Chain lube, what works for you?

I see there's a couple of posts here theorising that WD40 and similar gets under the chain's o-ring seals. My feeling is that if o-rings were so permeable then we would all be knee-deep in gak from leaky seals in our bikes, cars, washing machines and other mechanical whatnot.

Sure, o-rings come in many different materials and some resist certain chemicals better than others, but chain makers aren't that stupid. If I was less lazy then I'd chuck a length of chain offcut in a jar of WD for a month and then press it apart to see if if the wee bit of white grease that the manufacturers apply during assembly had been displaced. But I probably won't.

IMO the real enemy to the seal is the buildup of dirt or corrosion that can deform it allowing the ingress of crud.

Chains on dirtbikes have a hard life. No cush drives in the transmission, lightweight construction, on / off power and imersion in all kinds of goo while on the trail. Oh, and owners with jetwashers. Horrible things (jetwashers, not owners!)

I have a couple of different chain care schedules. In summertime on dusty trails I keep the chain clean and run it dry. No accumulation of grinding paste. If I am doing high speed roadwork then it gets oiled, likewise if it's wet. But I religiously clean it (with diesel, then dry it with shop towel) to stop crud accumulating. It's been raining relentlessly here this summer so it's been getting oiled (with EP90) and the excess gets wiped off before I go out. Takes no time and works OK.

Chain lubrication is a tricky compromise. Sticky oil is great from a non-fling point of view, but it attracts crud. I had a Scottoiler on a roadbike once (an automatic chain oiling device). It used a tiny amount of ordinary non-sticky oil. The chain stayed clean and so did the rear tyre and the drivelines lasted maybe twice as long as usual. Brilliant device (especially in a typically horrible British winter). Buying the best chain you can afford helps too.

SPECTRO chainlube . rk or regina chain and sprocket specialists Steel sprockets ft/rr.

I'm also from Michigan, and yes we have plenty of sand....

I've used Amsoil HD MP for about 4 years now. It's nice in the sense that it displaces water, and then turns into a wax when it dries.

Here is my M.O. for chain maint.

WD-40 before washing to help loosen lube and dirt,grunge brush top and bottom then rince low water pressure.

before drying bike i hit it again with WD to disperse water.

I have tried just about every lub out there in the last 30 years with the exception of the Krause racing (sidewinder) lube.

I am currently experimenting with a dry film teflon impregnated lube put out buy a company called Finish Line Technology Inc.
FinishLineUSA.com

I use the dry teflon lube on everything i assemble.

Works great on cables,throttle tubes,screws or whatever needs lubrication and maintain maximum cleanliness.

They just came out with a ceramic lube that is supposed to last longer and actually impregnate the metal with ceramic,doesnt seem to be as dry as the dry lube but still way cleaner than any spray lube that i have ever used.

Application tip:
remove the plastic tip the take an straw from any spray can and cut the tip at a 45 degree angle.

Rub a little dry lube on the straw and insert it from the back side sticking out about a half inch,then cut off as much as you can from the back side and then drop a small nut inside the bottle ( that will be your agitator to help keep teflon in suspension) and reinstall cap.one by one lube each link wipe of excess and say good bye to chain spoog! then i pitch the screw on top as i will no longer fit and i use a long 1/4" vaccum cap and whohla.

Using a dry lube PTFE spray



BR, Joe

I use chain wax on the street but the dirt is another story. I have an 05 honda 450r and I clean the chain after every ride. I use WD-40 to chase all the water out of the chain. I then use mineral sprits to clean all the WD out cause it sucks for a chain lube, or to lube anything for that matter. I then hit it with chain wax. I am running the original chain from Nov. 05 on my bike with no problems and almost not stretch.

I like Copenhagen juice out of a spray bottle.

Used engine oil for me.

WD 40 to disperse water from chain and no rust.. Then Honda chain lube.. goes on wet and dries to a wax.. No fling..

I use the wash with water & simple green & WD40 method. The stock chain on my TE250 lasted over 6100kms(255hrs) of nasty riding and was washed probably 100 times and ran thru slop, mud and water another 10,000 times. The only reason I replaced the chain is that the stock Alum. sprocket finally wore out, so I replaced the chain & sprockets at the same time.
That chain probably could have probably safely gone another 2-3000km.

From a $ standpoint there is probably no point in lubing o-ring chains as, over the life of a chain, you are probably spending as much on lube as you are on a chain & sprocket etc. - With no proven benefit.
Save the cash you spend on fancy chain lubes and buy something else for the bike.

well said, the belray chain lube is $15 + tax a can, i started using the champion brand you get at oreilly autoparts stores for like $5

+ 1

no votes for ATF? Seems to work well without attracting a lot of grit.

i use wd40's lithium spray grease.. never ever gets crusty and seems to dry sort of so no crap sticks to it unlike the last stuff i tried... chain runs well, quiet and also lessens wear on swing arm slider..happy with that ! 9 bucks a can that has lasted 4mths and still half full and i recommend it !

only in californeea

maxima chain wax worked fine. just switched to motorex chain lube, its green.

they both seem to do their jobs.

I have used tri-flow for years and love it. It is very slippy but not sticky and gooey like bel-ray that sticks to everything but the chain...

I see that lowes carries Dupont Teflon Multi Use Lube (Dry Wax Lubricant) - I read some very positive things about it a few years back and then it slipped my mind. Has anyone used it? Comments?

Thanks,
jeff

Yes, I've tried the Dupont stuff from Lowe's. Seems to work OK.
As some others have said, I've never had a problem with an O-ring chain no matter what lube I've used.

I think it depends on the soil you ride in. I was using the Bel-Ray lube for a while, but in the sand it seems to form a nice "paste" on the chain that doesn't want to come off. I do think it's good for other conditions like regular dirt or hard pack.