Chain Cleaning

[CMHrider]

What's the best way to clean the chain? What's the easiest way to clean the chain. I've be lubing the chain after riding in the rain and/or washing my bike but I've read the chain needs cleaned too. How often? I've also soaked up the extra lube but it still gets everywhere when riding. Any ideas how to make this less messy?

[fz6xlr8r]

Some guys use kerosene and a brush but to me that seems too messey. I cleaned my chain over the weekend and I just used brake parts cleaner and a chain brush. You have to be careful of what you use because some chains have rubber O-rings and some cleaners may harm the rubber but the stock FZ6 chin doesn't have rubber O-rings. I liked using the brake parts cleaner because , for the most part, just spraying the chain and sprocket with it got most of the old lube and grime off. I had to use the chaim brush very little, only on a few cruddy spots. The brake cleaner dries fast and I didn't have to worry about rinsing anything off after I was done. I layed an old piece cardboard under the sprocket, rotated the back tire as I cleaned. The stuff that driped onto the cardboard evaporated very quickly so no real mess. The guy at the Yamaha shop recomended white graphite chain lube that comes in an aerosol can. He said it diden't get as grimy as regular lube but that remains to be seen;however, I can say that after you spray it on it won't sling off.

To be honest, insted of geting an exspensive chain brush, I'd get a good, cheap tire brush from the autoparts store to use as a chain brush. The brake parts cleaner costs about 6 bucks a can and from what I can tell, you should be able to do two cleanings per can. All and all the cleaning and lube process took me about 15 minuets and was easy to clean up afterward.

[wrightme43]

Hi,
I do not like to disagree. It is nothing against you personally at all.
The chain on a FZ6 is a O-ring chain. If someone at the dealership told you it wasnt they were wrong and did you a great diservice.

I would highly reccomend not using brake clean on the chain again. It will destroy the o-rings.

Kerosene or WD-40 works great. With the WD do NOT spray it on the chain. Spray it on the brush or a rag first.

Here is my method. It is from a man that has over 100k miles riding experince and is very intelligent in my opinion. He is also a trained honda, kawasaki, and harley mechanic.

Ride the bike at least 20 minutes to heat the chain. Return to your work area, shut the bike down and put the key in your pocket. Put the bike on the center stand. It must be in N. Soak the rag (or brush) with kerosene or WD. With the engine OFF!!!!!!
Slowly wipe the warmed dirt and old lube off the out side edges of the chain, then the rollers, then the sproket, then wipe it all down again. It will come amazingly clean with just a rag. Keep using new parts of the rag untill its good and clean. With a dry rag wipe the chain dry.
With a good chain lube ( I use PJ clear its not the best but I am going to use it up before I buy duponts lube with teflon) using a nozzle and the lightest pressure just barely dribbling lube out, slowly lube the inside link row twice, then move to the outside link row and lube it twice around as well. The lube will get on the rollers and the sprokets by itself.
You are not adding lube to the o-ringed sealed roller areas. It is in there and is not coming out or in. You are preventing rust, and preventing abrasive wear of your side plates, roller faces, and sproket teeth.

Allow 15 minutes to dry and wipe off excess with a rag.
DO NOT over lubricate it can sling off and cause you to die. Its like gun oil, you just need a little.

[fz6xlr8r]

Thats why I love this sight. Thanks for that tid-bit of info. I'll be sure to bust the guy a my shop for that. The lube I use says you can use brake parts cleaner so long as it won't harm rubber and the kind I use will not so I think everything will be fine.

[wrightme43]

Good deal, I always worry about starting some kind of flame war on the internet with my friends. It is very easy say something, that in person everyone would know it is not meant badly but when read, it comes across that way.
If you mechanic gives you any crap tell him to read chapter 3 page 49 of his FZ6 service manual after you bet him 20 bucks.

[jeffm]

This is great information since this is my first bike with a chain (had a belt and 2 direct drives). What signs do I look for or how often should I clean and re lube the chain?

[wrightme43]

Well the manual says every time it gets wet and what? I think every three or four hundred miles. I do mine every time I wash it, so about once a week. Thats what my ninja got too, and I only had to adjust the chain once in 8000 miles.

[pchbreeze]

I dont want to use centuries old technology. I participated in a long debate on another forum on this topic. Basically, most use wd40/kerosene to clean and wax/grease for lube.

I work with technical equipment and a man from nasa () are among some who understand the science behind it, and STRONGLY suggest the Teflon lube in a spray from Lowes for cleaning AND lubing. It leaves the bike looking clean, unlike wax/grease and is a great lube.

[Hapi]

here is a little "machine" for cleaning chain, and you won't get dirt

[wrightme43]

Thats neat, where did you find it?