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What Chain Lube To Use?


fonque

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I recall decades ago, Dirt Bike magazine did a test of different chain lubes. This included a temperature reading after using the chain lube, WD-40 was waaaay low on the list of good lubricants. The chain ran extremely hot with WD-40. A lot of the specific "no fling" brands did really good and if memory serves me right, PJ1 Blue label was high up on the list. Of course this IS several decades ago, so formulas and players may have changed but as a lubricant WD-40 isn't one of the best, but does great for cleaning the chain, especially after washing your bike, it's water displacement properties is good for getting water out of the links.

Unfortunately I'd be hard pressed to find the article as I don't have my old stack of magazines anymore and this was way before the digital age! As what was said before, keeping it clean and lubed with (insert your brand here) is the key to longer chain life. Which reminds me, my bikes over due for a wash and lube session.

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I recall decades ago, Dirt Bike magazine did a test of different chain lubes. This included a temperature reading after using the chain lube, WD-40 was waaaay low on the list of good lubricants. The chain ran extremely hot with WD-40. A lot of the specific "no fling" brands did really good and if memory serves me right, PJ1 Blue label was high up on the list. Of course this IS several decades ago, so formulas and players may have changed but as a lubricant WD-40 isn't one of the best, but does great for cleaning the chain, especially after washing your bike, it's water displacement properties is good for getting water out of the links.

Unfortunately I'd be hard pressed to find the article as I don't have my old stack of magazines anymore and this was way before the digital age! As what was said before, keeping it clean and lubed with (insert your brand here) is the key to longer chain life. Which reminds me, my bikes over due for a wash and lube session.

I use DuPont teflon chain lube (the old formula blue can and now the yellow can) because it dries clear and has good ratings. I do use WD-40 to clean the chain sometimes, mainly because kerosene isn't readily available locally, nor is the DuPont chain cleaner in the red can. I posted the WD-40 info because the website says it's safe to clean the chain and because WD-40 as a lube is better than nothing.

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I recall decades ago, Dirt Bike magazine did a test of different chain lubes. This included a temperature reading after using the chain lube, WD-40 was waaaay low on the list of good lubricants. The chain ran extremely hot with WD-40. A lot of the specific "no fling" brands did really good and if memory serves me right, PJ1 Blue label was high up on the list. Of course this IS several decades ago, so formulas and players may have changed but as a lubricant WD-40 isn't one of the best, but does great for cleaning the chain, especially after washing your bike, it's water displacement properties is good for getting water out of the links.

Unfortunately I'd be hard pressed to find the article as I don't have my old stack of magazines anymore and this was way before the digital age! As what was said before, keeping it clean and lubed with (insert your brand here) is the key to longer chain life. Which reminds me, my bikes over due for a wash and lube session.

I remember PJ1 Blue Label. Very heavy stuff, so no wonder it rated well.

It was also a dirt magnet, which was a nightmare in a place with so much filth as NYC.

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I was picked to test Motul's new Chain Paste and after 1400 miles I
believe it's the smartest product on the market and the right solution
everyone has been looking to *properly* lube their chain and sprockets
because it brushes a layer of white grease like from the factory that
clings with no flings...

Motul Chain Paste... squeeze the white grease from the tube and load
the brush...
MotulChainPaste2_zpsb22b6b29.jpg

Hold the loaded brush to the inside of the chain rollers to transfer
the white grease...
[MotulChainPaste5_zps08669024.jpg

After a couple of spins of the chain it's lubed like from the
Factory...
MotulChainPaste1_zps9b86300d.jpg

Motul Chain Paste clings with no flings...
MotulChainPaste3_zpsbe8c4652.jpg
MotulChainPaste4_zpsad4f43ed.jpg

I wish to thank my new friend Joey / Motul Manager for the opportunity
to participate in their free trial offer... I'm sold...
MrRC45Joey1_zps57c06579.jpg

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I was picked to test Motul's new Chain Paste and after 1400 miles I believe it's the smartest product on the market and the right solution everyone has been looking to *properly* lube their chain and sprockets because it brushes a layer of white grease like from the factory that clings with no flings...

Funny that you posted this because I forgot that I bought some of this to throw in my tool pack. I used it once and threw it in my tool pack for using when on the road. Seems like good stuff.
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WD-40, great for noisy hinges, cleaning and darkening black plastic things, removing stickers and goo, etc. It is AWFUL for O / X ring chains. As a penetrating oil it dilutes the grease inside the links and allows it escape past the ring, defeating the whole purpose of the design. I know many on here swear by it, however, it is a chain killer. I used various "chain waxes" for years and they seemed to work fine. I switched to the DuPont products 3-4 years ago and they seem to work fine as well, they are Very well reviewed and at Walmart it costs about half of the "Powersport Brands"(Motul, Maxxis, etc.) The current version of the Dupont product, Chain Saver, IS a bit "wetter" but it does not make a mess of the bike. It lasts relatively long, 300-500 miles and goes on easily.

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WD-40, great for noisy hinges, cleaning and darkening black plastic things, removing stickers and goo, etc. It is AWFUL for O / X ring chains. As a penetrating oil it dilutes the grease inside the links and allows it escape past the ring, defeating the whole purpose of the design. I know many on here swear by it, however, it is a chain killer. I used various "chain waxes" for years and they seemed to work fine. I switched to the DuPont products 3-4 years ago and they seem to work fine as well, they are Very well reviewed and at Walmart it costs about half of the "Powersport Brands"(Motul, Maxxis, etc.) The current version of the Dupont product, Chain Saver, IS a bit "wetter" but it does not make a mess of the bike. It lasts relatively long, 300-500 miles and goes on easily.

My lifelong mechanic father's penetrating oil is a concoction of kerosene and motor oil in an old Palmolive squeeze bottle. It works better than PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, WD-40 penetrant, etc. Kerosene has volatiles that "penetrate" just fine. The problem with o-rings isn't the penetrant, it's the decomposition affect a chemical may have on it, or else kerosene would "wash away the lube inside the o-rings" just like anything else. Kerosene and WD-40 (which is mostly a Stoddard Solvant/Mineral Spirits type chemical), etc. do not harm o-rings but they both will penetrate the crap out of stuff.

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Since they changed the recipe for the DuPont spray chain wax, I've had good luck with the Cycle Gear Moto Pro stuff (Moly and Teflon). One of my riding bodies swears by the CRC white lithium grease spray from Walmart-less than $4.

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I was picked to test Motul's new Chain Paste and after 1400 miles I

believe it's the smartest product on the market and the right solution

everyone has been looking to *properly* lube their chain and sprockets

because it brushes a layer of white grease like from the factory that

clings with no flings...

Motul Chain Paste... squeeze the white grease from the tube and load

the brush...

MotulChainPaste2_zpsb22b6b29.jpg

Hold the loaded brush to the inside of the chain rollers to transfer

the white grease...

[MotulChainPaste5_zps08669024.jpg

After a couple of spins of the chain it's lubed like from the

Factory...

MotulChainPaste1_zps9b86300d.jpg

Motul Chain Paste clings with no flings...

MotulChainPaste3_zpsbe8c4652.jpg

MotulChainPaste4_zpsad4f43ed.jpg

I wish to thank my new friend Joey / Motul Manager for the opportunity

to participate in their free trial offer... I'm sold...

MrRC45Joey1_zps57c06579.jpg

Look interesting esp for touring. How many uses do you think you'll get out of a tube? Unfortunately, I just restocked up on a few cans of Maxima Chain wax.

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I purchased this based on the reviews and found it to be all that they said it is. Clean, no fling and lasts. The best I've ever used and I have been riding for 34 years.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/liquid-performance-chain-lube/

post-24160-0-75661500-1445478766.jpg

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Figured I throw this in for giggles.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/chain-lube-101

I really wish I could find that chain lube test article, they really went all out. Even though the test was done quite a while ago, it really showed the length they went to to come up with what was good and bad about the lubricants.

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  • 2 months later...

I was picked to test Motul's new Chain Paste and after 1400 miles I

believe it's the smartest product on the market and the right solution

everyone has been looking to *properly* lube their chain and sprockets

because it brushes a layer of white grease like from the factory that

clings with no flings...

Motul Chain Paste... squeeze the white grease from the tube and load

the brush...

MotulChainPaste2_zpsb22b6b29.jpg

Hold the loaded brush to the inside of the chain rollers to transfer

the white grease...

[MotulChainPaste5_zps08669024.jpg

After a couple of spins of the chain it's lubed like from the

Factory...

MotulChainPaste1_zps9b86300d.jpg

Motul Chain Paste clings with no flings...

MotulChainPaste3_zpsbe8c4652.jpg

MotulChainPaste4_zpsad4f43ed.jpg

I wish to thank my new friend Joey / Motul Manager for the opportunity

to participate in their free trial offer... I'm sold...

MrRC45Joey1_zps57c06579.jpg

I think there is a seismic shift in the Earth's crust. I actually agree with a BLS post - first time for everything.

I also got a tube (it's like a toothpaste sized - maybe a bit larger) of Motul chain paste. It's really good. I think you'd get 4-5 applications and it absolutely does not attract anything, add colour or white film like waxy ones, and is about the same price - about $12-15 per tube. Really good stuff. They have onroad and offroad varieties. Worth a try!

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Another video from motorcyclist magazine regarding chain maintenance, more specifically, myth busting of the dangers of WD-40. and o-rings.

http://tinyurl.com/hdzqjog

I think the ongoing discussions of WD-40 on O-ring changes may have distorted the nature of the issue. I don't really recall anyone claiming that WD-40 would directly harm the O-rings. The issue was that WD-40, which is a terrific solvent with remarkable capillary qualities, while efficiently washing crud from your chain would also wash the OEM's lubricant out from within the chambers created by the O-rings and end up reducing the life of the O-rings and the chain due to lack of lubrication.

For that video to be worth the time I wasted watching it, it needs an in-use chain life test with scientifically controlled real-life conditions applied following the use of WD-40 versus other maintenance products, i.e. rain, puddles of dirty water, blowing beach sand, urban airborne pollution, demolition and construction grit, etc.

And Henning makes it clear that WD-40 is not a lubricant.

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Another video from motorcyclist magazine regarding chain maintenance, more specifically, myth busting of the dangers of WD-40. and o-rings.

http://tinyurl.com/hdzqjog

I think the ongoing discussions of WD-40 on O-ring changes may have distorted the nature of the issue. I don't really recall anyone claiming that WD-40 would directly harm the O-rings. The issue was that WD-40, which is a terrific solvent with remarkable capillary qualities, while efficiently washing crud from your chain would also wash the OEM's lubricant out from within the chambers created by the O-rings and end up reducing the life of the O-rings and the chain due to lack of lubrication.

For that video to be worth the time I wasted watching it, it needs an in-use chain life test with scientifically controlled real-life conditions applied following the use of WD-40 versus other maintenance products, i.e. rain, puddles of dirty water, blowing beach sand, urban airborne pollution, demolition and construction grit, etc.

And Henning makes it clear that WD-40 is not a lubricant.

I posted the link because I know some of us use WD-40 as a cleaner and some even use it as a lubricant, which it is not (as stated in the video) and this was to show that it is a viable chain cleaner. Although not on this forum, one of the others that I frequent, a member went as far as to say that WD-40 rusted his chain! The main part of WD-40 that has me prefer it as a cleaner is its water displacement properties. Since I usually wash my bike using mild soap and water, I will give the chain a good dose of WD to help clean and displace any water.

I really wish one of the motorcycling publications would do a chain lube shoot out again. The one I referred to earlier in this thread was great, albeit it was done more than 20 years ago, but was pretty informative. Not only did they test all of the different name brand lubes, the also included the oldie but goodies, 3in1 Oil, WD-40, gear oil and if memory serves me right, even transmission fluid. They would run the bike with the lube and then take temperature readings and other data.

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1 hour ago, tbillyjoe said:

Nobody reads the owners manual? It says 90W gear oil! And it's cheap.

What?! Break a major man rule and read the manual? Besides, we don't hear you until you've done an intro post...with pics of course. Welcome Aboard BTW.

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2 hours ago, tbillyjoe said:

Nobody reads the owners manual? It says 90W gear oil! And it's cheap.

Jeez - first post?  -- A bunch of us group of guys on this forum is probly the most tech savy motorcycle geeks of any forum on the planet. 

Me - virgin olive oil of course....(as Duc said start a new thread and post up your bike. Welcome.)

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On October 17, 2015 at 0:11 PM, MaxSwell said:

Also, this is what the owners manual calls for. See pages 135 - 141 for complete chain care recommendations, including how to clean (and not clean) the chain. Solvents NOT recommend to clean an o-ring chain.

 

Why do you have to be so logical??  ; )

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Chain wax, apply on warm chain and wipe off excess. It is much cleaner and easier to wipe off the rims with WD40

_Chain_Wax.jpg

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