I'm off tomorrow, and I'm tired of doing summer reading. I mean the Odyssey's alright, but I mean, it's not a 2-day book. So I'm cleaning up the bike and finally getting around to lubing that chain. I haven't lubed/cleaned it in *cringe* 1200 miles. Probably the fact that I've never done it before contributes as to why it hasn't been done yet. Any hints/tips are welcome.
So far my process:
Take it for a little ride to get everything warmed up.
Clean it off with WD40 on a rag then toothbrushing it.
Liberally chain lube.
Wipe off Excess.
Did I miss anything?
Oh, what kind of lube/where do I get it?
Thanks!
I find that both KY and Astroglide work very well.
Quote from: redhenracing2 on August 04, 2009, 09:15:00 PM
I find that both KY and Astroglide work very well.
Thank you. :flipoff:
Seriously now people, don't do it for me, do it for the poor chain. :(
Quote from: redhenracing2 on August 04, 2009, 09:15:00 PM
I find that both KY and Astroglide work very well.
goon! :laugh:
i use PJ-1, blue for orings and black for everything else. it sticks to everything.
WD40 is my cleaner and lube - weekly.
I put the bike onto the center stand and spray the chain as I spin the rear wheel. Have some old rags on the ground beneath in case of any drippage and I'm all done.
Yeah yeah... WD40 ain't a true lube... but it's lube enough, doesn't harm the O-Rings and also cleans. And in the 10,000 clicks I've been using it no mechanic has said anything about my chain. Plus, it's quick to do, cheap as and I have no flingage.
Toothbrush? Too much trouble for me.
I love the smell of WD40 in the garage :thumb:
Michael
Quote from: mister on August 04, 2009, 11:32:08 PM
WD40 is my cleaner and lube - weekly.
I put the bike onto the center stand and spray the chain as I spin the rear wheel. Have some old rags on the ground beneath in case of any drippage and I'm all done.
Yeah yeah... WD40 ain't a true lube... but it's lube enough, doesn't harm the O-Rings and also cleans. And in the 10,000 clicks I've been using it no mechanic has said anything about my chain. Plus, it's quick to do, cheap as and I have no flingage.
Toothbrush? Too much trouble for me.
I love the smell of WD40 in the garage :thumb:
Michael
WD-40 is the juice of gods :thumb:
I live as close to the beach as you can without actually being a crab or something ......
if I didnt wipe the whole bike down with it regularly it would be eaten alive by the salty air.
For the chain, same thing....WD-40. All the thicker stuff picks up and retains too much sand and road
grit. It will even tear a bicycle chain up. Lube that holds that stuff sort of defeats the purpose of lube.
I have been using Teflon multi-use dry lubricant for several thousand miles now and I like it a lot.
It isn't sticky and it doesn't fling crud everywhere but I think it lasts longer than an application of wd-40.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=213197-39963-D00110101&lpage=none
also it smells really good, like coconut or sunscreen :icon_lol:
Alright, cool. I have plenty of WD40 down in the garage, so I think I'll clean up the chain with that and use that Teflon multi-purpose lubricant. If I'm gonna start doing this more regularly, I think I might just switch over to all WD40.
Thanks for the help!
+1 for the DuPont Teflon Lubricant. They have it for like 5 bucks at Lowe's.
Clean it up with some WD40 then apply lubricant. So easy a caveman could do it.
Yep, just got back from TrueValue/Lowe's/Home Depot/Pepboy's and no one had it. Well Lowe's was out of stock, go figure. I was gonna go look some more, but after I almost got hit by a bus at this intersection, I decided I should just get some lubricant and get home. I got Liquid Wrench Cycle Chain Lube at Pepboy's and just got home. Just about to go down and clean it up now. I'll post some pictures, I just got a new phone with a pretty nice camera. :D
Paraffin or kerosine to clean (cheaper than wd40), lube with engine oil (even cheaper). WD40 will perish o rings in long term unless you need new chain due to non maintenance, selling bike, etc
+1: kerosene to clean, motor oil to lube. It's what your chain wants. Don't listen to marketing.
^ now comes another question: 5w30 or 10w30 for your chain? :tongue2:
Quote from: redhenracing2 on August 04, 2009, 09:15:00 PM
I find that both KY and Astroglide work very well.
My thoughts exactly! Although at least to give him credit he did specify chain lube, but he could be into some kinky stuff. It's just good we're not a beemer forum. What do you use to lube your shaft....
That said, I use kerosene and the dupont stuff.
I read a fair amount of stuff and decided to not go with wd40 to clean as it may be bad for the o rings. WD40 should not be the only thing you use though. It's not really a lubricant and won't last.
Quote from: Ed500 on August 05, 2009, 03:20:42 PM
^ now comes another question: 5w30 or 10w30 for your chain? :tongue2:
Psh that's easy 10w40. The real question is dino or synth!
Well, here it is before cleaning...
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f135/PaviSays/0805091357-03.jpg)
Here it is side-by-side with dirty clean:
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f135/PaviSays/0805091416-00.jpg)
While I'm at it, here's a couple other pictures...
Here's the indicators/gauges with the LEDs
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f135/PaviSays/0805091358-00.jpg)
And here's my rear tire:
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f135/PaviSays/0805091356-00.jpg)
Should I be replacing that sometime soon?
That looks very worn to me. How many miles are on the bike?
+1 for Teflon multi-purpose as a chain lube
Quote from: Bluesmudge on August 05, 2009, 10:47:35 PM
That looks very worn to me. How many miles are on the bike?
Well, judging by the picture above that, I'd say about 7340.5 or so?
I don't think the rear tire has been changed for the life of the bike either...
Quote from: PaviSays on August 05, 2009, 11:14:16 PM
Quote from: Bluesmudge on August 05, 2009, 10:47:35 PM
That looks very worn to me. How many miles are on the bike?
Well, judging by the picture above that, I'd say about 7340.5 or so?
I don't think the rear tire has been changed for the life of the bike either...
*slaps head* :embarrassed:
I'm kind of amazed a the wear of that tire in only 7000 miles. I'd say it needs replacing within the next 2000 miles but its up to you. A new tire will feel amazing though.
Looks like the OEM tire... mine were the exact same after 7500 miles.
Pavi, you ride with that many keys dangling/scrathing around there?
Nice LEDs, where'd you get them. did you do a thread here on the install?
If you get a new tire, don't fall for the Nitrogen thing they push these days.
Michael
Keys
Yep, for the most part. I used to have a little electrical tape thing I kinda wrapped them in, but I seemed to have lost it like a week ago... If I tuck them under the handlebar they don't seem to jingle that much. I rode with them just flailing for like, 2 weeks when I just got the bike before I noticed they were scratching it up, so I think it's pretty much beyond repair at this point.
LEDs
I didn't author a thread myself, but I can throw you a few useful links. I mean, if there's enough general request, I could write up a simple walkthrough, it's really not that bad.
Basically they were just plug-n-play. All you have to do is pretty much remove and disassemble the entire gauge unit on the front of the bike. All the wires stay attached, and you simply remove the rubber boots and swap out the bulb for the LED.
Overall I'm very impressed with the look of the LEDs in the bike. They're much brighter, and I can actually see them during the daylight. The gauges look so sweet and it makes me love night riding even more, haha.
Notes: The blue indicator light is a single LED. It would be very uncomfortable to be riding at night with 6-LEDs blaring at you. The single LED in blue really shows up well enough on its own.
The neutral light will be partially on and visible during the night. You barely notice it, but there is some light there. During the day, you won't notice a difference. It will also illuminate as you shift from first to second or second to first for a fraction of a second.
Walkthrough:http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=23589.msg395322#msg395322 (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=23589.msg395322#msg395322)
LED Distributor: www.SuperBrightLEDs.com (http://www.superbrightleds.com)
Gauge LEDs:
2x Blue WLED-B5 WLED-x5 LED Wide Angle LED bulb $ 2.99 (each)
Indicator Lights:
1x Red WLED-R6 WLED-x6 LED bulb $ 2.79 (each)
1x Amber WLED-A6 WLED-x6 LED bulb $ 2.79 (each)
1x Green WLED-G6 WLED-x6 LED bulb $ 2.79 (each)
1x Blue WLED-B-x 90-Degree WLED-x-x LED bulb $ 0.79 (each)
$18.39 + $5 shipping = $23.39 total. Not too shabby.
I'm thinking I go with LEDs all-around soon. Once I figure out the right LEDs and how the resistors work, I think I'll go for it. I am very impressed with the LEDs.
Tires
Yeah, I'm just debating on the brand right now. The PO put an OEM front on, so that one should be alright. But reading the reviews, the stock size Avon RoadRiders seem like the way to go in terms of stickyness/durability. I'm debating wether to replace both or to just replace the rear with a different brand, which I know is generally a big no-no.
Err, sorry for the BBCode madness...
In general I avoid amything with solvent in it, just my personal preference. I've only needed a couple chain adjustment in 20,000 miles and I use a cheapy KMC clip type chain. I use a mix of a quart of synthetic gear oil and bardahls no smoke. My belief is that the solvent in wd-40 wicks past your o-rings and dissolves just a minute amount of grease, waxes have a problem of not reflowing where they've been wiped off. So I avoid them. Just a generous brushing of the gear oil mix on the chain, and wipe off excess. The dirt suspended in the rest of the oil gets flung off eventually cause of centrifugal force and the oil kinda is held on by surface tension and the sticky bardhals. No chain problems in 20,000 miles so I'm ok with it. Also heard good stuff about chainsaw bar and chain oil too. Personally I just stay away from solvents just to be cautious so that does rule out all sprays for me.
But gear oil stinks like Hydes!
prs
Somewhere around this board or the WIKI there is a really thorough study of the effect of various products upon the "O" rings and such. WD40, as I recall, was highly rated as safe and effective for cleaning. For Lube, I use chain wax in aerosol becasue I have it, but a good sticky motor oil, line chain saw chain lube, would be fine. Any lube you use on your chain on a regular basis is "the best".
prs
Used motor oil - maybe someday I'll even clean the chain with a toothbrush, or something .
hmm. i bought some chainsaw oil , and applied mit after cleaning the chain with wd40, afterwards read the fine print thou how I shouldn't use the chainsaw oil on motorcycle chains so I re-sprayed ut with wd40. Il probably apply some motor oil just to be sure.