Tried, and gear oil will not go on my 900 chain again

[2and3cylinders]

20 minutes ago, Wallygator said:

 

Well I have used it for years on o ring chains both dirt and street, and a friend I ride with has also. My friend just replaced his chain and sprockets on his Vstrom. Not cuz the things were worn out but because he had 26,000 miles on them.  I just made the suggestion, if you don't think it's compatible and don't feel comfortable about it, don't use it. 

I definitely won't! LOL

[Wallygator]

5 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

I definitely won't! LOL

Well now you have caused me to look into it. 😀

Looks like Amsoil now has a new chain lube beside the one I have been using for years.   So I suppose once my Heavy Duty Metal Protector runs out I will be buying this stuff. 👍

https://www.thebestoil.com/amsoil-releases-new-chain-lube/

[Schumy]

On 3/19/2021 at 5:23 PM, knyte said:

So if the exhaust is warming the chain up enough such that the oil won't adhere, what's that doing to the o-rings - regardless of lubrication?

It's a good observation, but I think that would be problematic for city riding with a lot of stop and go traffic. Otherwise, when you're going over 20mph/ 30km/h  the air current under the bike is strong enough so that the chain is not affected by the exhaust heat.

I just mounted a Scottoiler Vsystem on my Tracer (I'm using the vaccumatic system for some time now, already had it on my previous 2 bikes). The Scottoiler oil (I use the red one - around here gets quite hot around the summer) is basically like gear oil. Yes, if you don't set it up right it will make a lot of mess, but the oil washes off the bike quite easily with a soft degreaser (that's not attacking the O-rings and bikes surfaces) and soap compared to chain spray (especially those "white" ones which collect a lot of mess around the front sprocket and chain guard).

[keithu]

I was a gear oil person until I got a ScottOiler last year. I only brush oil on the inside of the chain and let centrifugal force pull it through the chain. I never had a big mess from it. Some, yes, but not as bad as other chain lubes and waxes I've tried. If you're getting a big mess I wonder if you were putting a bunch of oil on the outside of the chain? That will definitely just fling off when you start riding.

[Salish900]

22 minutes ago, keithu said:

I was a gear oil person until I got a ScottOiler last year. I only brush oil on the inside of the chain and let centrifugal force pull it through the chain. I never had a big mess from it. Some, yes, but not as bad as other chain lubes and waxes I've tried. If you're getting a big mess I wonder if you were putting a bunch of oil on the outside of the chain? That will definitely just fling off when you start riding.

It was not so much the fling issue for me, as the fact that it burns off and doesn't stick well enough. As you know, the chain runs right next to the exhaust, and though I was using 80-90 weight oil, carefully and thinly applied with a brush and let soak in, it would smoke off and be dry after a few hours of riding in dry or wet. The little mess was really only along the chain guide and down on the center stand and below the front sprocket. 

I'm back to using Honda Chain Moly lube, which is both way faster to apply and leaves no mess whatsoever. It sticks. I'll try others over time, but the Honda stuff is great. 

The real shocker was that I found little bits of rust on my chain despite oiling it more often than 500 miles. Never ever had that with Honda Moly. I know people swear by it, but other than saving a few dollars it has no appeal to me. 

[keithu]

Interesting. I admit I've never tried the Honda Moly lube. Maybe I will give it a try sometime. I just haven't liked the various other spray on lubes I've used over these last many years.

[duhg]

I think whatever makes you happy and keeps your chain clean is good. 

I started using gear oil almost 20 years ago when I bought an SV650 and the owner's manual called for it.  When I replaced my chain on the FJ the info with the new chain also called for gear oil.  I clean the chain with Muc Off (having previously used kerosene) then wipe on gear oil with a rag.  As soon as it is on I wipe off as much as I can and I have never had a problem with flinging the oil.  It is only there to prevent rust on the chain plates.  When traveling I carry the Muc Off and a small can of Bel Ray Blue (it cleans off nicely), but honestly, I think the lube is not as necessary as the cleaning.

[AaronM]

On 3/21/2021 at 3:19 AM, Schumy said:

It's a good observation, but I think that would be problematic for city riding with a lot of stop and go traffic. Otherwise, when you're going over 20mph/ 30km/h  the air current under the bike is strong enough so that the chain is not affected by the exhaust heat.

I just mounted a Scottoiler Vsystem on my Tracer (I'm using the vaccumatic system for some time now, already had it on my previous 2 bikes). The Scottoiler oil (I use the red one - around here gets quite hot around the summer) is basically like gear oil. Yes, if you don't set it up right it will make a lot of mess, but the oil washes off the bike quite easily with a soft degreaser (that's not attacking the O-rings and bikes surfaces) and soap compared to chain spray (especially those "white" ones which collect a lot of mess around the front sprocket and chain guard).

Hi @Schumy and @keithu I just bought a Scotttoiler V system but am a little nervous about the install as can't find any model-specific install instructions on the scottoil website, this forum or youtube I have a 2020 Tracer. Can you give me some tips on how to get to the vacuum point? And where you decided was best for mounting the reservoir? Thanks!

[Wintersdark]

So, having read this thread, I waited on going for a ride to test this exhaust heat issue.

Conditions: 10C, regular riding at 50-100kph for 10 minutes, the chain is barely warm, and nowhere near anything that would be a problem for gear oil.  

I feel the only way your burning oil off the chain is if you're sitting in traffic (not at all tested, nor do I want to).  With that said, if you're a downtown/big city rider (Calgary is huge, but very spread out with minimal traffic, nothing like most major American cities) then this could be a very real concern.  But if that's not the case, meh.

Prior to my Tracer and it's Tutoro Auto Oiler, I ran gear oil on my chains most of the time.  I've used spray lubes too, but honestly I didn't find any appreciable difference between then, except that as I had to lube my chain *very* often due to the environments I ride in (very dusty in the summer, wet and salty in the winter) spray lubes tend to get very spendy. 

Now that I'm running the Tutoro, however, I run a thin hydraulic oil as per the Tutoro directions.  Thin specifically because it doesn't last: I don't want the oil to stay on the chain.  The whole goal is that it's thinner, coats the chain, lubes everything well, picks up debris and performs a GTFO maneuver.  The Tutoro keeps applying more maintaining the lubrication and everything is golden.  A full year of riding, 15k on the odo, no chain cleaning or lubing manually, washing in wand car washes with engine cleaner and degreaser that hits the chain too when cleaning wheels, riding in salt and slush, and my chain still looks like new.  Cons: my rear rim is always dirty, and the underside of my chain guard is a horror show.  Do not run an autooiler without a chain guard - though really, riding without a chain guard is generally an extremely bad idea.

Autooilers are the best, particularly if you either ride a lot, or ride in less-than-ideal circumstances.

[keithu]

1 hour ago, AaronM said:

Hi @Schumy and @keithu I just bought a Scotttoiler V system but am a little nervous about the install as can't find any model-specific install instructions on the scottoil website, this forum or youtube I have a 2020 Tracer. Can you give me some tips on how to get to the vacuum point? And where you decided was best for mounting the reservoir? Thanks!

I plugged it into the TB sync test port on the left side throttle body. There's a little rubber cap that you should remove and save in case you ever decide to de-install the V System. This spot was recommended for the FJ-09 on ScottOiler's website, and I expect the Tracer should be exactly the same.