Chain and sprocket life

[peteinpa]

I use the Dupont chain lube, get it at Walmart. This stuff is clean, no fling off. At every fuel up at the end of the day (warm chain) I put an old pizza box against the wheel behind the chain and blast away. No mess, get it on the O-rings. 2 minutes tops. 

8500 miles so far on OEM chain. 1 adjustment since origional one from too tight when I got it used at 1k miles.

[Sunde]

11 hours ago, Wintersdark said:

That's an improperly set up oiler.  May as well argue that a picture of a guy with a rusted out chain and sprockets is what happens when you don't have an auto oiler.  

Both my bikes have oilers (Tutoro's) and neither are environmental disasters on wheels, neither makes a big mess.  If you're making a big mess with it, the flow rate is set way too high.  They're adjustable for a reason. 

Oilers aren't for everyone for sure.  If you're just riding in nicer conditions, and it's not particularly dusty where you live, or you're not riding a whole lot?  Not really worth the trouble.  If you really, really like chain maintenance, then have at it.  If I where a guy who just occassionally rides in the summer for fun, I'd not bother with an auto oiler either.

As a guy who rides 100 miles every two days year round excluding day rides and trips?  That's nuts.  I mean, how do you do that without getting dirty?  What are you doing with rags, oil, are you SUPER careful or do you wear gloves?  I've done it, before getting oilers - I ride in the winter, which means riding in literal brine, slush, snow, rain.  A chain that's not lubricated is a chain that's rusted, and you'll kill a chain in a single winter if you don't clean and lube it with extreme regularity.  Or you get an auto oiler, set it up correctly and forget about it, knowing you're going to get good chain life.  

But yeah, I'd argue, for most motorcyclists, they're probably not worth the trouble.  I'd also argue most motorcyclists are filthy casuals 😃

I'll say this: I've never, not once in my life, seen anyone do what you suggest on a trip.  Never.  I mean, it works for you and that's great, but you have to know you're the odd one there.  Sure, on a several thousand mile trip, a clean and lubing of chains happens a couple times, but on a 300 mile day ride?  Not once in 30+ years of riding have I seen anyone so much as wipe a chain.  And the people I ride with tend to be pretty maintenance focused and do take care of their bikes - mostly because we get rid of the people who don't, as they end up being problems on trips.

I never said i did it every 100 miles, so no idea why you are so hung up on that honestly. I just stated that its not a particuarly time consuming thing to do.

 And in MY experience auto oilers make a mess of bikes more so than my procedure.
I do it once a day when touring (if i ride all day) and it takes a couple of mins (i put on latex gloves), I dont find it a big hassle, if many of you guys find it so difficult then luckily there are plenty of other ways to maintain a chain.
Just a note on auto oilers.
All it can do is put lube onto existing lube(duh), but if it does not fling off the chain (in your case your bike is clean so it cant be flinging off) then logic must dictate that it sticks to the chain, which means dust and other abrasives also stick. Obviously this is fine as long as you wipe this off now and then. 
But at that point i personally dont see the huge gain over my own method. If i rode my bike in winter or for long distances every day, my view would probably be different. I dont see any other way of keeping the chain properly lubricated at that point. 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Sunde

[KrustyKush]

Back in the days of long distance traveling on chain drive bikes, I carried a small pump oil can filled with motor oil. This was before o-ring chains. I was a kid in my 20s and didn’t care what anyone thought about me squatting with a tiny oil can, looking like highway trash I suppose. It didn’t seem odd to me because, for instance, my fav bike of those days was a 2 stroke Suzuki water Buffalo. I was already carrying along a bottle of Castrol 2stroke oil for the gas mix! I traveled on that bike from Texas to Beloit WI on one fall trip, and back again, in five riding days, oiling the chain and sprockets every 100 miles or so. A couple years later with the bike at around 30k miles it still had the original chain and sprockets on it, admittedly worn out.

the chain is how power flows to the wheel.  I want it smooth and clean from day one to day dead. Don’t want to have to schlep around on a nasty noisy dry chain screaming for oil. I’ve considered an auto oiler. I may yet buy one. Based on my reading the oilers are not perfect and many days of messing with them required along the way. I figure the simplicity of hand oiling is the better way to go. For now. 

[2and3cylinders]

I have a Scott oiler on my VTR which is kind of worn out but I've got it tuned so it's not a big mess

 I mix my own chain lube made from Marvel mystery oil and chainsaw lube. I vary the ratio depending on operating temperature

 I also use on my FJ and other bikes Dupont chain and their thinner general purpose lube

 The new Dupont stuff does not use Teflon anymore they use some type of ceramic or something I can't remember off hand. I'd need to look at the can it comes in; a little screwtop 16 oz steel can I pour into squeeze bottles and atomizers.

Sometimes for + 500 mile rides and always when touring I have double ziploc bags with gloves, 1 small cotton and microfiber rags each in their own ziplock bag, the lube in a squeeze bottle with a narrow spout that takes a tight rubber cap, and a old toothbrush.  It takes about 5 minutes to set up, lube, brush in, wipe and clean up.  Maybe a bit longer because I'm old and decrepit and need something decent to kneel on.  Every 4 ~ 600 miles depending on weather.  I usually get 18 ~ 22000 out a 520, longer with a 525 and more still out of 530s.

 Also on the tour I carry a small spray bottle of Kerosene in its own ziploc bag, a couple small microfiber rags in their own ziploc bag, all in a bigger ziploc.

Then there is the Bodywork and shield cleaner, rags and polish in their own little bags in a master bag and spare sub bags. I use a foaming surficant cleaner and one of several anti-static cleaners/ protectorent / polish.  A little bottle of Sparkle with its own pair of small microfiber towels keeps the helmet shields and pinlock in tiptop condition for several years!

Compartmentalization is the key to cleanliness and godliness.

Can you say ADD and AR in ALL things?

 I carry tools and spares but never really need them; others have had the benefit of me carrying them but I always say, when you don't have them is when you need them.   Kind of like cops in reverse.

[maximo]

I am a chain/sprocket abuser. I hate cleaning/lubing with a passion, so I just don't do it. Well, the cleaning part anyway. I do have a bottle of spray lube in my saddlebag and whenever I remember, I'll spray some on while I'm stopped to rest on a ride. Could be weekly, monthly, or maybe never if I don't remember. 

I've replaced chains/sprockets at 5K miles, and none lasts more than 10K miles. I'll happily drop a couple of hundred here and there in exchange for not cleaning my chain. If I were tight on funds it'd be a different story, but I'm fortunate enough that this little bit of willful maltreatment doesn't hurt the pocketbook much.  And if it did, I'd get a paper route to fund the excessive changes. I'd rather do that than to clean and lube the chain. 

[Wintersdark]

Hah yeah, that's kind of my take prior to auto oiler life.  Chains are consumable and not hugely expensive.  If you're not riding in crazy environments like I do, it's pretty easy to get 10k out of an otherwise largely neglected chain.  If you're the sort to change them yourself... Eh.  *Shrugs*. It's not like you get a cookie for getting 25k out of a chain.

With regards to auto oilers yes, you want fling, but there's a point where it doesn't make a huge mess of your bike but does keep everything nice and clean, where the chain guard can catch everything.  Most fling happens at the sprockets, the front is enclosed but for the bottom and the rear goes backwards off the bike or into the chain guard.  

The trick is using a fairly thin oil. I prefer a mineral based hydraulic oil, as it's more environmentally friendly and totally clear.  It costs the sprocket and chain fully in a very thin layer of oil via capillary action.  Bits of dust and debris bind with a minimal amount of oil and fling off.  When it comes off, it's pretty much just mist, not drops, so it doesn't splash around.

If you're using used motor oil (commonly done in the past) it works but is obviously going to be messy.  Gear oil is too thick, so it builds up and flings off in drops, which then splatter around and make a huge mess.

[Rick123]

On 6/13/2022 at 10:10 PM, KrustyKush said:

It's been a long many years since I had a chain drive bike.  They've been shafts and belts for well over 20 years.  Going to chain on this bike was a bummer for me.  After a few days it dawned on me that the chain is going to be a big PITA.

For sure, oiling the chain out on the road is a PITA.  No it doesn't take long, but I like to sit while I oil, and sitting on the ground in my Stich seems a little undignified for a 73 y/o geezer.  OTOH, riding a motorcycle may also strike a lot of people as undignified, and yet I do it gladly.

At home, I will oil the chain most every day.  I ride average of 100 miles every day, so that's about how it works out.  I'm not much of a long distance rider any more, but I did a 1900 miler last week, and it worked out to about 200-250 miles between oiling.  That's once per day.  Usually in the parking lot at the motel.

While it may be a PITA, I get a certain joy out of making sure all is well back there.  Eyeballing every link, every day.  Tire, the wheel, other stuff back there.  It gives a nice opportunity to make sure things are where they should be.  It takes no more than ten minutes max.  If you're careful you only put on the right amount of oil so there is very little fling.

Every 200-250 miles it sounds about right. For me it means every full tank of gas. And that’s what I do.

[kiseliok]

Cleaning the chain every 500-700 miles gives me an opportunity to look over the bike, make sure nothing is loose, there are no cracks, leaks, etc. I guess it's part of the bonding process and general care, which gives me more confidence while I'm pushing it on the dragon knowing full well that the cliff could be the end of me. 🏍️