Just a question how often should the chain be cleaned lubed etc.?

-panthro

About every 400 miles to get the best life out of the chain and sprockets. Adjust chain tension as needed.

I'll lubricate the chain every 300-500 miles and clean it about every 1000 miles.  If you do a good job cleaning it (I use toothbrushes and kerosene), and use a good lubricant that doesn't attract dirt, you really don't need to clean it every time you add lubricant.

do it the ca-cycle method as in their videos and you never have to clean the chain, the lubing cleans the chain as you lube it... 1 step method.  done that for thousands of miles and it works perfectly.

I shoot for every 600 mi.  13000+ mi. on the Multistrada and it looks like new. [moto]

Quote from: sbrguy on August 13, 2008, 03:56:54 PM
do it the ca-cycle method as in their videos and you never have to clean the chain, the lubing cleans the chain as you lube it... 1 step method.  done that for thousands of miles and it works perfectly.

+1

the only downside to this method is the lube is more expensive than using WD40 to clean. 

depending on how much time i have, i will do the "lube only" cleaning for short time.  if i have overnight, i'll soak it in wd40, brush off the crap, then spray again with wd40, then paper towel it dry.  let it drip off overnight, then lube with wax.    overnight method gets it much cleaner for me.

i use the 99 cent nail brushes you get from auto parts stores -- the kind you use to clean your hands.  they are reusable for quite a while.

i would not use kerosene on an x-ring/o-ring chain unless the chain maker says its ok.  all of them have said using wd40 is ok (tsubaki and DID specifically).  wd40 does not have any kerosene, despite popular misconception.

if you're really anal, use PJ1's "synthetic sperm oil".. no kidding, look it up.

Quote from: ducatizzzz on August 13, 2008, 04:39:18 PM
i would not use kerosene on an x-ring/o-ring chain unless the chain maker says its ok.

So, what's wrong with kerosene?  It's both cheaper and cleans better than WD-40.

Quote from: ScottRNelson on August 13, 2008, 04:43:13 PM
So, what's wrong with kerosene?  It's both cheaper and cleans better than WD-40.

This is going to lead us into the whole kerosene errodes rubber so it reduces the life of the chain argument. The defense is that the o-rings are sealed so the kerosene shouldn't be getting to them anyway.

Thanks for the advice all.  Any lubing done after rides in the rain?


-panthro

Quote from: ScottRNelson on August 13, 2008, 04:43:13 PM
So, what's wrong with kerosene?  It's both cheaper and cleans better than WD-40.

i only said to make sure your chain manufacturer says it's ok.  many rubber compounds are quite fine with kerosene.

kerosene eats natural rubber and breaks down EPDM.  if you want to see, take an old tire and soak it with kerosene (on the inside, where it is usually nice and new).  it will start to harden and split within a short time.

Urethanes and Nitrile, on the other hand is impervious.

Quote from: erkishhorde on August 13, 2008, 05:41:11 PM
This is going to lead us into the whole kerosene errodes rubber so it reduces the life of the chain argument. The defense is that the o-rings are sealed so the kerosene shouldn't be getting to them anyway.

O-rings have an exterior, exposed portion.  If the o-rings are natural rubber, they will be compromised by kerosene. 

But, as I said above, check with your chain manufacturer.  If they use nitrile/buna-n, urethane, or something similar, it should be fine.

Quote from: panthro on August 13, 2008, 06:01:24 PM
Thanks for the advice all.  Any lubing done after rides in the rain?

Best to err on the side of cleaning / lubing more frequently if you are riding in the rain.

I'm way behind on my cleaning then, I would have noever thought to clean that often if I hadn't read this thread, thanks!

DID recomends Kerosene

Quote from: Capo on August 14, 2008, 07:20:04 AM
DID recomends Kerosene

where do you find that?  it's not on their website and the DID chain I have here (520ERV) doesn't have anything about cleaning it on the instructions.

Sorry it was Diamond Chains
http://www.diamondchain.co.uk/usr_doc/DC_cycle_chain.pdf

'O-ring chains may be cleaned externally by washing in kerosene. Do not use any other cleaning agent or the O-rings may be damaged. When cleaning O-ring chain, clean only the external areas of the chain. Do not attempt to force kerosene into the pin-bush cavity.'

O-ring seals are usually made of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, which is highly resistant to oil, heat, and abrasion.

The link plates holding the O-rings are under compression. This means greater force is required to articulate the chain, and the transmitted power is decreased. At places where the chain tension is low (such as the return side) the strand will retain the bend. The manufacturing tolerances of the O-rings are generally large, therefore, it is difficult to make the bending resistance of O-ring chain smaller and stable.

The life of O-ring chain is usually determined by the durability of the O-ring. To improve the durability, there should be an oil film on the O-ring at all times. When the oil film between the O-ring and the link plate is gone, the O-ring will wear and deteriorate. Rubber has a "creeping" property, and it tries to make the contacting surface flat. Therefore, it becomes more difficult to get lubricant into the O-ring and maintain the flm. Even though it is a sealed chain, lubrication is required to extend the working life of the O-ring. Cleaning sprays may cause deterioration of the O-rings. Do not allow chains to air dry after washing, or it will rust.

During long-term operation, the O-rings may start to fall off the chain. Then, the elongation at that spot will progress very rapidly. If this occurs, it is time to replace the chain, even if the total chain has not reached the elongation limit (1.5 percent).