Chain lube and noobs...

[babysteps]

Yes, yes, I know, use the search function......

So what do we all use on our chains, WD40? White Lithium Grease? Road Bike Wax based? I'm lost, HELP!!!!!

Also, what are the collective thoughts on removable links in said chain for easy maintenance?

Thanks in advance

P.S. All you BMW Shaft wankers can piss off out of this thread right now

[MAC_HATER]

hehe Chain drive rules!

since mines a farm bike i just used to use used engine oil - it didint harm the chain but it didint really help it either - i replaced it recently so now out of pure laziness i just use the castrol chain oil spray - bike shops hardware stores and places like repco sell it and i think it does a great job

[dino3310]

i use the rivet link on my ride as she dosent like the clip links, shes got a bad habit of spitting them off.
as for lube the scott oiler is the bees knees but i cant afford one yet too many other things to buy so i'm just useing KLOTZ chain lube
its very tacky and works well with my oring chain.
they even got a websight: www.klotzlube.com.

[Hitcher]

One needs to become interested in this now that one has a bike with a chain.

[vifferman]

Yes, there are multitudinous threads on this topic. Just find what you like to use, and use that.
MY current lube is Motul Chain Lube, which is a spray-on grease, but I prefer Spectro Chain wax. It's not quite as good a lube as the Motul (apparently), but it's less messy, as the Motul is quite sticky so tends to gather road spooge (and is harder to clean off).
In the past I've used 80W oil (which is what the manufacturers recommend) which is messy; Shell Motorcycle Chain Lube, which is very tacky and crappy; WD40, which has minimal lubing prtoperties but is good between lubes for cleaning the excess chain lube + spooge off.
Always use kerosene (or WD40, which is mostly Stoddard solvent, derived from kero) to clean your chain. Don't use degreaser.
Apply the minimum lube to the chain - only the side plates where the pins are need the lube, and do it on the bottom length of chain, on the side facing the swingarm, after a ride when the chain is warm. This will help the lube to penetrate and evaporate the solvents quicker.
If you use the lube itself to clean off the old lube (the spray-on lubes contain solvents which will do this) spray on more than you need, and wipe it off with a rag.

[slimjim]

Yes, there are multitudinous threads on this topic. Just find what you like to use, and use that.
MY current lube is Motul Chain Lube, which is a spray-on grease, but I prefer Spectro Chain wax. It's not quite as good a lube as the Motul (apparently), but it's less messy, as the Motul is quite sticky so tends to gather road spooge (and is harder to clean off).
In the past I've used 80W oil (which is what the manufacturers recommend) which is messy; Shell Motorcycle Chain Lube, which is very tacky and crappy; WD40, which has minimal lubing prtoperties but is good between lubes for cleaning the excess chain lube + spooge off.
Always use kerosene (or WD40, which is mostly Stoddard solvent, derived from kero) to clean your chain. Don't use degreaser.
Apply the minimum lube to the chain - only the side plates where the pins are need the lube, and do it on the bottom length of chain, on the side facing the swingarm, after a ride when the chain is warm. This will help the lube to penetrate and evaporate the solvents quicker.
If you use the lube itself to clean off the old lube (the spray-on lubes contain solvents which will do this) spray on more than you need, and wipe it off with a rag.

yup can't say it any planer than the above reply..

[Rosie]

I use motorex 622 lube, it's a bit sticker than a standard road lube which is apparently an advantage for off-road/adventure use, but doesn't seem to attract too much dust/crap.

[The Stranger:Me]

after a ride when the chain is warm.

Frequently see this advice, so decided checked the chain temp after a ride back from Russel the other day.
I was expecting it to be at least warm, but it felt just as cool as ever.

[bart]

I use Spectro chain wax. Seems to work well........but.........being a wax, you cant see it on the chain. It's hard to tell if the chain is lubricated or not.

Scott oiler seems to be the way to go.......but........you could buy a couple of new chains for the price of the oiler.

[vifferman]

Frequently see this advice, so decided checked the chain temp after a ride back from Russel the other day.
I was expecting it to be at least warm, but it felt just as cool as ever.

One would think/hope that a chain in good condition, and well lubed, would have insufficient friction to promote heating of the chain anyway.
But on the other hand, any residual chain lube / spooge will at least be softened up, and the links on the chain will be more mobile, so should allow better lubrication. Plus, lubing your chain after (rather than before) a ride allows time for the lube to seep into the links AND for the solvents to evaporate. This reduces fling-off of the lube, which is a Good Thing.

[vifferman]

I use Spectro chain wax. Seems to work well........but.........being a wax, you cant see it on the chain. It's hard to tell if the chain is lubricated or not.

I don't have the problem. I've got one pin marked with red paint (nail polish, actually...) and start lubing the chain there, doing about four links at a time (all I can get at in the gap before the rear sprocket) before rotating the wheel and advancing the chain. There is actually a noticeable (albeit slight) difference between the appearance of lubed and unlubed chain.

[thommo77]

Plain old Castrol chain spray works for me. Doesn't appear to have too much excess 'fling'. Main thing is to clean and lube often - especially in dusty or wet conditions. Go for a quick ride after cleaning to get chain warm, apply lube and then go for another ride/rotate the rear wheel to assist in adhering the lube to the chain.

[Hitcher]

The Shiver's chain has got this like grey stuff on it. Is that a good thing?

[warewolf]

The chain on an adventure/dual-purpose bike cops a flogging. Chain lube itself can be a problem because it attracts grit, but my reality adventure riding is that it just doesn't last very long anyway, so the chain stays dusty & muddy most of the day. ScottOilers help in these conditions because they constantly clean and lube the chain.

Keeping a modern sealed o- or x-ring chain clean is more important than any lube, IMHO. After a wash and de-gunk, spray with wd40 or crc5.56 to dewater and leave a light lube. Only if riding on-road for any length of time, I'll also apply some chain lube, but only because old habits die hard. Next chain, I will test the "wd40 only" method, foregoing chain lube completely. Many, many road riders report very good results from that. Cheap, quick, easy, clean & effective, by all accounts.

[BMWST?]

what is the required/desired oil in a scotoiler or similar...wouldnt it be relatively simple to make one up yourself...a mate has a little bottle fixed in place on his mountain bike....after a while(or water crossing) he gives it a squeeze.Be esp important on a adv bike,with mud /water....