What does a healthy chain look like?

[Brian]

Since I started riding I've sorta been obsessing about my chain and whenever I wash the bike as a whole I find the need to re-lube it. My chain right now is pretty dark in color and I can see little pieces of dirt / sand all over it. I'm not sure if I'm lubing it too much or just all the current sh** on the road is flying up onto it. I've heard it's good to lube after a short ride because the chain will still be warm.

I'm gonna do it in this order:
1) Clean whole bike, including all the dirt on my chain
2) Take for a short ride to warm it up
3) Lube

So yeah, what does a healthy chain look like? A substantial amount of wetness? sorta dry and wet? or just completely dry on the outside because the lube is supposed to be sitting INSIDE of the chain?

Thanks a lot!

[Alex]

You can't just lube it each time, you need to clean it occasionally as well. WD-40 or kerosene on a rag work great. There are also chain "grunge" brushes that can be helpful if it's very dirty. Once all the dirt is off and iit looks pretty clean, only then add lube on top of it as a light coating. It's OK if it looks a bit wet with lube, it doesn't have to look and feel completely dry when you are done.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Alex

You can't just lube it each time, you need to clean it occasionally as well.

Yeah, I'm saying each time I wash and rinse the bike I have to strip all the dirt off the chain and re-lube it. I'm thinking about getting a grunge brush, but wouldn't that just rub the dirt into the chain even harder?

[Alex]

Everything in moderation. How are you cleaning the chain now, with the same water you're using on the rest of the bike, or something like kerosene, oil, or wd-40?

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Alex

How are you cleaning the chain now, with the same water you're using on the rest of the bike, or something like kerosene, oil, or wd-40?

Pretty much w/ the water and soap that drips of the bike, then with drying the bike I take some blue shop towels and wipe all the black stuff (what is this?) and dirt off my chain, dry it, and spray in the lube on both sides of the chain and making sure it rubs into the sprockets where the chain connects.

[Byakkotai]

Also, what kind of chain lube are you using? Webbw had good things to say about Original Bike Spirits Chain Lube but it seems to be a dirt magnet (sticky texture) compared to the more runny Dupont Chain Saver So I switched back after 2 cleans.

[antiant]

Youtube is your friend:

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Byakkotai

Also, what kind of chain lube are you using? Webbw had good things to say about Original Bike Spirits Chain Lube but it seems to be a dirt magnet (sticky texture) compared to the more runny Dupont Chain Saver So I switched back after 2 cleans.

I use Liquid Wrench chain lube.

Looks like someone else was complaining about all the gunk this stuff attracts!: http://katriders.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-125563.html

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Brian

Since I started riding I've sorta been obsessing about my chain and whenever I wash the bike as a whole I find the need to re-lube it. My chain right now is pretty dark in color and I can see little pieces of dirt / sand all over it. I'm not sure if I'm lubing it too much or just all the current sh** on the road is flying up onto it. I've heard it's good to lube after a short ride because the chain will still be warm.

I'm gonna do it in this order:
1) Clean whole bike, including all the dirt on my chain
2) Take for a short ride to warm it up
3) Lube

So yeah, what does a healthy chain look like? A substantial amount of wetness? sorta dry and wet? or just completely dry on the outside because the lube is supposed to be sitting INSIDE of the chain?

Thanks a lot!

It is not only a look thing.
Keeping a low temperature is also key (below ~150 F), for which the proper adjustment of the slack is the most important.

If your chain is sealed, then keeping those seals "wet" as much as possible will protect them from UV light and excessive friction against the metal plates.

There are two main types of lubricants for those seals: oil based and wax based.
Oil tends to fly away faster and be messier than wax, but wax attracts more dirt that grinds the rollers against the teeth of both sprockets.

Please, read this:
http://www.motorcycle.com/products/a...ains-3524.html

Rollers-sprockets surfaces of contact need no lubrication as the roller does not rotate respect to the teeth.
The important lubricant is within each roller-pin.
The external lubricant that we use is just for the O-rings that guard the internal oil from leaking out.

Personally, I prefer ATF mixed with some gear oil, being applied over the O-rings after each tank fill up (~200 miles).
For cleaning, ........... well, the mix is self-cleaning, but once in a while kerosene applied with a toothbrush is sufficient to remove old lubricant and dust.

The health of the chain is in the gap among rollers and pins, reason for which we should periodically measure the elongation.
Too much elongation means that the gaps have grown much, breaking the lubricant film between internal moving parts.

The elongation process quickly develops once steel starts rubbing against steel and temperature gets high, ending in a catastrophic failure.
An elongated chain also deforms the pitch between the teeth of the sprockets (more for the front sprocket, which kisses the chain more times per mile).

[ez12a]

if the orings look moist, it's ok in my book.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Brian

Pretty much w/ the water and soap that drips of the bike.

Don't use the water and soap on the chain; it's not helping.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Motofool

It is not only a look thing.
Keeping a low temperature is also key (below ~150 F), for which the proper adjustment of the slack is the most important.

If your chain is sealed, then keeping those seals "wet" as much as possible will protect them from UV light and excessive friction against the metal plates.

There are two main types of lubricants for those seals: oil based and wax based.
Oil tends to fly away faster and be messier than wax, but wax attracts more dirt that grinds the rollers against the teeth of both sprockets.

Please, read this:
http://www.motorcycle.com/products/a...ains-3524.html

Rollers-sprockets surfaces of contact need no lubrication as the roller does not rotate respect to the teeth.
The important lubricant is within each roller-pin.
The external lubricant that we use is just for the O-rings that guard the internal oil from leaking out.

Personally, I prefer ATF mixed with some gear oil, being applied over the O-rings after each tank fill up (~200 miles).
For cleaning, ........... well, the mix is self-cleaning, but once in a while kerosene applied with a toothbrush is sufficient to remove old lubricant and dust.

The health of the chain is in the gap among rollers and pins, reason for which we should periodically measure the elongation.
Too much elongation means that the gaps have grown much, breaking the lubricant film between internal moving parts.

The elongation process quickly develops once steel starts rubbing against steel and temperature gets high, ending in a catastrophic failure.
An elongated chain also deforms the pitch between the teeth of the sprockets (more for the front sprocket, which kisses the chain more times per mile).

Thanks so much for this.

And Alex I know water doesn't help and could potentially create rust, it and a mixture of soap the only thing I can use to really wash away away all of this dark stuck on mud like substance. It looks like I took the 250 out in a swamp but the only thing that's dirty is the chain.. Other than it being covered in dirt though I try to lube it properly and it stays wet.

[flitecontrol]

Originally Posted by Motofool

There are two main types of lubricants for those seals: oil based and wax based.
Oil tends to fly away faster and be messier than wax, but wax attracts more dirt that grinds the rollers against the teeth of both sprockets.

Please, read this:
http://www.motorcycle.com/products/a...ains-3524.html

Rollers-sprockets surfaces of contact need no lubrication as the roller does not rotate respect to the teeth.
The important lubricant is within each roller-pin.
The external lubricant that we use is just for the O-rings that guard the internal oil from leaking out.

Personally, I prefer ATF mixed with some gear oil, being applied over the O-rings after each tank fill up (~200 miles).
For cleaning, ........... well, the mix is self-cleaning, but once in a while kerosene applied with a toothbrush is sufficient to remove old lubricant and dust.

The health of the chain is in the gap among rollers and pins, reason for which we should periodically measure the elongation.
Too much elongation means that the gaps have grown much, breaking the lubricant film between internal moving parts.

The elongation process quickly develops once steel starts rubbing against steel and temperature gets high, ending in a catastrophic failure.
An elongated chain also deforms the pitch between the teeth of the sprockets (more for the front sprocket, which kisses the chain more times per mile).

I differ with your statements that wax type chain lube attracts more dirt than oil type lubes, and that chain rollers don't need any lube.

Regarding wax versus oil, it has been my experience that heavy oil or grease type lubes pick up significantly more dirt than lighter lubes. My current lube, (http://www.liquidperformance.com/mot...um-chain-lube/), is almost impossible to see on the chain. I ride about two miles of gravel road almost every time I get on my CMX250, and lube it every 500 miles. This would include about 20 miles of travel on gravel roads. There is almost no dirt on the chain between lube intervals. The current chain, an RK X-ring, has about 10,000 miles on it, and appears new. It hasn't needed adjustment since installing the chain and new sprockets.

Any time metal surfaces meet, wear will be reduced by using the proper lubricant. This goes for sprockets and rollers. A lube that holds dirt is going to accelerate wear of both surfaces by carring grit that will serve to erode the metal surfaces, and may be worse than no lube at all. A lube that doesn't attract dirt, and contains molybdenum will help reduce wear, especially in high pressure contact areas.

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by Brian

Thanks so much for this.

And Alex I know water doesn't help and could potentially create rust, it and a mixture of soap the only thing I can use to really wash away away all of this dark stuck on mud like substance. It looks like I took the 250 out in a swamp but the only thing that's dirty is the chain.. Other than it being covered in dirt though I try to lube it properly and it stays wet.

The soapy water can also dry out the O-rings, causing them to weaken & crack, reducing their ability to keep the lube inside.

[Brian]

Here's a pic of my chain after a short stop and go ride back from the mall, see how the wetness is black and the inside spinners are almost dry? Just doesn't look right, maybe I ought to buy some new lube?:

Originally Posted by Whiskey

The soapy water can also dry out the O-rings, causing them to weaken & crack, reducing their ability to keep the lube inside.

[flitecontrol]

When the rollers are not shiney, they still have lube on them, and those look gray. A shiney chain needs lubing.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Brian

Here's a pic of my chain after a short stop and go ride back from the mall, see how the wetness is black and the inside spinners are almost dry? Just doesn't look right, maybe I ought to buy some new lube?:

Please read this:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=133019

What is the color of your lube?

A chain is only bad when it has exceeded its specified elongation.
This is how you can measure that:

[flitecontrol]

A good, easy way to check chain condition is to pull on the chain at the three o'clock position on the rear sprocket. If you can pull the chain away from the sprocket much at all, it's time to replace the chain and sprockets, regardless of how much the chain has elongated.

[verboten1]

I usually clean and lube my chain after a ride like this