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Chain Oiler debate


Skids

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On 11/14/2020 at 10:17 PM, BusyLittleShop said:

Hiya Skids

Helpful facts to ponder... auto oilers lube only the external roller and
between the roller and the sprockets (red area in my drawing)... they
do not lube the X rings nor behind the X rings so any oil applied
in that effort is wasted fling off... The running oil leak lowers the
operating temp where the factory installed grease has a chance to live
longer before the first adjustment

Mine does lube the X-rings and keeps them clean so they last longer wich helps in  keeping moisture and other contaminants outside and the factory grease inside. Also I don't think a single drop of oil every 4 miles cools the chain down by any measurable amount. Chains don't get that hot that it affects the longevity of the grease anyway.

I replace my chain shortly after the first adjustment. That is when it has done about 70.000 km in varying weather conditions.

 

On 11/15/2020 at 12:30 AM, Sparkie said:

TBD.  I've heard double the price of a normal chain.    But if it performs as advertised, I can't wait!

Correct. Here the regular chain for the S1000XR/RR is €138, the endurance chain is €268.

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2 hours ago, V4 Rosso said:

 Chains don't get that hot that it affects the longevity of the grease anyway.

 

Chains do get that hot and heat affects the longevity of the factory installed grease...

107ChainTemp.JPG

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2 hours ago, V4 Rosso said:

 That is when it has done about 70.000 km in varying weather conditions.

 

 

Post a photo of the critical pin and roller junction and you'll see that your chain was pretty on the outside and wearing metal to metal on the inside...

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21 hours ago, BusyLittleShop said:

Chains do get that hot and heat affects the longevity of the factory installed grease...

107ChainTemp.JPG

107F? That's about ambient temperature in southern Europe. I guess it's the same for California during the summer months?

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Riveted vs Linked.

From ANSI roller chain tech documents, a slip fit chain is 20% weaker than the riveted chain. Some chain designs it's less. Have to look at technical details from the MFG.

 

 

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The last chain I saw that used a clip-type master link, also was a very tight fit. Basically the side link

had to be pressed on just like a riveted master link. There was no "slip fit", like the old clip-style

master links I've seen, and used in the past.

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Hate to say it, but for all the bling-gotta have it-add on enthusiasts - in my experience following the chain and motorcycle manufacturers maintenance instructions actually works.  Yes, a chain needs to be cleaned every so often. So do it.  And it needs a LITTLE lubrication (90W gear oil - not engine oil, fish oil, toothpaste, chain wax, CRC, silicon spray or olive oil) for the purpose of lubing the external plates and keeping them from going rusty.

I was nearly drawn into the chain oiler money waste prior to a 20,000km jaunt around Europe and the Western Sahara on a Transalp.  And 30,000km around Australia on another Transalp - mostly red roads and 4WD tracks. Hmmm....sand and sticky oil residue.  Sounds like a great base for a valve lap abrasive.  Over that distance I consumed perhaps 20ml of gear oil. Clean well. Lube each plate/pin junction with a TOUCH of oil. Rotate a few times to distribute, then WIPE OFF all excess.  OMG! That sounds amazingly close to what is recommended!

Ok, I'm just your average Joe with a few years on two wheels.  Along my way I met up with a French dude who had competed in the Paris-Dakar (yeah, the one between Paris France and Dakar Senegal (that's in Africa for the geographically impaired) twice as a privateer on a KTM.  Morocco to Senegal was almost 100% off road and predominantly sand. I asked about chain maintenance in such extreme conditions (sand, competition, abrupt on-off throttle, extended periods of full power).  He took me downstairs to his garage to look at his old KTM.  It had sat idle/as a monument? after nearly completing his last P-D (broken con rod almost in sight of the finish).  We looked at the chain - clean, dry of any oil residue and still nice and tight fitting around the sprocket.  His mechanic's daily maintenance protocol for the chain? Thorough clean, minimal gear oil lubrication, wipe clean of residue. No auto chain oilers, no chain wax, no miracle molybdenum super non-throw chain lube.

Brave man if you're considering punting a VFR around any P-D - but it serves as a real world example.

 

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11 hours ago, Kiwiwannafly said:

His mechanic's daily maintenance protocol for the chain? Thorough clean, minimal gear oil lubrication, wipe clean of residue.

...

Brave man if you're considering punting a VFR around any P-D - but it serves as a real world example.

It's no P-D stage but I do commute on my bike and when I get home have never found those mechanics waiting to service the chain on my bike. And after a days work I am not so keen on doing it myself every day. That's why I have a chain oiler, not for the "bling or "got to have it add on"

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I use ordinary engine oil in the Chain Saw (Bar Oil).

 

I have used Gear Oil in the Auto-Oiler, it works, but Gear Oil smells.

And it still flings off, (I have a speed problem, right wrist control).

Worst, the Gear Oil is Very difficult to wash off.  If I handle the bike before cleaning (most of the time), it then gets everywhere, including me.

I even doubled the size of the Chain Guard, still get oil splash (at speed).

I've back'd up to using 15W40, out of the 19Liter pail I gots for the Ol'BattleStar (oil burner).

When that runs out I'm going to 20W50.

Ordinary Engine Oil works fine and I can "lube" the chain while still riding by just turning a knob.

When chain looks happy, I turn it OFF till needed again.

Engine oil Power Washes OFF easy.

 

I used to turn oiling UP on Gravel Roads, keep it wet, but I could empty the 50ml supply in 1 day.

Now I let it run dry and "oil ON" when I get back to pavement.

 

Sport Bike?,,.. I manually lube with Chain Wax Spray (if needed).

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  • 1 month later...
On 11/18/2020 at 1:31 AM, BusyLittleShop said:

 

Post a photo of the critical pin and roller junction and you'll see that your chain was pretty on the outside and wearing metal to metal on the inside...

I found this old pic I once took of a link (on the left, next to a new connecting link) I removed when cutting the old chain. Looks quite OK to me. I will try to remember to get some more measurements (e.g. of the rollers) the next time I swap the chain. This can take some time as the current one still has at least 50K in it 😉

 

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