Lube my chain!

[priboy]

As my FJ is due to arrive soon, I would like to know what kind of chain lube do you use on your beloved FJ's.
 
Do you like it wet or you prefer doing it dry  ?
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What brand of lube do you use?
 
I know that there are auto-oilers on the market, but at the moment I am not interested in those. I would like to lube it my self (rofl) .
 
 
Cheers!
 

[wessie]

Prior to getting an auto-oiler I bought a pack of Muc-off branded dry chain lube & chain cleaner as it was on a discount at Halfords.
 
I rode shafties for 15 years so the last lube I used was Silkolene, a gold coloured, sticky liquid that made a proper mess on the chain guard, wheel and garage floor. This dry lube was something new for me to use. Odd looking stuff once the carrier solvent has evaporated. It doesn't look as if the chain is lubed but a wip with the finger confirms the presence of a substance. I'm sure it works fine as Muc Off is a well liked, premium brand. I do prefer the total loss, auto-oiler system though. Very little muck stays on the chain as if gets flung off with the oil. Great for people like me who don't like getting the washing kit out very often. The can of chain cleaner will probably outlive the life of this chain...

[magpie]

Always used WURTH HIGH PERFORMANCE DRY CHAIN Lube.... It gets good reviews

[wessie]

Always used WURTH HIGH PERFORMANCE DRY CHAIN Lube.... It gets good revues

puts on a good show does it?

[jimf]

Dry lubes tend not to work well in any kind of wet environment, in my experience.
 
I clean mine with WD-40 and a good scrubbing with a grunge brush:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Solutions-RGB800-Grunge-Brush/dp/B0012TPVC0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431035785&sr=8-1&keywords=grunge+brush
 
then lube it up again with machine oil and wipe it down with a cloth.
 
I've tried a whole collection of other kinds of lube, but most of them seem to do a better job of collecting grit than actually lubing and they're awfully expensive.
 

[wessie]

I've tried a whole collection of other kinds of lube, but most of them seem to do a better job of collecting grit than actually lubing and they're awfully expensive.

this is what I like about the auto oiler I use as it is a total loss system - you can run anything through it and just adjust the valve to alter the flow - I am currently using up a half bottle of bright red Oregon 2 stroke oil last used in a petrol strimmer. I no longer have any petrol tools as my new home has a small garden and an electric mower is king, so the oil is surplus.  
So, I agree that something like ordinary gear oil is the best lube but it isn't as convenient as an aerosol can. 

[Guest bmidd]

I have a couple cans of the original Dupont Teflon Chain Wax that they don't sell anymore.
You can try this, it gets positive reviews. I have exclusively used the Dupont for the past 8 years, never collect grit on my chains. YMMV.
 
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/tirox-chain-wax/review.htm

[jimf]

I've tried a whole collection of other kinds of lube, but most of them seem to do a better job of collecting grit than actually lubing and they're awfully expensive.

So, I agree that something like ordinary gear oil is the best lube but it isn't as convenient as an aerosol can. 

I have a small squeeze bottle that used to have light oil in it that I use for the chain.  I fill it with the machine oil.  It's small enough to fit in the saddle bag and easy to use and less messy than the spray lube. 
An automatic oiler would be more convenient, but I don't trust them. 

[couter]

I'm glad somebody brought this up, I'm used to shaft drive and not having to worry about it.
 
How serious is it to clean the chain often? I read in the owners manual to clean the chain after riding through rain or wet conditions. Is that more precaution?
 
My gut thought on this would be, maybe once a month or every other month give it a little lovin'. ??

[jimf]

How serious is it to clean the chain often? I read in the owners manual to clean the chain after riding through rain or wet conditions. Is that more precaution? 
My gut thought on this would be, maybe once a month or every other month give it a little lovin'. ??

I generally clean mine a couple of times a season and lube it whenever it looks dry or after riding through particularly wet weather.  Doing it after riding through wet weather helps keep rust from forming, a good thing.  On average I don't oil the chain more than once every few weeks, and through the dry months not even that often. 
Maybe the chain life would be longer if paid closer attention to it but historically I've been getting ~15kmi out of a chain and sprockets (fairly consistently across several bikes) and that's good enough for me.  The O and X-ring chains used on most modern bikes are permanently lubed around the chain rivets so they really don't need a lot.
 
This is for street riding.  If I were trail riding I would pay way more attention to it.  Dirt destroys chains.
 
 

[wessie]

I'm glad somebody brought this up, I'm used to shaft drive and not having to worry about it.  
How serious is it to clean the chain often? I read in the owners manual to clean the chain after riding through rain or wet conditions. Is that more precaution?
 
My gut thought on this would be, maybe once a month or every other month give it a little lovin'. ??

 
In the olden days when I read "how tos" in monthly magazines they usually recommended to lube the chain every 600 dry miles and clean once a month or so.
 
Then auto-oilers, dry chain lubes and the internet came along and opinions are numerous.
 
My view is, and it's worth what you have paid for it, "it depends." Any lube on the chain, whether a thin gear oil as recommended by some manufacturers or a dry chain lube like the Muc Off one I mentioned above, is going to pick up road dirt etc. So, if you live in a dusty environment you will need to clean the chain more often. Same applies if you live near the coast as salt will accumulate. The important thing is the O rings remain clean and look glossy. If they aren't wet with some sort of lube they will shrink and the important chain lubricant sealed in by the O rings will escape. If you let crud accumulate on the O rings it will do like mentioned by Jim, form a nice grinding paste. Hence my preference for the auto oiler. Yes, the oil flings over the number plate and chain guard but, in that flung oil is the road grit etc and my O rings appear glossy. The other advantage of a thin, non-sticky oil is that it brushes off easily with a bit of paraffin and an old paint brush. It takes much more effort to clean off the sticky, aerosol based lubes, especially the stuff that accumulates around the front sprocket.

[suncoaster]

I now use chain wax. I have "Maxima chain wax" aerosol at the moment.
It's the easiest to use while touring. Cheap and easy to pack.
 
Every evening (if the day is an average 500km day), pop the bike on the centre stand, rotate the back wheel in Neutral, and spray.
 
I much prefer it than oil spattered on the rest of the bike.
A thorough clean at the end of the trip usually  includes the chain and sprockets.
 
Smells good too !
 
 
 

[Guest lawrenceofsuburbia]

I now use chain wax. I have "Maxima chain wax" aerosol at the moment. It's the easiest to use while touring.

Where did you get that product, suncoaster?  Sounds as if you could also dispense with the after-shave and use this stuff instead - two for the price of one! L of S
 

[suncoaster]

I bought it at one of the local bike shops. Maybe Sunstate, maybe the Honda dealer.
 
I've have a couple of cans for a while, I don't remember where from. 
 
Ring your local shop and ask.
 
Edit: Here you go, Nerang maybe the closest to you: 

[suncoaster]

Sounds as if you could also dispense with the after-shave and use this stuff instead - two for the price of one! L of S

 
he he, I'm currently sporting a beard, so could maybe use it as Moustache wax !