Quick question on the chain

[happy]

I think the chain and sprockets will last much longer... i was told to change the chain and sprocket once every year but this is from a guy who travels short distance, is riding a small bike with chain cover and NEVER bothers to oil his chain...for me, i didn't get to use chain lube as i don't know how to put it on properly (worried spray into wheels, etc)...been using a SAE 100 machine oil for the past 3 years plus...and sprockets are still good to date! the only downside is that you need to oil more often as the machine oil dries fast and gets flinged out very often, so dirty rims etc..
But i will probably start to use chain lube now as this new ride is a much heavier investment..
Cheers
Mark

I reckon a good new chain and original sprocket set (front and back) will easily cost you S$300-400. It is way better to invest in a good routine and cleaning/lubing liquids. That may be just S$40 plus some TLC time.

Been there, done that.

 

[Mark9911]

Hello Mark,
I remember using 90W oil also. It is "clean" but then it gets flinged off, I do not think it "dries up".
The advantage of having a glooey chain spray is that it stays longer but the opposite effect is that it attracts all kinds of dirt and particles.
So if you oil very often, it may be better to use the oldschool gear oil (90W) method rather than the modern sticky chewy chocolatey sprays.

So how much is the COE? Care to elaborate to tell people here how your government extracts more tax from you?

ah....the COE...stands for Certificate of Entitlement....which is needed if you were to own a vehicle in Singapore. it is one of the ways to control vehicle population. The COE is split into different categories...luckily...as those for cars now are at crazy prices. We need to bid for it and I paid around USD1.6k for the NCX..actually there isn't much tax for this vehicle... It is only about 15% of the imported motorcycle price after custom duties. plus another 7% GST. I think the dealers make quite a bit from the sales of the vehicle too which adds up the cost...so we are not so lucky from bros at States...

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

Anyone use DuPont Teflon Chain-Saver? I have about six cans of it left. It seems to work well for me.

 

[Spaceteach]

I used Honda's lube for years, but read about DuPont chain lube on on of the forums a few years back and found it works better for me. I over apply it and the excess takes the crud off the chain as it drips off. It doesn't seem to attract dirt as much as other lubes either (i usually let it dry overnight, but a half hour seems to be enough). I tried chain wax a long time back and never got the hang of it. I was probably using too much, but I had a lot of excess buildup on the chain and it ended up getting flung all over the rear wheel. I wouldn't be surprised if the stuff they are making now is much better, but I think I'll stick with the DuPont (it's a lot less expensive, and I can get it at the local Lowes home improvement which is about two blocks away from the house. Of course all the above is just my opinion and my wife tells me that my opinion should only be used as a source of amusement.

On a related topic, painting the ends of the rivets on one link of the chain makes it really easy to make sure you lube the entire chain. Just start lubing at the painted link and keep going until it comes back around.

Bob

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

I used Honda's lube for years, but read about DuPont chain lube on on of the forums a few years back and found it works better for me. I over apply it and the excess takes the crud off the chain as it drips off. It doesn't seem to attract dirt as much as other lubes either (i usually let it dry overnight, but a half hour seems to be enough). I tried chain wax a long time back and never got the hang of it. I was probably using too much, but I had a lot of excess buildup on the chain and it ended up getting flung all over the rear wheel. I wouldn't be surprised if the stuff they are making now is much better, but I think I'll stick with the DuPont (it's a lot less expensive, and I can get it at the local Lowes home improvement which is about two blocks away from the house. Of course all the above is just my opinion and my wife tells me that my opinion should only be used as a source of amusement.
On a related topic, painting the ends of the rivets on one link of the chain makes it really easy to make sure you lube the entire chain. Just start lubing at the painted link and keep going until it comes back around.

Bob

I lube mine and let it sit overnight also. Sometimes the better half just doesn't understand genius!

 

[happy]

I lube mine and let it sit overnight also. Sometimes the better half just doesn't understand genius!

I think this is very true, leave it overnight or at least a couple of hours to dry or seap into the chain grooves.
If you apply oil, wax or lube and then ride off, it is likely to just fling off.