Chain Cleaning

[SMSW]

Its tire changing time on my Suzuki VStrom, and I've cleaned the rear wheel/sprocket and mounted the new tire.

What have you used to clean a motorcycle's chain? I remember years ago reading about a gadget with brushes on two sides and the bottom. You used it to brush the chain while spraying cleaner from above. I don't want to damage the chain's O-rings, so I'm leery of strong cleaners/grease cutters like carb or brake cleaners. These I know will attack rubber so they are out. I don't mind spending a few bucks to get some kind of device that contains the mess so I don't have to clean the whole wheel a second time.

 

[Fawlty]

I used to clean the chain of my Yamaha FZ6 with diesel applied with a paintbrush, wipe off with a rag and lube with a teflon based chain spray.

 

[rwthomas1]

Cut piece of cardboard with a notch that fits in behind the sprocket, there is a tool with brushes on three sides that works well. I liked wd40 for cleaning chain. Won't hurt the o-rings and melts the crud pretty well. My CBR had WHITE wheels, so I learned pretty quickly to clean and lube chain, ride for a day or so THEN clean the wheels. Anything else was counterproductive.

RT

 

[dduelin]

I used nothing but WD40 to clean motorcycle chains but don't spray it on the chain itself. I did ruin a chain by using the three-sided brush and spraying WD40 directly on the chain. It got behind the rubber O-rings and diluted the grease inside the rollers. Rather I take a couple of heavy duty shop towels and fold into 8ths then wetten the towel with WD40. Not the whole towel just the part that will touch the top, bottom, and side links of the chain. Spin the wheel by hand while grasping the chain with the damp towel to clean and wipe it off. An on-road use chain cleaned like this looks new it's entire service life and never accumulates the crud attracted to sticky chain lubes and waxes and the rear wheel and swing arm stay as clean as a shaft drive bike. Modern O and X ring chains don't need external lubrication for the rollers but they do need protection from external moisture and rust. I use 50/50 mixture of ATF and 80-90w gear oil and use a toothbrush dipped one time per cleaning in the mixture, then held on the inside lower run of the chain spun by hand. Just one toothbrush worth per cleaning is enough to keep the chain protected and quiet for 300-600 miles. On trips I take a cut-down toothbrush, a few paper towels, several nitrile gloves, and a 4 oz bottle of the 50/50 mixture in a sandwich bag. It's more than enough for a 3000 mile trip and takes up very little room.

 

[Kevcules]

I used kerosene to clean my O ring chains long ago and still use kerosene to clean up dirty oily, greasy parts today.
The KLR650 manual said to soak it in kerosene and it didn't hurt the O rings. I did it and it didn't.
You can also soak a rag with it and spin the wheel while grabbing the chain with the soaked towel.
Then use a light chain lubricant on the chain and you're good to go. Not too heavy or your wheel gets dirty quick!
Good luck....

 

[caldercay]

Lots of great info in here ...

I'm waaaay overdo to clean the chain on my ST13 and Gold Wing ...

 

[SMSW]

I used nothing but WD40 to clean motorcycle....

Thanks, Dave. I followed your suggestions today, though I used a couple of rags since I did not have sturdy shop towels. I did wear some of those Covid gloves I bought. They come in very handy for working on greasy toys....

 

[SMSW]

I used kerosene to clean my O ring chains long ago and still use kerosene to clean up dirty oily, greasy parts today.
The KLR650 manual said to soak it in kerosene and it didn't hurt the O rings. I did it and it didn't.
You can also soak a rag with it and spin the wheel while grabbing the chain with the soaked towel.
Then use a light chain lubricant on the chain and you're good to go. Not too heavy or your wheel gets dirty quick!
Good luck....

I considered kero, but I'd have to find a gas station that sells it. As I said above, I used rags. The chain is endless with no master link so it was easier to mount the rear wheel and just turn it with one hand while I held the rag around the chain with my other hand.

 

[Kevcules]

SMSW.....You should be able to find kerosene at any hardware store. It's great stuff to clean with. WD40 is also a good degreaser.
Good to hear you got the chain all cleaned up!

 

[ReSTored]

Check out these vidoes..... I just purchased a Tracer GT with a chain vs. a shaft drive, so it's been an education for me as well.

Cleaning:

Oiling/Lubing a Chain:

 

[rwthomas1]

While I was considering different motorcycles when I was returning to riding, I was looking at some chain driven machines. Had I gone that direction I would have installed an automatic chain oiler. There are several designs, simple to complex, but there's no way I was going back to traditional chain maintenance again. Should I ever find myself with a chain again, it'll have an auto oiler on it.

RT

 

[Pop-Pop]

I clean the chain on my st every week!

 

[Larry Fine]

I clean the chain on my st every week!

Oh a wise guy! Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!

On my Nighthawk, I use the chain wax in the gold can. I heated and bent the red tube into an elbow so I can spray it inside the chain as the engine rotates it in first gear.

I apply it as soon as I get home after a ride, so it's warm. I confess that I have never cleaned it, but it doesn't seem to build up or get dirty, and I have not noticed any fling.

 

[Upt' North]

Motorbike Chain Cleaner

Specialist Motorbike Chain Cleaner helps maintain performance. The perfect partner for keeping your bike chain in top operational order.

wd40.co.uk

 

[RaYzerman]

When you can't find kerosene, use good old mineral spirits (aka Varsol, etc.), but I don't clean my chains very often. I may soak a rag and give it a wipe, IMHO you don't want it squeaky clean. Use a lube that doesn't attract grit (e.g., don't use BelRay Superclean) and is O-ring friendly. The chains these days are very good and don't need much. No need to overlube. But discussing chain maintenance is like starting an oil thread, lol.

 

[klaproth]

I use Dupont " safe for o-rings" chain cleaner, available at WalMart, and no doubt other places, I make a "mask" to keep it off the wheel. I give it a good rub with a fairly clean toothbrush, and a wipe with a clean shop towel, then let it dry. I take a spin around the neighborhood to warm it up, and use a waxy spray lube to coat it. In between regular cleanings I have a Nemo oiler, loaded with 50/50 ATF/80/90 weight gear lube. Stays nice and clean, and still looks new at 11k miles. Just rotate the top at every second fill up, and voila'! , well lubed chain.
The Nemo oiler is pretty reasonable, and very reliable.

 

[st11ray]

I clean my bicycle chain weekly with mineral spirits. Does that count?

 

[Obo]

I usually use kerosene with lots of newspaper on the floor underneath to catch the drippings. I have a chain cleaner brush but any brush will work. Just use plastic bristles - even an old toothbrush.



However I've recently been using Maxima chain cleaner (aerosol can) before using the Maxima chain wax spray (I've used the wax for a number of years even when I used kerosene to clean.)


Given the price of kerosene right now the can of chain cleaner is not any more expensive and it's compact and neater and can travel with you on trips easily.

 

[Larry Fine]

I remember my SOHC CB750 had an automatic chain oiler that leaked engine oil through the center of the drive sprocket.

 

[NewtonNole]

Anyone have a "That was stupid" motorcycle story? I put a new O ring chain on my Dl650, and I got the bright idea to clean it with the pressure washer!! It did an amazing job! It did so much of a job, that I washed all the lube out between the O Rings, and it was dead a week later.

I learned to be better.