Chain & sand

[96xr400]

how should you maintain a chain on off road bike that's spending a lot of time in sand? Jet wash can blast most sand off but grease with it. my chain is dry... how best to grease up and maintain
thanks

[Teava]

You should by some chain wax, i use it on my o ring chain and the stuff just falls off with a jet wash at wash world, dont even need to get the brush out on it, the stuff comes in a can and you just spray it on, for lube i use PJ1 black chain lube, its realy runy but really good, i do my chain after every ride,
PJ1 foam filter oil is really good aswell.

[B0000M]

,
PJ1 foam filter oil is really good aswell.

seen not good results with that myself.. in the form of siezed bikes... but we wont go into in thie thread

[96xr400]

so is the wax just a barrier, apply chain lube then the wax?
thanks

[Ktmboy]

Try chainsaw chain bar oil. $17 for 4 litres from any outdoor equipment centre. Its sticky and still washes off at the end of the day removing the sand. I de canter it into a Mizone/Poweraid bottle to apply. Cheap as chips. If it works on a chainsaw then what harsher environment is there?

[Danger]

I just cannot bring myself to lubing a chain for sand riding. I did just that back in the 80's and all it did was create grinding paste and chew out the chain and sprockets in one weekend. I now run my chain dry in sand, but it is an X ring chain, but any sealed chain is really a must in sand, and run it dry.

[cheese]

Do you CRC your chain Danger?

[Danger]

WD40 is the only lube I use on a sealed chain.

[96xr400]

what type of chain would an xr400 have? what's most suitable lube?
pj1, chainsaw oil, wd40, wax, dry... thought this would be easier

[Danger]

Have a look between the links and see if you can see any rubber o'rings. If so its a sealed chain with lube inside each pivot. If no seals it is not a sealed chain and will have a short life. You will need to lube it but I still would not do so for sand, other than a bit of WD40. For other terrain you can use the lube of your choice.

[Reckless]

This is directly off the Chaingang web site. http://www.chaingang.com.au/maintenance.php

Pretty much agrees with what Danger is saying! Only thing I've noticed is that it says always do your chain after you come back and clean up never just b4 you ride!!

Copy and paste hereunder:

The following recommendations are based on using ChainGang products:


OFF ROAD
Where mud, water and sand is anticipated, lubing immediatly before or during a ride is not recommended. Surface lube will only attract dust and grit which if comes in contact with water will form a grinding paste - this is not good.
Therefore, we recommend servicing the chain "after" a ride.

Both chain and sprockets can be washed with the same detergents you would you on the entire bike. For a really thorough job, brush and flush the sprocket teeth and chain clean with kerosene (NOT petrols or thinners). Immediately after take take the bike out for a quick squirt to throw off any loose dirt and kerosene.

Next, apply a lube of your choice. Anything is suitable. The less "STICKY" or thick the better, as you don't want your chain and sprockets to attract dirt etc. the next time you ride.
We have found lightweight "cheap" spray lubes or dewatering fluids to be very effective. As always keep the chain adjusted to the manufacturers recommended "slack", and do not forget to have someone your similar weight sitting on it while you do it. A little on the loose side is better than too tight.

[notch]

Run it dry like Danger says - i have been doing this for the last 2 years, and have had good life out of an xring chain. I also use wd40 after a wash to stop the chain from rusting..

[96xr400]

danger, reckless & notch, thanks for comments. i'll use wd40 for now and later get a more expert opinion on what type of chain it is

[xwhatsit]

danger, reckless & notch, thanks for comments. i'll use wd40 for now and later get a more expert opinion on what type of chain it is

Well, it's a 1996 XR400, so it might have had many, many chains by now. However as they said it's really easy to check -- if you look at the chain and can see rubber bits on each link, it's an O-ring (or even an X-ring). If no rubber, just an ordinary bicycle-type thing, then it's an ordinary chain and you'll need to WD40.

At any rate I think the consensus eventually was that WD40 does no harm to O-rings, so it won't hurt the chain so long as you wipe the excess off with a rag.