparison review especially for not flinging onto the rim. 90 weight gear oil is recommended by some chain manufacturers but flies off too easily. I mix maybe a half teaspoon of 90 weight with a heavy shot of Maxima in a small plastic container containing a small cloth maybe 3" x 3". That cloth is completely saturated. I spin the rear tire gripping the cloth around the chain until it is soaked with the mix. The excess is lightly wiped off the sideplates. I want the chain soaked so that if a seal leaks there's still enough lube to prevent wear. Works for me with very little fling on the rear rim and a wet looking chain that almost never needs adjusting. I repeat the drill every 250 - 300 miles.

 

@Itchytoe I think we can all agree there is always room for tounge in check sentiments when it comes to manufacturers claims.

🤣

 

@TMF Maxima chain wax i think I will try that.

Agreed with your sentiments, doing something is really what it's all about. Not necessarily the products themselves, it's 90 percent taking some form of action on preventative maintenance, and the 10 percent product i suppose.

 

Some facts about chain lube -- Notice WD40 (not the chain lube version) out-performed Belray with a total score of 14 from 22 compared to 13 from 22...Also notice Maxima had the lowest score possible of 1 from 8 regarding anti grit ability...

 

Interesting input, and maybe it's a matter of where you ride, but if Maxima was attracting grime on my bike I'd know it. It's not. When I'm at home (or plan better for a trip ) it's the chain lube for me.

And I'm not asking about putting Maxima over WD-40, I was talking about putting white lithium over the WD-40, or maybe more accurately after the WD-40.

 

Yes I understood your question, but because I used Maxima for a long time & noticed how much grime it attracted to my chain, I thought I would mention it...I also mentioned earlier that i now use Honda lube "with molly" & it seems far superior to me...but the comparrison above certainly shows that we are all just wasting money & should simply use gear oil...

 

Maxima Chain Wax, I’ve used it for 18 years. Put your bike on the center stand when the chain is warm, spray it on and let it set. It‘s a wax not oil so it doesn’t attract dirt and end up all over your wheel.

 

Check the test results in the video above regarding Maxima...If you have used Maxima continually for 18 years you might find that better chain lube has entered the market during that time...I was also a long time user of it but discovered there is better stuff around...

 

I am quite happy with the Maxima chain wax and never really noticed the dirt thing but watched the video as you suggested. I was impressed by the lubrication and rust prevention properties of Maxima but couldn’t understand how something that flings off the chain so easily could also pick up grit so well. I probably never noticed the grit thing because I generally clean my chain when it gets dirty and have always thought that might be the reason for the longevity. I may try something new even the Honda product you recommend, but can’t say that I am going to run down to my local Canadian Tire store and grab some Motomaster gear lube based on a review from a company that sells replacement chains. Unless, of course, I am going to ride an electric drill through a pink dessert !

Cheers,

 

I was impressed by the lubrication and rust prevention properties of Maxima but couldn’t understand how something that flings off the chain so easily could also pick up grit so well.

Cheers,

I found if you left Maxima on for a while before riding it didnt tend to fling off much at all...Also, it is probably similar to the SCP lube in the test above where they stated --
It showed a high initial fling, but then it didn’t spray off in the second fling test, indicating that if you don’t put too much on, it’ll give you much better results and it won’t keep spraying off the chain like gear oil and others. Remember, all the testing of corrosion protection, stickiness, cleaning and wear were done after the plates had been spun, so any excess was gone and the results were far more valid.