just put 1000 miles on my gs and i'm pretty sure its time to lube the chain up. how often do you guys do this. every so months or miles?
I believe that the official schedule is once a week. It really depends on how often you ride, however.
I think it is supposed to be every 600 miles but i usually do it every other time i fill up. ~400 miles
600mi
The book says to lube the chain every 600 miles.
I clean and lube every 500 miles, more or less. It's easier to remember.
Keep the shiny side up,
Chuck
yeah.....the 600 miles is really the conversion from the metric 1000 Kilometers...........every 1000 kilo is easy to remember.....1000, 2000, 3000 etc...........
Miles .....600, 1200, 1800, 2400, is impossible to remember.......
so use 500 miles
500, 1000, 1500, 2000, etc....
Cookie
How often to use chain lube?
That's a bit of a personal question, and anyway there's more appropriate produc.......Oh, I see, its the GS forum :oops:.......
After every tank or two - which means at least once a week for me. Also after I come back from riding and it was raining regardless of when it was last done.
On this chain I am trying Lanotec Lanolin says to be used for motorcycle X and O ring chains.
Michael
remember it is actually most important to CLEAN the chain regularly.........it is the dirt and grit which will cause wear.....o-ring chain supposedly has the lube already sealed in by the o-rings
The spray on chain lube stuff is more of a protectant and corrosion preventer.........does cushion chain vs sprockets too..
Cookie
If I get into rain or dirt roads, I go ahead and clean and lube before next ride. If you do it pretty often, no need for the crud buster brush and elbow grease; just wipe clean with WD-40 soaked rag and then work in some Stihl chainsaw bar 'n chain oil. If no rain or dirt roads, it still looks good after 500, but clean and oil any way. Chain wax did not do as well for me and made a real mess of the front cover area.
prs
Quote from: Pigeonroost on August 10, 2010, 09:17:20 AM
If I get into rain or dirt roads, I go ahead and clean and lube before next ride. If you do it pretty often, no need for the crud buster brush and elbow grease; just wipe clean with WD-40 soaked rag and then work in some Stihl chainsaw bar 'n chain oil. If no rain or dirt roads, it still looks good after 500, but clean and oil any way. Chain wax did not do as well for me and made a real mess of the front cover area.
prs
Yeah, its the kind of deal that if you keep up with it, it is easy...........it never gets all that dirty, so there's not much to clean........I have been doing the wipe and spray deal every other time, and the kerosene clean the other times......
I have Maxima Chain wax which a lot of guys recommend........works ok......dries on and doesn't attract much dirt..............but I also have some Honda chain spray stuff too......also works good...........I used to use 90 w gear oil on my honda, but it made a real mess, fling off everywhere.........
Cookie
I just lubed mine after another 600 miles, and I feel like I went too long. Movement felt much much smoother after lubing it up( yea yea, whatever :flipoff:) I'm going to give it another go after 300 miles and see how that feels.
Quote from: redhawkdancing on August 10, 2010, 06:58:50 PM
I just lubed mine after another 600 miles, and I feel like I went too long. Movement felt much much smoother after lubing it up( yea yea, whatever :flipoff:) I'm going to give it another go after 300 miles and see how that feels.
Well, you know the old saying, "Like an enema, It couldn't hurt!"
Cookie
Quote from: redhawkdancing on August 10, 2010, 06:58:50 PMMovement felt much much smoother after lubing it
Might wanna check the alignment.
Quote from: Homer on August 10, 2010, 08:33:37 PM
Quote from: redhawkdancing on August 10, 2010, 06:58:50 PMMovement felt much much smoother after lubing it
Might wanna check the alignment.
Good look...I'll check that out tonight! :thumb:
Quote from: Homer on August 10, 2010, 08:33:37 PM
Quote from: redhawkdancing on August 10, 2010, 06:58:50 PMMovement felt much much smoother after lubing it
Might wanna check the alignment.
Is there an easy way to do this?
almost 1000km(620miles) i clean after lube it. If i ride when it is raining, i always lube chain after ride.
Quote from: Twism86 on August 11, 2010, 05:52:33 AM
Quote from: Homer on August 10, 2010, 08:33:37 PM
Quote from: redhawkdancing on August 10, 2010, 06:58:50 PMMovement felt much much smoother after lubing it
Might wanna check the alignment.
Is there an easy way to do this?
Search for the string method. Personally, I use a Motion Pro chain alignment tool.
(It's possible to get pretty close by eyeballing the sprockets as well.)
Keep in mind, your chain tension and alignment may change when you torque the rear axle.
i just got new chain cleaner and it instructs me to hose down the chain after cleaning and then to dry it and apply the lube.
any of you guys wet the chain with water during your cleaning? i've never done it this way.
I lube my chain every second tank which is about 750-800 kilometers.
As for cleaning, I've never hosed it. Hows the lube suppose to stick to a wet metal? It would take a goodly while to dry properly and I find if I clean the chain (I use WD40 half the time cause I've got access to bucket loads of it), wipe it down and then apply the chain wax, the heat makes the chain wax stick better. if the chain is cold the chain wax sticks so so.
yea, i wasnt so sure about the water bit either. but i dont know about using wd40, because it dries out rubber inevitably being unhealthy for your o-rings. i wouldnt use it. i think it would make it harder for the lube or wax to stick to the chain as well.
Quote from: Shaddow on August 11, 2010, 10:38:01 PM
I lube my chain every second tank which is about 750-800 kilometers.
As for cleaning, I've never hosed it. Hows the lube suppose to stick to a wet metal? It would take a goodly while to dry properly and I find if I clean the chain (I use WD40 half the time cause I've got access to bucket loads of it), wipe it down and then apply the chain wax, the heat makes the chain wax stick better. if the chain is cold the chain wax sticks so so.
WD40 is fine on O-Rings. It just isn't a good lubricant.
I use it to clean. I lube with Amsoil Heavy Duty Bar and Chain Lube.
I don't think water does much as far as getting rid of chain lube... if that was the case you'd need to lube your chain after each ride in the rain. I wouldn't suggest power washing any parts of your motorcycle as this will remove any grease which is essential.
I generally lube every 500 km's (300 miles), and clean & lube the chain every 1000 km's (600 miles). I prefer doing this after the ride as the chain is still warm and the lube absorbs better into the o-rings. I prefer the bel-ray brand.. it's milky white when applied so I'll know if I missed a spot.
Quote from: Homer on August 10, 2010, 08:33:37 PM
Quote from: redhawkdancing on August 10, 2010, 06:58:50 PMMovement felt much much smoother after lubing it
Might wanna check the alignment.
Your the man! :bowdown: Rides better than ever! Doesn't vibrate like a American cruiser when it's at 8,000 RPMs. Steering input is telepathic now. I think I even added on some HP!