Afan
Elite Member
[video=youtube_share;UrEpAUi_QKA]https://youtu.be/UrEpAUi_QKA[/video]
Which Chain Cleaner is Best? Comparison Test
- Thread starter Afan
- Start date
- Status
Paulplex
Active Member
I watched that earlier; Ryan does some good videos. And with my new chain and sprockets today perhaps I won't use the cleaner I still have ... did not do so well in his tests!
Sent from my Mi A2 using Tapatalk
I'm surprised I watched (most of) it because I hate time consuming videos, in general. I get about 17,000 miles out of an NC chain. I might quickly clean it 2, maybe 3 times during it's whole life. The real story behind chain cleaners is don't overlube your chain with gunky lubricants and you will rarely need a cleaner. I have better things to do with my motorcycle than mess with it's archaic, high maintenance final drive system.
Edit to add:
I refuse to buy a costly commercial chain cleaner, and since I can't be in the same room with Simple Green due to it's odor, it's WD-40 or kerosene as a cleaner for me. I prefer kerosene, as it's basically a light oil. WD-40 scares me a little. I know of certain plastics that WD-40 will destroy, so I use it on chains with caution, although I have no evidence that it's harmful to chain o-rings.
Edit to add:
I refuse to buy a costly commercial chain cleaner, and since I can't be in the same room with Simple Green due to it's odor, it's WD-40 or kerosene as a cleaner for me. I prefer kerosene, as it's basically a light oil. WD-40 scares me a little. I know of certain plastics that WD-40 will destroy, so I use it on chains with caution, although I have no evidence that it's harmful to chain o-rings.
Last edited:
dduelin
Site Supporter
Like his tire reviews, another waste of time. There is no methodology here, it's all junk science. How do you know your chain with what you have on it, bears any resemblance to his old grimy chain? And how does the way you maintain your chain now affect how the featured products would work on it? You don't.
PapaC
New Member
Agree that you should not over lube! What am I missing here? Use a solvent to remove, scrub off lube, then re-lube?
A good brushing to get the grit off, then a wipe off, and light lube; good to go. I’ve done it three times in the last two years.
My chain doesn’t look like it’s suffered for it.
On edit: I’ve always been more stringent with chain tension than lubricant, and that seems to affect chain/sprocket life more so.
A good brushing to get the grit off, then a wipe off, and light lube; good to go. I’ve done it three times in the last two years.
My chain doesn’t look like it’s suffered for it.On edit: I’ve always been more stringent with chain tension than lubricant, and that seems to affect chain/sprocket life more so.
Last edited:
Jt105
Active Member
I’ve used the thick sticky stuff before. I’ve also used the clear chain wax. What a pain. They were a mess to clean too. Had to use kerosene and a brush.
I now use Liquid Wrench Chain and Cable lube. Spray a little on the chain every other tank. Chain stays lubed and fairly clean.
If the chain is dirty, I spray on a little extra, let it sit a minute and wipe it down. The carrier in the spray works great as it’s own solvent/cleaner.
When lubricating the chain, you do need to let it sit for a while after application so all the carriers can evaporate off. What’s left is a thin coat of lube. If you ride right away, some will fling off when you ride.
This stuff is pretty cheap and a can goes a long way. I pick it up on sale or use a 20% off coupon at Harbor Freight.
JT
I now use Liquid Wrench Chain and Cable lube. Spray a little on the chain every other tank. Chain stays lubed and fairly clean.
If the chain is dirty, I spray on a little extra, let it sit a minute and wipe it down. The carrier in the spray works great as it’s own solvent/cleaner.
When lubricating the chain, you do need to let it sit for a while after application so all the carriers can evaporate off. What’s left is a thin coat of lube. If you ride right away, some will fling off when you ride.
This stuff is pretty cheap and a can goes a long way. I pick it up on sale or use a 20% off coupon at Harbor Freight.
JT
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 1183
As far as I am concerned the best chain cleaner is none at all. My thing is to lube frequently and let centrifugal force do the rest.
I remember a couple years ago I read a comment by 670cc about how people tend to over lubricate their chains. I think it was 670cc. Anyway, at that time, I was oiling my chain about every 3rd tank of fuel. Lets say that is around 500ish miles. After reading that comment, I loosened up my oiling routine to something closer to every 5th or 6th tank which puts me at approx 1000 miles. My chains ended up lasting longer with that routine. I personally like the MOTUL chain oil because it slings around less.
Rapturee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2018
- Messages
- 1,836
- Reaction score
- 664
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Post Falls, IDAHO
I too use the Liquid Wrench Chain lube and like it. Nothing against any of the others, i just like LWCL. I also give mine a quick spray down about every 2-3 tank and again if i am doing a special mileage test. The sun was out at my place today, "Yipee Zip Skippy", come on SPRING!! It is officially time for me chip/shovel the ice away from the NC and get it out this week i think!! :{)
MZ5
Well-Known Member
I don't much care for his vids in terms of content or utility, either.
thanosgp
New Member
It is a fact that most bikers neglect their chain.Its also a fact that the original nc chain is rubbish.After 35 years of riding ,this was the first that i threw away after only 12000 km with many links seized up.Im now on my 3rd chain (did vx2 gold) having covered 37000kms.Our nc seems to eat them for breakfast maybe because of the torquey motorcharacteristic.Its not a matter of overlubing our chain as much ,as not cleaning it thoroughly before applying the product.Of course there is the possibilty to "overclean" it with very aggressive products ,like brake cleaner and gasoline.After 500km of riding i use a kerosene bottle and an old toothbrush on every side of the links(upper,down,in-,outside).After the gunk is gone,i wipe it down with a clean cloth. The cloth then is soaked in water with dish soap,squeezed very hard and used on the chain.Afterwards an syringe dispenses a few drops of gear oil on the 2 inner sides of every linkage.Last i use MOTUL CHAIN LUBE FACTORY inside the whole length of the chain, spinning the rear wheel by hand on the centerstand.I let it sit and ride it the next day.Before that i used for years Valvoline Synthetic Chain Lube White but it was messy for my rims and hard to clean off the links.It seems to me that extended use of wd40 or commercial chain cleaner made me by more often this expensive part,due to seized up links.
Jt105
Active Member
I used to use a toothbrush and clean my chain really good. Used to.
Now I just spray some lube on. It stays fairly clean on its own. If it is really really dirty, I’ll spray a lot until it is dripping and use a rag to wipe off the chunks.
JT
Now I just spray some lube on. It stays fairly clean on its own. If it is really really dirty, I’ll spray a lot until it is dripping and use a rag to wipe off the chunks.
JT
anglachel
Member
I think there is a sampling basis, much like oil, you only hear about the people who fret about it way to much, or the people who have problems because they never think about it.
Folks who give it the right amount of consideration are never heard from, they neither spend hours discussing it, nor report failures from never dealing with it.
showkey
Super Mods
The chain maintenance and lube a version of an oil thread...........
The NC torque destroying ( eating) chain is just pure fantasy.
I agree you over cleaned the chain......and.........forced the factory lube from the oring chain.
Kerosene and toothbrush is a terrible idea. Then add water and dish soap makes the terrible idea even worse.
Currently at 20,000 miles on the original chain and sprockets.
thanosgp
New Member
It isnt an oil thread but an chain cleaner one.....................
The term Kerosene refers to refined lamp oil ,not the much more flammable and volatile gasoline used on RC models and jet engines..You cant just spray it on an expect the produced gunk to fall off by itself. A SOFT toothbrush gently used wont do harm do the linkages.Soap dish isnt applied on the chain.I meant that i use a very clean cloth lightly moistured to remove the grime when kerosene mixes with dust and sand on the links.
On my much torquier (but torque peaking at higher rpm) 99'speed trilple and 2004 vfr800 my chains lasted aprx 30.000 km with the same procedure.
But thats just my own humble opinion after 35 years as a rider.....
Last edited by a moderator:
thanosgp
New Member
Please dont disagree with WHMBO.It seems that millions of bikers are doing it wrong for over 40 years!
thanosgp
New Member
Sorry, I meant HWMBO.
You lost me on the phrase about the “gasoline used on RC models and jet engines”. Are you certain that gasoline is used on (in) jet engines?
thanosgp
New Member
The term kerosene is common in much of Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the United States,[2][3] while the term paraffin (or a closely related variant) is used in Chile, eastern Africa, South Africa, Norway, and in the United Kingdom.[4] The term lamp oil, or the equivalent in the local languages, is common in the majority of Asia. Liquid paraffin (called mineral oil in the US) is a more viscous and highly refined product which is used as a laxative. Paraffin wax is a waxy solid extracted from petroleum.
Kerosene is widely used to power jet engines of aircraft (jet fuel) and some rocket engines and is also commonly used as a cooking and lighting fuel, and for fire toys such as poi. In parts of Asia, kerosene is sometimes used as fuel for small outboard motors or even motorcycles.
To prevent confusion between kerosene and the much more flammable and volatile gasoline, some jurisdictions regulate markings or colorings for containers used to store or dispense kerosene. For example, in the United States, Pennsylvania requires that portable containers used at retail service stations for kerosene be colored blue, as opposed to red (for gasoline) or yellow (for diesel fuel).
Kerosene is widely used to power jet engines of aircraft (jet fuel) and some rocket engines and is also commonly used as a cooking and lighting fuel, and for fire toys such as poi. In parts of Asia, kerosene is sometimes used as fuel for small outboard motors or even motorcycles.
To prevent confusion between kerosene and the much more flammable and volatile gasoline, some jurisdictions regulate markings or colorings for containers used to store or dispense kerosene. For example, in the United States, Pennsylvania requires that portable containers used at retail service stations for kerosene be colored blue, as opposed to red (for gasoline) or yellow (for diesel fuel).
- Status
Similar threads
