Is chain lube really needed on dirt bikes?︱Cross Training Enduro
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- www.crosstrainingenduro.com tractionerag.com Are dirt bike chain lubricants a complete waste of money? I think so. Are the enduro chain lube manufacturers deliberately ripping us off? I'm not sure. But I cannot find any evidence for lubricants extending chain and sprocket life for dirt bikes. If you disagree, I am keen to hear of hard evidence supporting chain lubes, and ideally with scientific research. Let me explain myself. So is enduro chain lube a rip off? WD40 and kerosene can maintain chains? Early motorbike chains had no internal lubricant. Do you think not using lube is crazy? We are keen to hear your thoughts, let us know in the comments. At a later point the x-ring chain was developed, it has less friction and the seals can last up to twice as long even without chain lubrication. Now the important point here is that an externally applied chain lubricant can't get past those seals. I don't pressure wash the chain as water can get pushed past the seals. I just hose the chain off, then apply WD40 or a similar product for lubing motorbike chains that dispels water and leaves a residue that will prevent rust. You had to lubricate them if you wanted the chain to last. And these roller chains are still used on trials bikes because they are lighter. Many use a similar technique and find it works for dirt bike and enduro chain lubrication. I have yet to find anyone who says this is less effective than chain lube. It is important in motorbike chain maintenance to never use chemicals that could deteriorate your seals, such as gasoline or carb cleaner. I know I might be wrong. I would not be surprised if the situation is different for road bikes, or adventure bikes doing lots of highway work, and therefore chain lube is a waste of money. The Fortnine CZcams channel did a pile of lubing motorbike chains testing as well, they concluded that the important thing is just to ensure your chain doesn't rust. I agree. Any surface rust around those o-rings could wear them prematurely. Here are just some of the comments from guys running dry chains, pause to read. I have spent hours trawling the forums for the experience of others. No difference for motorbike chain maintenance. I find on my DR650s that the chain starts to kink at around 20,000km and need replacement with or without lube. And on my dirt bikes the chains start to kink at around 150 hours of use. I believe the key to making o-ring chains last is simply keeping them clean and preventing rust. WD40 and motorbike chains has proven to be fine, pause to read about this experiment. Just pause to read. So personally I think expensive chain lubes are just a scam nowadays, at least on dirt bikes and adventure bikes mainly ridden on dirt roads. But if you can prove otherwise with hard science then I am all ears. And many of us argue that all the external lube is doing is attracting dust and mud to form a grinding paste and just wear things out faster. Some lubricant manufacturers have countered with chain lubrication products like chain wax that apparently don't attract dirt. People who support the use of lubes say it's still important to lubricate the rollers. So is chain lube a waste of money? As an experiment, 10 years ago I stopped lubricating chains on my dirt bikes and adventure bikes. To date? And on many motocross bikes because there's slightly less friction and thus more power. Roller chains definitely need lube to last. But then the o-ring chain was invented in 1971.The o-ring traps the grease where it is needed for motorbike chain lubrication. What do the scientists say about motorbike chain maintenance? Well unfortunately I could only find one study about motorbike chain lubricants, and they only tested roller chains, so it's only relevant to trials and motocross riders. Perhaps the rollers wear much faster in those cases, and external lube is a great idea especially when it's not attracting dust and grit. I'd love to see some research on this. So what do you guys use? How do you look after your chain?
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I use a small brush and some 80/90 gear lube very sparingly and then wipe of the excess, keeps them rust free and they do seem to rotate a tad bit more freely IMO.
I didn't lube chains for quite a few years but now that I've been married for over 30 years I spend a lot more time alone in the shed working on my dirt bikes and lubing my chain.
lol
I use the exact same procedure and have over 12K miles on my T7 chain that is still in service specs.
I use the exact same procedure and have 13 years on my marriage certificate and she's still in service
I read about a guy that was arrested for lubing his
chain in public.
Marriage makes men enjoy the basement or garage a lot more. Divorced & free TFGOD!
I recently started using 75-W90 gear oil on my chain, thanks to FortNine's analysis of different lubrication options. It is inexpensive, easy to apply (I purchased an old-school oil can), does not spray on my rear tire, wheel, or frame, and lubricates exceptionally well. Gear oil is designed to provide excellent viscosity in high-torque environments, so it would make sense that it works well on a dirt bike chain. The only pitfall is that it is pungent! The smell is like a combination of 5th wheel grease, gasoline, and motor oil. Reminds me of my days in the trucking industry...
EXTRA NOTES! Just heard from this dirt bike hire tour/hire business
, stopped lubing chains years ago to see if it made any difference. Chain wear was identical with or without lube. That was across 10 bikes for years initially with chain lube, then a few years without. Backs up my experience to date. - P. Wheeler
WHAT ABOUT ROAD BIKES? I suspect chain lube may be a good idea for long highway miles. I can't find studies to confirm this. Here is what Rob Y. said... "My street bikes, the chain runs cooler per infrared thermometer when there's lube on it (one hour test at 80+ mph). Experimented with running a dry chain, the rollers burnish themselves to a mirror shine. All the rollers still rotate freely and my chain is fine but I think there's definitely increased friction at least in high speed applications. I still use WD-40 to clean my chain. But, I throw on a thin layer of dry lubricant on the rollers..."
THE PERFECT CHAIN LUBE? "I use only the finest certified organic KTM tears. The highest grade is harvested from 790/890 riders with recurring electrical problems during the first month of the riding season." - Carlos
FURTHER READING
Not a true scientific study, but one guy tested WD40, kerosene etc on o-rings: www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=345397
What tends to cause o-rings to fail: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-ring#Failure_modes
Performance benefits of lube for non-o-ring chains: www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ILT-10-2015-0142/full/html
Fortnine's chain lube tests: czcams.com/video/VnPYdcbcAe0/video.html
I have this molybdenum disulfide spray that goes on wet but dries completely leaving a film of moly. i haven't tried it but could possible give you lubrication with zero tack. its made by dupont. MOLYKOTE® D-321 R Anti-Friction Coating Spray
whether it is worth the effort to give you some kind of lower friction performance gains is an open question but it may just be the ticket for someone who just has to have a lube on some kind on their chain. this may just be the ticket for not o-ring chains??
anyway just some thoughts I'm going to get a go on my road bike for the hell of it.
by the way it will make you a chain all Gray and yucky looking. so it's probably not for KTM riders ;-)
I can't say anything about the chain lube but this comment borders on poetry.
+1 to WD40 or similar. Learned it from a pro desert racer and Baja California winner who ran a business with a fleet of 450’s for rider training in sandy desert. I bought a bike off him and that was his advice. Never looked back.
I think there is one proof in favor of oiling the chain. Scott oilers and other automatic oiling system seems to increase longevity of chains and sprockets significantly. What this seems to indicate is that in fact those can of chain lube applied to the chain are not staying where the friction occurs long enough to make any differences in wear, but constantly applying chain oil to the chain seem to provide benefits to longevity. So oil chain is not useless, it might increase the life of your chain if you use an automatic oiling system or if you stop every 50 meters to re-apply chain lube from a can to your chain. This does not contradict your position, it reaffirms it, but it adds an important nuance to the concept of lubing chain for longevity.
I agree with the wd40 for the chain idea. That is all I use since the sealed chains came out. Back in the 70s before o ring chains once a month I would do a hot grease soak of my chain. Use a stainless steel bowl big enough to hold your chain. Fill it with enough grease to cover the chain and heat gently to melt the grease. Leave it cooking for 20 minutes after the grease becomes liquid then let it stand until cool. Wipe off the excess grease and reinstall the chain. Chain lasted 1 1/2 to 2 years
I'm a bit late for this video but anyway. From what I know the wear parts are lubricated with an oil contained by the rubber seals. However, these seals wear against both the inner and outer links. The oil the seals contain does not sufficiently protect the seals themselves from this wear. If the seals get worn they'll no longer be able to contain the oil and the wear between pins and rollers increase. Dry lube does not attract particles (at least it's not meant to) and doesn't fling of the chain onto your bike. But it easily washes off with just water. Wet lube works better in wet conditions but tends to attract particles and can easily fly off the chain. So really it depends on driving conditions. A lot of comments mention using WD-40 and that's a dry lube (albeit not specifically meant for chains) and probably works similarly to an expensive dry chain oil. I think the most important part is like many have said, keep it clean and rust-free. I'll probably start using WD-40 as well.
For my adventure bike I designed, built and installed an oiler that applies one drop of 80-90 gear oil between the chain and rear sprocket every 90 seconds of operation.. The constant addition of oil in a controlled amount tends to keep the chain fairly clean in dusty conditions. My main focus is lubing the sprockets, after all, the chain may not need oil but the sprocket teeth do. Sprockets wear out and fail while the chain is still functional, even though it is worn. I have used this system on 5 motorcycles but haven't yet accumulated many thousands of miles on any one of them to site hard evidence. What I see is a system that prevents rust, and shows no wear after 5000 miles. The rear wheel gets a light coating of oil that wipes off easily with a rag as opposed to chain lube that collect dirt and are a pain to remove from the rear wheel.
Thanks to getting to the point and then explaining why, thumbs up!
My understanding is that lubing a chain is intended for keeping the exterior of the o-rings from drying out. And for that purpose, gear oil will do just fine.
I've used gear oil for years and I stopped because it's just a mess.
You have a point and more importantly to prevent external rust
Oiling may attract dirt and other troubles
I clean my o-ring chain with kerosene and lube with Klontz or Belray blue label chain lube They both contain solvent that penetrates rollers, flashes off after a hour or so and leaves behind a thick tacky lube wipe off excess. After cleaning ride for five miles or so before lubing, its best if you lube a warm chain. A lubed chain runs smoother with less friction. I can't but help but believe a smooth running quiet chain with less friction will make it and the sprockets last longer. For this to do any good it must be done often. Tried chain wax and I believe its pretty much worthless. O-ring chains are still roller chains, o-rings seal and protect the factory greased small pins which run through the chain and connect side plates. Hardened rollers that contact sprocket teeth are free to roll on some form of bushing that is not sealed, this is usually what wears out. In an extreme wear case a chain will be missing rollers but the sealed chain is still in one piece. If you pull your clutch lever in and your chain sounds like a hay baler probably needs some attention. lol
I use gear oil like my manual says, however, I feel like after I clean the chain and lube it, the next ride it gets particularly dirty. After a brush off and run the next ride it stays clean if I don’t relube. So maybe putting anything on is bad and it’s better to just keep the chain clean and maybe spray some wd-40 silicone spray on every so often to protect against rust.
I always clean and lube as part of my aftercare following a ride on both my enduro and adventure bike, although recently moved from a road lube for my Honda Africa Twin to a offroad PTFE lube - im not sure if it makes much difference other than helping me protect the surface of the chain & sprockets and assist with cleaning the mud and grime off of it - that just helps me out after the ride.
I use a very cheap chain lube mainly for rust prevention. It is teflon-based and helps against rust and makes less mud stick to the chain. Many guys i know use old gearbox-oil which is a great idea, but to be honest, i am too lasy to get out the brush every time so i enjoy the ease-of-use of the teflon spray.
I clean my chain with the oil from seized ktm engines mixed with rider tears…works wonders!
I use the oil from Beta's after cases are split to replace faulty main bearings.
I believe in re-purposing
@@firffighter Ha ha I knew someone would go there lol!
Great idea, thank you, what ratio do you recommend?
@@ValentineFarm
50:1
Same ratio of KTM's vs Beta's sold.
Or, 1000:1 which is the ratio of titles KTM vs Beta in off road racing.
Or
@@LCARSADV 😉
Before O-ring chains existed I used to use STP oil treatment. A friends dad was a chemist and compared it to some off the shelf chain lube and the key ingredients were the same, which made sense. All kinds of crap stuck to it but back then it was either motor oil or chain lube. Chain wax started to be a thing but I was neve impressed with it. Fast forward and I bounced back and forth on O-ring and non-O-ring. A buddy of mine owned a company that made moly lube that was in a liquid carrier for industrial chains which worked real good. I'd pressure wash the snot out of the chain (non-O-ring) and then apply this stuff and it dissipated the water and deposited a dry film of moly.
Once I went full off road I always use an O-ring chain. I never pressure wash it but after gentle washing I spray it with WD-40. In fact I spray every metal part and all of the engine with it. I buy it by the gallon. It's served me well and occasionally I'll spray some chain lube on it but only because I have had a can for 5 years that I feel guilt not using. All you need to do with an O-ring chain is to keep it from rusting.
Stopped using chain lube after fortnine did his review years ago. Have had no issues.
Why I use chain lube:
Chain without lube squeaks occasionally
Chain with lube doesn't squeak
Great points. I can't really disagree with any of them. I will simply share my experience.
I have a spark initiated timer mounted on my CRF250R. The chain and sprockets were changed 116 engine hours ago. They are still in great shape. I lube mine every ride. Maybe 30 hours ago I switched to wax from a foaming oil.
While the internals have sealed lubrication the rollers and sprockets can benefit from lube as well. I believe this increases the life of the sprockets themselves. Obviously the only true test would be to run the same equipment both ways and view the results. Most of us do not ride enough to try that. So I guess we are left with our own unsubstantiated opinions.
Nice video. Thanks.
Tip for the extra cheap... Kerosene for cleaning and gear oil for rust protection if needed.
100% Did the chain wax in the beginning and realized after every long ride and wash, I had to start over..and for what? Was very expensive. Like you said, just about the rust. WD40 or Boe-Shield....call it a day. Great video as always!!
Thanks Chris!
I've tried all the lubes in my decades of riding. Sticky, 90wt, motor oil, chain wax. Now I just use wd40 or silicon spray after gently washing my chain. I think the key is to just preserve the life and integrity of the o-rings. The chain lasts longer for me this way. Heck, the sticky lubes were actually decreasing the life of my chains. I'm assuming the grit was being turned into a grinding paste.
Wash, WD-40, wipe clean. Currently at 393 hours on the chain on my ktm 300 and going strong. Although you could shave with the edge of the master link clip!
Agree. I lubricate it after a wet ride or washing, just to prevent rust.😊
I use chain saw bar oil with anti-fling formula. I apply a light coat of oil with a toothbrush every 500km's. I know it is not about lubrication, but to prevent corrosion in the o-ring area.
My chain looks clean and I use bike-detergent like muc-off to clean it, then hose it down with the garden hose in low pressure.
Forget lube, think anti-corrosion
Been using wd40 and biltema x4 mulit spray for years now. Road and offroad. I have found zero problems with this. On street bikes wd40 etc with NOT coat your rims in chain lube, so they stay clean longer too ;) PS: The quality of the chain has ALOT to say on how long it will last. I say use the money saved on not buying "quality" chain lube to buy quality chains insted.
#GNAGGANG
Sounds like a good plan to me 😁
Clean constantly, WD-40 treatment, then prior to riding I just use light coat of gear oil. Repeat after every trip. Well I do this to my entire bike. Good video. 👍
Great video. You just saved me months of research. A little wd40/Supertech lube for anti-rust, nothing more.
I experience the same as you.
Chain Lube doesn't "improve preformance" it just keeps the chain from rusting in my experience. I only use o ring and x ring chains, also i only use it AFTER washing to prevent rust while storing between rides
I rarely maintain my KTM 350 chain (clean/lube), so I am actually on your side.
OTOH. I own a BMW 650 Dakar for 240,000 km. I use scottsoiler since day 1. I used to hurt the small hose offroad (until I relocated it), and no doubt, without it, the chains held 12,000, and with it more than 30,000. Not sure if I should have left it on in the dirt (mostly, dust). I did.
BTW, I use automatic transmission fluid, according to the recommendation.
I use very expensive gearbox oil in tranny just few hours and when I took it out I use it for chain lube. Cheap and works!
I quit lubing the chains on my dirt bikes and adventure bikes after your last vid on this topic... haven't had enough hours/miles yet to make any conclusion but one thing has been nice - not being hassled to lube my chain between rides while out camping or periodically on long adv trips! Totally agree with not power washing and preventing rust though, I just use a hose and grunge brush to clean them then WD40 to prevent rust.
It does make long rides more relaxing, Matt! Having said that, we did an eight day adv ride when it was very wet so we did hit the chains with a mini can of WD40 at the end of each day... just to prevent rust.
Back in days of old we bought 3 brand new xr 400s 2 of them lubed the chain every ride and mine didn’t get anything and it lasted longer than the lubed ones but I did wash it with hose to get grit off after every ride
Always making sure chain is clean and I use Castrol gear oil75w90 every 500km and yes making sure no rust. WD forks fine but it will dry your seals very quickly. Thats why in Europe we're using gear oil(doesn't attract any dirt and it's just preventing maintenance as you said you will have to change chain anyway)
I like triflow since it is very light but removes dirt with a simple wipe. Lubing the chain probably isn't necessary, but cleaning it is imperative. If you don't clean the chain, you are weating out sprockets faster too.
Two things make me think lube has a benefit. 1) When my chain became old it made a horrible clunking noise upon starting out. After lubing the chain it was fine or about 100 kms. (2) People using "Scott Oilers". They seem to be getting 60,000 to 80,000 km's from a set of chain and sprockets. Not sure where they ride, but some gravel is included. But, the cost for lubricant is getting to be too high. I am going to be doubling the price of the chain & sprockets by using lube!
It could be worth looking at gear oil to keep the price down... see Fortnine's vid about lube. Their test concluded it worked better than chain lubes. A lot of guys just use their old engine oil which is free, of course.
This is the best kind of video. One that agrees with what I already think. !
This is an excellent comment and I wholeheartedly agree with it. 👍
I used to use chain lubes because it was what I was brought up to do. But after watching a video of yours ages ago, FortNine's video on the subject and cracking the shits with the amount of cleaning I was doing after every ride. I made the switch to a light spray of WD-40. Absolute game changer and haven't looked back.
Great to hear, Derek. Same here, I was forever trying to clean all that crap off my bikes and eventually realised I didn't need to go through all that....
Got some simple green after watching that FortNine video, but now I realize it's water based which could be a problem with rust? I was using maxima chain cleaner before, but WD40 works fine and should damage the O rings less. Was using maxima multi purpose penetrant lube and chain wax too. Might use 10W-40 engine oil since it's around the same viscosity as 75W-90 gear oil.
Solid information. Thanks for the vidy!
Glad it was helpful!
Same here. I do use chain wax, but only after every wash to prevent rust and never otherwise. I’ve already figured I’d switch to wd40 but haven’t ran out of the chain wax yet
Hi I clean chain off with chain brush and wd40, sometimes I rinse off the wd40 and put dry chain lube on from my sport bike but I don’t use Off road chain lube as it’s worse then leaving the chain unlubed
Yep. Agree with everything you said. 👌
Some oil has never hurt anything. Keeps the muck from sticking and makes cleaning a bit easier. Use your old engine oil or whatever, it's free.
Im 59 and have ridden bikes since I was 9 . I use oring, xring chains the last 20 years , don't know if lube helps but i always put some on after i washed the bike after a ride . And never before the sandpits, dunes etc..
Yep, used engine oil on the XR650Rs. Keeps the chain quiet if nothing else. When we do break the chain after some unknown kms, we find they are still wet with oil or grease. Spray lubes are 100% crap for us in the dust.
I clean the dirt and muck off the chain and then grab whatever spray can of lube is handy.
I use Tri-Flow with Teflon. Three drops per pin, one drip for each O-Ring and one for the roller. Keeps rust away and my chains/ sprockets almost never wear out, same with my road bicycle and Mtn Bike. I know it works because the chains don't stretch, ever!
Lolo
Tri Flow is good stuff.
i keep my old used engine oil and fill a force feed oil can, use after washing the bike before it goes in the garage
I only apply chain lube after washing the bike to prevent surface rust and to keep the seals from drying out
Every chain have had the rollers start to come off. Have been using lube and cleaning after every ride.
I dont use chain lube as such. But a few squirts of Nulon Extreme anti sieze lubricant. Basically shuts up drivetrain noise & it jamming up/freezing
I use WD-40 after any water contact (so after I'm done washing the bike or if it rains while riding) and usually use chain wax to keep it from rusting during prolonged storage. I live in Florida so WD-40 only lasts so long before the humidity gets to it. But I agree that lube doesn't change the wear on the chain and sprocket from normal use.
WD40 lover over here, After a good wash on the bike and chain, i blow with compressed air the last mud and water from the chain and lubricate it with WD40 . After a while i wipe the chain dry with a cloth. My D.I.D chain last forever, and this trick on my enduro bike is past on to my son's bikes. It does help to use a top brand O-ring chain though. I swear with D.I.D. and good sprockets. Since 2004.
99% street rider here...80/90W gear oil. I carry it in a small 3 oz paint jar with a brush cap (like rubber cement comes in). Brush it on, and when you think you've wiped enough of the excess off, wipe it some more. I probably would not oil it immediately prior to going off road. Switched from spray lube to the gear oil and don't plan on going back.
Agreed, rust prevention is the primary goal. Anything else just leads to nasty buildup. You might find this interesting but apparently the horsepower loss with o-ring versus non-oring change is minimal once they are hot. Back to back dyno tests show this. At least with road racing applications.
I agree. Wash off chain, dry off excess water, apply WD-40. Been doing this for many many years on o ring chains and they last forever.
When I first got my bike I was using chain lube but didn't like the look of all the dirt sticking to it and the probable grinding action of it. Then decided to just use a thin smear of engine oil and a light wipe with a rag to remove any excess. Gets bugger all flung off and barely any dirt sticks to it.
I don't knwo. I read on my XR manual to keep it lubricated so I do. I clean with kerosene and cloth then lubricate it with SAE 90 when I get back from trails. This way the chain keeps lubricated while the bike is parked inside the garage
Yamaha synthetic clear spray on chain lube is by far the best thing I've ever used. I simply spin the back wheel while grabbing the chain tightly with a rag and gloved hand to remove loose grit. Then spray the chain generously along both edges while spinning the wheel till coated. After the majority of the solvents have evaporated I repeat the wipe down with a rag thing. In my experience any heavy type lubes just attract more dirt and grit. I've tried just about everything over the years and this clear synthetic stuff is the best.
A buddy has a can, we compared and can't tell the difference between the Yamaha stuff and the Maxima stuff. Likely a rebrand in one direction or the other. I like it too.
@@adaycj Oh, most definitely made by "somebody" but not Yamaha. Keeping the x-rings clean and soft is gonna make a difference for some dirt bikers. But if your doing all out hardcore enduro riding in wicked mud or dry dusty sandy stuff, it's gonna be negligible as to any real advantage for durability?
thats exactly what i do but with crc2-26 (i get it at a good price ;) ).. more so to keep the chain plates from surface rust than anything else
I've been using "Dupont Teflon Chain Saver" from the big box hardware store for a couple years on the EXCF. Not that messy but it still does attract dirt and leaves a continual dirt scum on the sprocket & hub. Just got a new chain & both sprockets to put on so I think I'll try out the WD40 and see how it goes.
I would be afraid of phthalates affecting my health if I used that.
Well done!
I use white lithium grease as it’s cheaper than MC lube but often just use WD40 as we always have it in the garage my DR650 is my daily ride and weekend bush beast.
I was riding about 4 months ago and ran into a guy on a ranger. I hadn't seen one and he was running a carbon belt. He said it was in development and asked me not to take pictures. But he said that rocks can destroy the teeth on the belt, so the hub had a guard that doesn't allow anything bigger than a grain of sand to get between the belt. He said he'd been riding the same belt for a year and had done absolutely nothing to it maintenance wise. He was telling me how he thought it'd change the sport
Interesting... I wonder how easily the guard could be broken though if you dropped the bike against rocks. And it would have to be 100% waterproof if riding through muddy water?
@@crosstrainingenduro
He told me that it has a groove in it that washes the hub whenever you cross water and cleaned the belt. And it had a long track on the bottom that was mostly enclosed with some kind of tension pulley
personal experience , used chain lube wax ect for years, chain always seemed to attract more grit hence wearing it out quicker , now i use wd or silicone spray to prevent rust
Fortnine actually recommends Gear oil. Which is also what Honda recommends you put on your chain. I'm assuming other manufacturers recommend same.
Chain lube might be more expensive but I've found that a can lasts a really long time . . . I've kept an FZ1 chain running for 20 years with no proper cleaning but with occasional sprays of motorcycle-specific lube (even after the chain has kinked after long rides in the rain).
After ride i use chain brush and then PTFE spray ( chain oring CZ 520 ORM )
I’ve found that non o-ring chains are garbage for off road use. They need to be lubed all the time and I use gear oil sparingly applied with an oil squirt can. For o-ring chains I’ve been wanting to just use wd-40 as gear oil makes a mess. I’ve been using wd-40 for my bicycle chains for years and it works well. Unlike common complaints about it evaporating and leaving no lube, that isn’t the case. Spray some WD-40 into an open container, let it sit in your garage and come back a month later. What you’ll see is a oil in your container.
I agree. There is a solvent in WD40 that rapidly evaporates but then there's an oily residue that hangs around.....
45-50 % low vapor pressure aliphatic hydrocarbon (isoparaffin)
WD40 after a good wash and before a long ride (ie when the bike is still clean). Mostly just to keep the rust off as we live in the tropics (Thailand) so it’s more about stopping rust than actual lube. Love the channel by the way
Thailand! Are you up north riding around Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai?
@@crosstrainingenduro Am in Hua Hin, about 3 hours south of Bangkok. Some great trails around and a great bunch of blokes to ride with, much like your mates I think
I use 70w gear oil as recommended by chain manufacturer. After washing, I clean the chain with a chain brush, then coat with WD40 or equal then store bike. Before each ride, I apply a thin coat of gear oil. It makes a mess of the surrounding area, but the only benefit is momentary lubrication and the gear oil repels water for a period. I have 149 hrs. on the stock chain and rear sprocket with many more hrs. left, and I replaced the front sprocket around 95 hrs. TX 300i
310 hours and 13000 km with just WD40 every 300-500 km to control rust, just replaced the sprockets and chain, the front sprocket was showing too much wear.
I ride a Husqvarna 701 as an adventure bike. I lube the chain but not often, I probably go 3,000 miles between lubes. I have 10,000 miles on the chain now with no problems. Let’s see if I can get another 10,000 miles.
I often use ATF (of whatever type- since there are tons of different types- that I have kicking around). This helps keep from rusting, perhaps ‘conditions’ (whatever that means) the ‘O’ rings a bit and when it flings off- seems to take any dirt etc off with it (and make a mess).
I rarely ride in dusty conditions- so more often tends to mud (although I avoid big muddy messes anymore).
So far, this has worked ok.
I’ve fitted O-ring chains to my trials bikes pretty successfully, but for the ones that don’t have them, I always lube those up pretty well. For the Electric Motion, I especially like to give it lots of lube, since any less friction means longer range.
Enjoying the EM, Mark? I just got a quick ride on a friend's new one. Wow.
@@crosstrainingenduro yes- it has been great fun. The clutch works excellently, regent button I added is great and I quite enjoy it. Range is not close to their claims in real world- I can get about 3+ hours of actual running time on tight ‘sorta track’. Higher tyre pressures (I run 3-4psi) make a big difference in range, but of course also make a big difference in traction. I will pump up for connecting roads.
Agree 100%
Zero chain lube or wd40 and 215hrs on my original chain, and I’m pretty rough on things. Just don’t blast it with the pressure washer.
I buy premium quality chains and i will still clean it and lube that chain on a regular basis on my f800GSA strictly out of my good maintenance regime I always stick to.
On trips away etc, unavoidably here in OZ, I do have to do some big stints of road between the fun stuff..., but in watching your video, its good to know 'IF' while on a trip and i do happen to run out of my mini can of lube and cleaner (which i always carry) then its no big deal if leave it unlubed until the next reasonable time to buy some more.
Our biggest trip was an eight day adventure ride and we all had the mini can of WD40 to spray on the chain each night. Lucky we took it, there was plenty of water around so they would have been very rusty by the end of the ride otherwise!
I havent lube my chain with chain lube for years. I run the bike in 1st gear with the rear wheel of the ground and hose the chain near the front sprocket. After that, I run it in top gear with the wheel of the ground and that spins the water out of the links. Spray with wd40 or inox and thats it. The wd40 gets into the rollers, which is the part that wears. All my mates do this as well and we have doubled our chain and sprocket life.
After my ride I wash the bike then use chainsaw bar and chain oil , on the chain just to stop surface rust from starting
I don't lube o-ring chains, just wipedowns with WD40 if I see buildup starting on them. This includes my roadrace machines like a an R6, and my street bikes. My 150SX has a roller chain from the factory, I've likely not lubed it enough in it's first 12hrs of life 'cause, used to o-ring chains so it's getting a proper sealed chain this winter to match the rest of the garage.
100%!!!
After washing, just use a toothbrush to coat with gear oil.
Wr 450, with lube hardly ever adjust chain slack. Without lube had to adjust every ride. I use chainsaw bar oil, grease or old enigne oil and if you are riding a KTM use Astroglide.
I fit only non o-rings chain *RK or D.I.D.) on my enduro bike in the last 7 years.
1. They are cheaper than o-rings one
2. You can put on and take off by a simple clip
3 After a ride I leave them in a sink full of unleaded petrol all night long
4. I hang them for a couple of hour the day before
5. Since they are totally dry, I fit on my bike and them I spray silicon or WD40.
* Reinforced 520 chain
I just use a little WD-40 after a wash then while off the extra so it won't get slung all over the bike while I'm riding . It works for me and I'm a heave dude that rides very aggressively.
WD-40, I use on every moving part and some the don't move . If I know it's a mud run I spray WD-40 under the fenders, skid plates and use Pam cooking spray on mud exposed exhaust parts. Chain wax always seemed like a gimmick to me.
I totally agree with you.
Even major motorcycle manufacturers
they don’t recommend at all.
I use the Maxima clear wax stuff. Does any parts last longer? No way. It does go on clear, and may "lube the o-rings" if that is a thing. Or maybe not because it dries up and leaves clear coating. One benefit I can see. If I apply it after I wash the bike the chain doesn't rust. WD seems to dry up for me and in the places that it doesn't it attracts fine dust. A can is about $16USD and my current can is 5 years old and almost empty. WD is cheaper, but I have to use more and clean up a bit more. I also generally hate WD for almost anything, so my bias says I should give Maxima and their vendors their share of the $15 in profit every 5 years or so. Maxima does claim their chain wax is "proudly made in the USA" which is also a plus for me (so is WD), although I have no idea if they just mix up drums of stuff from overseas.
I clean my chain every oil change with wd40 and a small wire brush and then wipe it down and lightly coat it with motul Offroad chainlube. Not nessesary with a oring chain, but keeps it spinning effortlessly and been doing it for 15+ years on multiple bikes and never had a broken or kinked chain
Wire brushes destroy the orings. Use a soft brush to remove debris.
When I started riding I would buy expensive super tacky gooey and generally annoying chain lube. I stopped just from the annoyance of dealing with it. Now when I wash my bikes sometimes I put wd40 on it. Sometimes I forget and it gets a little rusty but it seems to still last like it would otherwise.
Unfortunately I tried all sorts of lubes for decades which just messed up my rear wheels... so much wasted money and effort cleaning up lol.
Heavy equipment relies on the wet ground to add lubrication to its track system. They wear out faster without submersion in water/mud. It is obvoous that they are no where near the same amount of a load (more weight) in comparison to a dirtbike but the addition of lube has to have some sort of benefit compared to a totally dry drive system. I don't advocate for or against chain lube on dirtbike but they do share similar terrain as heavy equipment and some sort of lube does benefit longevity of equipment.
Chain lube can get past the chain seals just like oil gets past sealed bearings in gearboxes. Wheel and linkage bearings will last 500+ hours if you spray chain lube on the seals, even in the mud here in NZ.
I give mine a squirt every ride, best if it has a couple days to soak. Swing arm, lower shock, brake peddle, wheels, pegs and chain.
Do you have any evidence for chain lube getting past chain seals though? All indications are the seals prevent this until they wear out sufficiently... Many have argued that solvents get past seals and destroy the internal grease but there's no evidence for this.
@@crosstrainingenduro Only that once there worn out and I break the link to remove the chain it's full of black gloop the same as my wheel and swingarm bearings have.
100% agree
Ran the stock chain on my 2016 300xc riding rocks and single track until last week when I dropped my bike off for its first service after 500 hours. Actually other than cleaning the air filter I did nothing to the bike. All the gouges out of it from being thrown onto rock or tumbling down a mountain climb not to mention how many times I boiled the bike over in super technical sections attest to how unkillable a modern 2t is..
500 hours is good for a chain, Roy! I assume you replaced sprockets though before then?
Any chain lubricant. Just because easy to use. But no each 500km or each training day. Good idea to keep the chain clean.
My chain was not very old but the links were kinking. It seems like the rubber was dry where it meets the outer links. I oiled it and it stopped kinking.
Sounds like a cheap chain? Or you had faulty o-rings? If you can get some oil in past those faulty o-rings then you'll probably still get some life out of the chain....
I'll agree that a bike used purely for off road isn't going to benefit from lubrication and just cleaning and stopping rust is all that's needed, but for bikes used for dual sports or road only lubrication does help, every chain I've tried without has lasted less miles than lubricated chains, and lubricated chains usuallylast twice as many miles, and the chain is in better condition when it's changed due to worn internal parts. Or just do what my mates does and don't clean anything at all, then when his chain breaks half way through a ride relies on someone else fixing it!
I've heard WD40 will get past the orings and displace the lube behind them. I clean with kerosene and use dupont chain wax. The rear wheel definitely spins easier after I lube the chain. I run a sealed chain on both of my bikes a 2003 CR250R and a 2015 CBR600RR. The chain on my street bike gets annoyingly loud if it needs lubed.
I've heard the same thing but when you look at the pressure applied to o-rings nothing should get past them until they actually wear out. And you wouldn't want WD40 getting past in any case, they solvents would just destroy the inner grease.
Keep the chain clean and rust free by spraying with wd40 and wipe off 2 x. Also keep the chain tension in check.
On the road bikes i add a thin layer of lube.
in my old racing days i used to clean my chain in unleaded by soaking it for a few hours and brushing it with a stiff brush then id hang to dry then id soak the whole thing in molten wax and then hang to dry. These days I just use a chain brush when cleaning my bike with warm soapy water and give a light misting with wd40 or similar if i can be bothered. That includes a lot of beach work.
I reckon the warm soapy water is better... I suspect the issue with cleaning in unleaded is that if some o-rings are starting to wear it might let enough in to dissolve the grease. Whereas water is less likely to get in, and it wouldn't dissolve the grease. I don't have any proof for this. But I remember years ago I'd clean my chains with petrol and eventually stopped when I thought about this.
@@crosstrainingenduro haha I couldn't afford O ring chains back then!
I just lube it to prevent surface rust because It looks bad and can't be great. As far as internal components I'm sure they are fine as long as the o rings hold up.
On my dirt bike I pressure wash the chain but on the side only and from a distance, Once dry i lube the shit out of it whilst its on the lawn so it doesn't stain my driveway and that's it til next bike wash. I will not buy another $25 can of chain lube. Just WD from now on and save the lube I have for the road bikes. BTW I am getting sick of cleaning my road bikes rims after using chain lube but as you mention the speed and distance is much more on a road bike. Even PTFE chain lube seems to turn black and fling off all over the hub and rim, especially after riding in the rain. I was thinking of using the dry style lube that I use for my MTB called FInish Line . PS old guys in my historic road bike club save up their old engine oil and put it in a 20 litre drum and put that on their BBQ or a gas ring and "BOIL" their chains for hours, when I asked WTF would you do that for ? they said "....that's how we have done it for 40 years and we are not stopping now" PPS they never use synthetic oil as that is too fancy like chain lube ;)
I hate the cast-off that most chain lubes leaves behind. Both with my enduro bike with an o-ring chain or my MX bike with a standard chain, I use chain lube sparingly. Unless you buy boutique brands of drive chains/sprockets, drive chains/sprockets are relatively cheap to replace when damaged and/or worn.