I've never owned a chain drive bike before

[nsmiller]

All of my previous bikes have been shaft drive. Change the gear oil at every other oil change and I'm good to go easy peasy. Well I apparently need a little advice when it comes to keeping my wife's chain properly lubricated. She rode it to work yesterday, it rained during the day, when she got home, because I've heard you are supposed to lube the chain when warm, I sprayed chain lube on the rear sprocket while rotating the wheel. 
 
About 10 min later I realized her bike was low on gas so I figured I do her a favor and go gas it up. Plus I wanted to ride it since I hadn't gotten a chance to do so since we brought it home. Now today I realized there is dried chain lube all over the left side of the tire. Apparently the oil flung off the chain when I was riding it. Any tips to prevent this? Or other chain care advice for dummies like me?
 
Thanks in advance.

[bruceintucson]

If the bike is new, the grease that comes with a new chain does get thrown all over the place for the first few hundred miles. Will do the same when you eventually put on a new chain. It's probably also all over the swingarm, centerstand, etc. Clean the chain with a throw away rag damp with kerosene (not dripping wet), check free-play at the tightest point on the chain (Yamaha spec is stupid, should be 1"-1.25"), ideally ride the FJ for 20 minutes or so to get the chain warm, then lube [em]sparingly[/em] with your favorite O-ring friendly chain lube (preferences on this are like tires & oil). Wait at least 1/2 hour and using paper towels rotate the rear and wipe the chain off to get off the excess so it doesn't fling off on the tire, etc. Repeat every 4-600 miles or so and clean with kerosene as above every 1000-1200 miles or so depending on the road conditions. Yes a PIA compared to a shaft but you'll get used to it.

[fzkenm]

If the bike is new, the grease that comes with a new chain does get thrown all over the place for the first few hundred miles. Will do the same when you eventually put on a new chain. It's probably also all over the swingarm, centerstand, etc. Clean the chain with a throw away rag damp with kerosene (not dripping wet), check free-play at the tightest point on the chain (Yamaha spec is stupid, should be 1"-1.25"), ideally ride the FJ for 20 minutes or so to get the chain warm, then lube [em]sparingly[/em] with your favorite O-ring friendly chain lube (preferences on this are like tires & oil). Wait at least 1/2 hour and using paper towels rotate the rear and wipe the chain off to get off the excess so it doesn't fling off on the tire, etc. Repeat every 4-600 miles or so and clean with kerosene as above every 1000-1200 miles or so depending on the road conditions. Yes a PIA compared to a shaft but you'll get used to it.

Additionally, when you spray on the lube, spray it on the top of the lower chain run.  (i.e. the "inside" of the chain).  That will cause the centrifugal force to push the lube through the chain before getting flung off.

[DavidS]

Agree with bruceintucson's advice. Only additions I would recommend are:
 
1) Lube after a ride, so the chain is good and warm - technically not any different than what bruceintuscon said
2) Wait 30 minutes and wipe off the excess lube from the chain and put the bike away - ok, so technically this isn't any different either
3) Before your next ride, wipe the chain down again, and you will see much less oil flung on your bike - but this actually is new
 
I also was used to shaft drives, although I've had both over the years. I do prefer the low maintenance of the shaft drive, but you can't have everything
 
 

[xlxr]

Keep your fingers away from the chain and sprocket when spinning the tire. There was a You Tube video of a guy who cut off the tips of his fingers.

[peporter]

If the bike is new, the grease that comes with a new chain does get thrown all over the place for the first few hundred miles. Will do the same when you eventually put on a new chain. It's probably also all over the swingarm, centerstand, etc. Clean the chain with a throw away rag damp with kerosene (not dripping wet), check free-play at the tightest point on the chain (Yamaha spec is stupid, should be 1"-1.25"), ideally ride the FJ for 20 minutes or so to get the chain warm, then lube [em]sparingly[/em] with your favorite O-ring friendly chain lube (preferences on this are like tires & oil). Wait at least 1/2 hour and using paper towels rotate the rear and wipe the chain off to get off the excess so it doesn't fling off on the tire, etc. Repeat every 4-600 miles or so and clean with kerosene as above every 1000-1200 miles or so depending on the road conditions. Yes a PIA compared to a shaft but you'll get used to it.

Additionally, when you spray on the lube, spray it on the top of the lower chain run.  (i.e. the "inside" of the chain).  That will cause the centrifugal force to push the lube through the chain before getting flung off.

And a great little tool for spraying the lube of your choice (I still have a few cans of the old formula DuPont Teflon Multilube which I consider the best) is the Grease Ninja. http://www.greaseninja.com/ Put mine in a freezer bag along with a rag to wipe the chain down with, and you're good to go...lube my chain every 1000 miles whether it needs it or not.  

[nsmiller]

That grease ninja is a nifty little tool. I see one of those in my future.

[toast]

Don't over clean or over lube the chain, it'll last longer if you don't mess with it too much. Just make sure you're not riding around with it dry, spray with WD-40 (no it won't hurt the o-rings) wipe off with a cloth, spray some lube and wipe off. NEVER scrub the chain, even using soft bristles will do more harm then a little dirt. I used tooth brushes and the specialized chain brushes and my chains last wayyy longer by just doing the above. 

[wessie]

You mention rain - was the chain damp when you sprayed on the lube? If so, then it is not going to stay on the chain very long. Better to spray lube on a cold, dry chain than a wet, warm one. Obviously, a warm, dry one is best.
 
If the bike is used a lot, consider an auto-oiler like the Tutoro one I use.

[estell]

You can use Belray Super Clean chain lube and skip the cleaning. It works for me. I haven't cleaned my chain yet in nearly 11000 miles. I lube every 500 miles or so, not too much, and have not had enough gunk buildup to clean off.

[DavidS]

Don't over clean or over lube the chain, it'll last longer if you don't mess with it too much. Just make sure you're not riding around with it dry, spray with WD-40 (no it won't hurt the o-rings) wipe off with a cloth, spray some lube and wipe off. NEVER scrub the chain, even using soft bristles will do more harm then a little dirt. I used tooth brushes and the specialized chain brushes and my chains last wayyy longer by just doing the above. 

There are better lubes than WD40, although it certainly won't hurt anything

[captainscarlet]

Don't over clean or over lube the chain, it'll last longer if you don't mess with it too much. Just make sure you're not riding around with it dry, spray with WD-40 (no it won't hurt the o-rings) wipe off with a cloth, spray some lube and wipe off. NEVER scrub the chain, even using soft bristles will do more harm then a little dirt. I used tooth brushes and the specialized chain brushes and my chains last wayyy longer by just doing the above. 

There are better lubes than WD40, although it certainly won't hurt anything

He's not using it as lube, but to clean.  If you read the sentence again he says after spraying and wiping off the WD40 he sprays some lube. 
CS

[nsmiller]

Thanks for the replies guys. The chain was not wet when I lubed it, the rain occurred mid day while my wife was at work. I think my mistake here is just not knowing how much lube is required. It sounds like the chain doesn't need as much lube as I thought. It seems like I don't necessarily have to lube the chain every time it gets a little wet in a light rain or quick bike wash if it is otherwise well lubricated every 500 or so miles.

[ULEWZ]

There are better lubes than WD40, although it certainly won't hurt anything

He's not using it as lube, but to clean.  If you read the sentence again he says after spraying and wiping off the WD40 he sprays some lube. 
CS

This is what I do also, WD to clean, then lubricate. 

[keithu]

Here's another opinion from some guy on the Internet:
 
I'm not a huge fan of the various "chain lube" products. All the ones I've tried left a sticky residue all over the chain that seemed to attract and hold dirt, and the worst ones flung all over the wheel like you experienced.
 
I lightly lube my chain with heavy gear oil. It's actually an old bottle of BMW 80w-90 transmission/rear drive oil from my last shaft-drive bike. I brush a little on the inside of my chain every 500 miles or so. It doesn't fling off and seems to keep the chain lubed and clean.
 
In 11,000 miles I've only felt it necessary to clean the sprockets and chain 2-3 times because there isn't much buildup, even in the winter rainy season. I use WD-40 for cleaning.