• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

How often should you clean your chain?

ilikefood said:
There are all kinds of benefits to riding motorcycles, using power tools, cutting tools, and gardening equipment. There is no benefit to cleaning or lubricating your chain with the engine running in gear, and the risk is much higher than any of those things you mentioned.
Click to expand...

My time is valuable. I used to spend 20-30 minutes carefully brushing my chain with WD-40, wiping it down, lubing it one section at a time. Now it takes me 30 seconds, and I'm more likely to lube it more often because it's such an easy task. Win-win!

mrzuzzo said:
Chain cleaning is a total waste of time.

I used to clean my chain every 500-600 miles... Now I do it roughly every 6-7K miles.

I see no difference at all. My chains & sprockets still last until 18-20K miles.
Click to expand...

Agreed. If lubed often you don't need to clean chains at all. If you find your chain caked with sticky thick goo, find a new chain lube (like the one I posted above).
 
i think everyone is missing the irony that your avatar is a sloth tho....
 
My experience suggests that a good chain will generally outlive my desire to own a particular motorcycle, so I generally don't waste time with chain maintenance... :laughing
 
i hate chains, one 1 of 4 has one... the others are belts and a shaft
 
All of you jumping on the dogpile about not lubricating a running bike are missing the point of how to do it. The only part you do with the bike in gear is spraying the lubricant on. And your hands don't get anywhere near the chain while it's happening, you're back from the chain holding the spray lubricant in your dominant hand and the other hand way back out of the way. Then you shut it off before touching it with any rags. It will allow you to get a more even coating of lubricant on the chain. So lubricating while running - yes. Cleaning while running - no way.

I've done it that way on the two bikes that I owned with centerstands, but can't do it that way any longer because I no longer own one with a centerstand.

And I'm wondering about those of you who claim to adjust the chain on, like, 500 mile intervals. Decent chains shouldn't need adjustment anywhere near that often. I check the adjustment whenever the rear wheel comes off and that's about it.
 
There's literally no benefit to doing it with the hike running in gear. At best it flings lube everywhere.
 
fubar929 said:
My experience suggests that a good chain will generally outlive my desire to own a particular motorcycle, so I generally don't waste time with chain maintenance... :laughing
Click to expand...

Thats how its been for me. I recall only ever buying one replacement chain.
I generally sell the bike before it needs chains, sprockets, valve adjustment...
 
I used to be very picky about cleaning my chains and they all died prematurely. Now I pretty much ignore it and my last one made it 33,000 miles. I got a Scottoiler a couple years ago which lets me be even more lazy but you can do the same thing spraying it a couple times a week with lube. Interestingly my sprockets had almost zero wear on them.
 
Abacinator said:
There's literally no benefit to doing it with the hike running in gear. At best it flings lube everywhere.
Click to expand...

Doesn't fling it at all.

Keeps your hands from getting dirty when spinning the tire. Also is faster and easier.

ScottRNelson knows whats up. :thumbup :ride :twofinger
 
It's kinda funny to see all the people who regularly engage in a dangerous hobby/sport/transport mode get all flustered because someone wants to lube a moving chain.
 
When I open my tank to check my gas level, is it ok to use a generic lighter to see inside or do I need to use a brand name like BIC?
 
kuksul08 said:
Doesn't fling it at all.

Keeps your hands from getting dirty when spinning the tire. Also is faster and easier.

ScottRNelson knows whats up. :thumbup :ride :twofinger
Click to expand...

Wear gloves if you're worried about getting your hands dirty :twofinger

jwb said:
It's kinda funny to see all the people who regularly engage in a dangerous hobby/sport/transport mode get all flustered because someone wants to lube a moving chain.
Click to expand...

If he wants to risk losing his fingers that's fine as long as he's not trying to convince others it's a good idea.
 
If I'm just making a quick ride to the store I sometimes won't bother with wearing a helmet. So far nothing has ever happened and its not like I'm planning to have an accident.
 
Blankpage said:
If I'm just making a quick ride to the store I sometimes won't bother with wearing a helmet. So far nothing has ever happened and its not like I'm planning to have an accident.
Click to expand...

screw birth control, it's not like I'm planning to have a kid

duggar-family.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top