How to look after the chain (offroad)

[marcing]

Hi,
I would like to receive some advices about how to look after the chain if I plan about 2500miles mid-extreme trip through mud, rubble, sand... (Morocco)
I have heard two opinions:
1. off road designed spray (never believed in that).
2. dry chain all the time as it is causing less damages to the chain.

[ColoradoBigfoot]

In your case I'd start with a new one (x ring?).
Go for a couple of short rides to wear off factory oil/grease.
1) Adjust to specification.
2) Lube chain via inside links with o-ring compatible oil (no fling is what I prefer...don't much like something that can get on my wheel/tire especially if riding on pavement). Don't like the wax types either due to the residue they leave. Motul is what I have been using.
3) Wipe excess off to clean exterior of chain so that dirt does not accumulate on links.
Go on your ride and repeat steps 1-3 as necessary. Take along rivet chain breaker and extra master link/clip. Don't forget to take a can of chain lube with you.

Sounds like an exciting ride!

[Balsta]

Originally Posted by ColoradoBigfoot

In your case I'd start with a new one (x ring?).
Go for a couple of short rides to wear off factory oil/grease.
1) Adjust to specification.
2) Lube chain via inside links with o-ring compatible oil (no fling is what I prefer...don't much like something that can get on my wheel/tire especially if riding on pavement). Don't like the wax types either due to the residue they leave. Motul is what I have been using.
3) Wipe excess off to clean exterior of chain so that dirt does not accumulate on links.
Go on your ride and repeat steps 1-3 as necessary. Take along rivet chain breaker and extra master link/clip. Don't forget to take a can of chain lube with you.

Sounds like an exciting ride!

PLUS the most important issue: DONT EVER EVER TIGHTEN THE CHAIN TOO STIFF!!! Loose fit means MUCH longer life! When you compress the shock the chain must still be a bit loose

[marcing]

I have a DID Xring chain (just fitted)... slack is ok.
I have somewhere a can of Motul Off-road chain spray but not sure about it... it is like a gel...
Thats why I have heard opinion that if you keep chain totally dry then all mud and sand goes off from between the links... if you keep chain wet then all that shit will stay between the links together with a lube...
So I'm very confused.

[cjracer]

I run my plated DID X ring chains dry. I've noticed no difference in life over lubing. 15,000 miles is good enough for me.

After a sloppy, muddy ride, I hose the bike and chain down. Spray it WD-40 and wipe it clean with a rag.

Chain lube is a pain if you plan to travel any where and it takes up too much room on the luggage.

That's just me though. Maybe I'm just lazy.

[Boatman]

Originally Posted by cjracer

I run my plated DID X ring chains dry. I've noticed no difference in life over lubing. 15,000 miles is good enough for me.

After a sloppy, muddy ride, I hose the bike and chain down. Spray it WD-40 and wipe it clean with a rag.

Chain lube is a pain if you plan to travel any where and it takes up too much room on the luggage.

That's just me though. Maybe I'm just lazy.

Not lazy..... same ritual here with same results.

[DiasDePlaya]

In my old Honda Africa Twin I used a Scottoiler, and when I went off road in the Chilean Atacama desert I just opened a little more the regulation, this way the oil was cleaning the chain continuously. Each chain kit lasted 60.000 km. I used just 2 kits before sell the bike.

The same on the rain.

[cjracer]

Originally Posted by DiasDePlaya

In my old Honda Africa Twin I used a Scottoiler, and when I went off road in the Chilean Atacama desert I just opened a little more the regulation, this way the oil was cleaning the chain continuously. Each chain kit lasted 60.000 km. I used just 2 kits before sell the bike.

The same on the rain.

Bike HP might play a roll in that longer life too??? 55 HP, vs 100 HP. 1/2 the HP = 2x the miles. I would agree with that.

Those oilers sound great for road riders, but also sound like a constant mess.

I'd hate to see what the swing arm, sprocket area would look like in my off road use.

[baloneyskin daddy]

I've always done the same with wd 40 on all my off road bikes and have had no issues.

[mdfehrmann]

Keep it adjusted and run it dry. Works for me as well.

[Zuber]

40 years of experience with chains here.. They used to be real crap. The new X-Ring chains are great, they last longer than a GS drive shaft. The O-ring chains are so-so, the extra 20% in cost will more than double the miles.

Get a Grunge Brush, cut the handle down to pack better. $13
Fill a Squirt bottle full of cheap 90 wt gear oil. $2-4 On the road, just drain the dregs from a few bottles at a service station.

Put the bike on the centerstand, start it, 2nd gear idle, brush off all the dirt and lube it with the gear oil. Do it when you end your ride and the chain is still hot. In the morning wipe up any excess from the bike and chain. Good for 500 road miles.

Repeat it when you leave the dirt and are to ride on pavement for a while. It will look like new after a few miles.

It's messy below the front sprocket, but it's just oil and dirt. Not chain glue and dirt, so it wipes off.

Never use the chain wax, you'll get about 10k miles. Dry, you may get 12k miles. Lots of WD40, maybe 13k miles.

I got 45,000 miles from my original 950 chain. It still was mostly ok, but had a few loose links. I inspect the chain every tire change, go through and inspect each link. These typically fail by a few loose links, usually at the master link. I replace the chain and front sprocket only, the rear doesn't wear. I've never bought a rear sprocket for my ADV bikes.

Never run it too tight, that's a recipe for toast.

[c munch]

"Keep it adjusted and run it dry. Works for me as well."
and I as well.... 26k miles on the oe chain with a little wd40 now and then to keep the rust off.

[Fishenough]

Originally Posted by Zuber

just drain the dregs from a few bottles at a service station.

I read 950, but I hear a KLR owner

Put the brush in a toothbrush holder for easy clean packing, and I've used a ketchup squeeze bottle well on the road.

I also find that gear oil mess is far easier to clean off your bike then any the residue from spray waxes or non-fling spray lubes. Tried spray grease a few years ago, and found them to be the most useless - that was the least mileage I got out of a chain. Pet peeve of most mechanics in SE Asia; they will tighten your chain crazy tight.


Anyone have experience with those chain lubes that penetrate o and x rings, with just one tiny drops needed for each link?

[Brokein2]

Originally Posted by Zuber

Snip...
Put the bike on the centerstand, start it, 2nd gear idle, brush off all the dirt and lube it with the gear oil. Do it when you end your ride and the chain is still hot. In the morning wipe up any excess from the bike and chain. Good for 500 road miles.Snippage....

Lubing and cleaning while the bike is running should be left to professionals...Like this guy http://bikerpunks.com/media/d32c8950111a.jpg

Not worth it...Just roll the damn tire with your hand.

[Whele]

I fitted a large capacity Scottoiler behind the rear registration plate. The large capacity unit holds sufficient oil for 5,000 miles of riding . To make the system robust when off-road I simply drilled a small hole in the top of the front sprocket cover and drop the oil onto the chain inside the plastic cover. Its clean (as any fling happens inside the sprocket cover) and the oil line is out of the way of off-road debris and rocks, flailing feet etc.

When I rode from UK to Morocco I rode with it on normal setting through France, Spain and the first tarmac in Morocco . In the south, in deep sand I turned off the oil flow and wiped off excess oil from the chain. When getting back into highway I just turned it up high for 25 miles and flushed all the sand off.

I run my chain a little looser that specified, especially in the rough with luggage on the bike where the swinging arm movement is close to maximum. The last chain lasted more that 25,000 miles, during this time I only adjusted it 5 or 6 times.