just wanted to say that I did a search but found nothing

Question, do you always have to clean with kerosene first and then apply your wax/wax spray? Or can you just spray some more wax on

And can the cleaning be done with the chain still on the bike(moisten rag with kero and rotate wheel) or do you have to remove chain from bike each time?

thanx

Yes, yes and yes.

And no, you do not have to remove the chain to clean it.

While sometimes it's easier to clean the chain if it's off the bike, you would have to replace the masterlink each time (if it's a masterlink type chain).

And, finally, I would only add more chain lube/wax if the chain was dry but not dirty.

Whatever you do, do not let the bike idle while in gear.  Someone on here has lost fingers or was injured doing so.  
I use wd-40 to clean my chain and then I use chain lube on it.  The spray type.  I have never used the wax.  I use the stuff in the can cause its what we have in the garage.

Ditto.  If it's really dirty spray it with WD-40 and let it run all over taking the dirt with it.  Then spray on the Suzuki moly chain lube.  I like the Suzuki lube the best.

94suzuki500- what do you mean dont let it in idle in gear? Did someone really try cleaning their chain like that

uh oh, now someone's gonna post the pics, and they're nasty.

I've been using a variation on "the GSJack method", and it suits my commuting schedule:

Every few weeks:  take the bike to a coin-op car wash.  Spray the chain with degreaser, and rinse (no high pressure).

Every morning when you head out:   Look at the chain.  If the pins are shiny, put a thin bead of oil on the side of the rear sprocket(*), hop on and ride off.  The oil runs out to where the sprocket meets the chain, and the whole chain looses its "shinyness".

In dry weather, I have to add oil maybe once each week.  Riding in the rain, I need to add oil almost every day.  It takes about 10 seconds each time to add oil.

(*)If you just put oil on the left side of the sprocket, you will eventually see chain pins which are shiny on the right end, but oiled on the left.  I put some oil on the right side of the sprocket now and then to prevent this.

I tried something different yesterday. I cleaned my chain a couple weeks ago, and used a rag to oil it back up. I can't get it on the center stand by myself, so I had to move the bike a couple inches a few times to get the sprocket to rotate.

Anyway, I got to thinking: there has got to be a better way.

So I got a small paint brush and dipped it in some 10W30 motor oil and "painted" the oil onto the chain. Since the chain was already clean and just needed some lube, it worked beautifully and was easy to get into the nooks and crannies and was a lot less messy.

This device solved it for me..
http://www.holeshot.com/old/scottoiler/scottoiler.html

Mine is mounted under the seat, I notice locally now that some are being fitted on the frame.

The schematic diagram is excellent.

Quote from: Cal PriceThis device solved it for me..
http://www.holeshot.com/old/scottoiler/scottoiler.html

Yep, I looked at that, and at the LoobMan.  I thought, well, the loobman just puts a squirt of oil onto the rear sprocket each time you squeeze the bottle.  So why bother with the hoses at all?   Just use a little bottle and apply it yourself.

If I were getting an automated oiler,  I think I would try to drill a small hole above the front sprocket, and just put a hose there that drips oil down onto the chain from directly above.  That way, there are no long hoses running out the swingarm.

For people using chain oil, there are some good oils now that are vegetable-based, such as Husqvarna bar and chain oil, and Hippie Slick bicycle chain oil.  If you're going to be dripping oil on the ground, it would be nice if it were biodegradable.

how often do you guys clean your chains? i thought it was every 600 miles or so...

Quote from: Phaedrus..........
So I got a small paint brush and dipped it in some 10W30 motor oil and "painted" the oil onto the chain. Since the chain was already clean and just needed some lube, it worked beautifully and was easy to get into the books and crannies and was a lot less messy.

I have been doing the same.  Get home from a ride and wipe the chain down.  Use a 1" brush and  apply some gear oil.  Next morning wipe off any excess.  The gear oil seems to cling well and hardly flys off.

Rema1000,

But motor oil IS vegetable based!  Vegetables who died a few million years ago.  Just messing with ya...relax...

What do they cost compared to "real" oil.

REMA1000 I take your point, the argument about dripping oil from the outside is that centrifugal force simply throws it off, messy and a waste.

Putting where the Scottoiler does, centrifugal force works for you, it gets to the "inside" of the chain by cappiliary action. I was very doubtful at first but it does work.

By far the best way that i've used is this...

1. Get engine degreaser.

2. Spray on chain and sproket, let set for a few minutes

3. Spray off with hot water hose or power washer

4. Let dry, then take a small ride to warm it up

5. Spray on chain WAX.

6. Let harden a bit before taking off again and your done!

Takes like 5-10 minutes, very easy. If you do it on pavement make sure to keep some water running where the degreaser falls on the pave since its will eat pavement (thats why its easier done on cement).

I don't know about the degreaser...

These are "O" ring chains.  Supposedly they are "lifetime" oiled with an O-ring sealing in the lubricant.  If you soak the chain in degreaser aren't you risking some of that getting past the O-ring and "eating" the lubricant inside?

I'd worry about that.  

That is why I just spray with WD-40 WHEN it's really dirty and NEEDS to be cleaned off and then spray on the Suzuki "moly" chain lube.  All I'm doing is cleaning off the surface dirt and then applying a coating to the outside to prohibit rust and coating the rollers to cut down on wear.

atleast Im not the only nut using a paint brush  

Quote from: joerockerI don't know about the degreaser...

These are "O" ring chains.  Supposedly they are "lifetime" oiled with an O-ring sealing in the lubricant.  If you soak the chain in degreaser aren't you risking some of that getting past the O-ring and "eating" the lubricant inside?

I'd worry about that.  

That is why I just spray with WD-40 WHEN it's really dirty and NEEDS to be cleaned off and then spray on the Suzuki "moly" chain lube.  All I'm doing is cleaning off the surface dirt and then applying a coating to the outside to prohibit rust and coating the rollers to cut down on wear.

ive got about 12000 miles on this current chain with no problems.. works like new. I really doubt that it will penetrate the seal and  get in the lubricant. But that brings on the point that chain LUBE is useless as the chain is allready lubed, wax will do the trick without any overspray on the wheel.

I'm still running the original chain on my bike, just about to tick over 30,000km and the chain is only just starting to show some tight linkages. There's your usual rust on the outside, but other than that it seems ok.

The usual routine is to give it some chain grease every 300-500km, straight over the old lube, and give it a good thorough clean (rag soaked in kero) and regrease every 1000km. I've just bought a can of Belray's Super-Clean chain lube. It's designed to go tacky and not fling. It doesn't have the wet look like the Motul chain lube I was using. Just need to work out how often it needs regreasing and a thorough clean. But best of all, no grease fling!

That's what I did too...  Just went to the Suzuki dealer and got a spray on cleaner...  and a spray on lube.

Seems to work so far...  I guess we'll see in 300+ miles.