What chain are you all running

[sr5bidder]

Patman thats cool $20 for 12 16oz cans, I have stuff like it made by Apollo Technologies IndTek Silicone Release Agent I might give it a shot just to see "Leaves no oily film"

The $14 of Bell Ray can I bought at Highland Park is getting to the end and it seemed to gather red clay dust very quickly.

Mudpack: I have capitialized all my brands, hope this helps

 

[mudpack]

The best way I'm found for cleaning a chain, internally as well as externally, is to put a countershaft sprocket on a slow AC motor, then loop the chain on the sprocket (the chain is connected, off course) with the bottom "run" of the chain hanging in a can of solvent. Then, turn the motor on, walk away, and let it run for several days.
It DOES require removing the chain from the bike.... :(....but the chain will come out completely free of dirt.
I've made two of these devices (they run on 120VAC house current) and will try to take a picture of the curent one and post it.

 

[julien_d]

Hey, now that sounds like a creative and effective way to do it!

 

[sr5bidder]

what kind of motor would you be able to find that spins that slow? is it a stepper motor w/controler

 

[bultaco4ever]

OK, is that advisable on an 'O' ring chain? Do you want to wash away all the oil on the shafts in between the O rings. How would you then lubricate your 'washed' chain? I've done similarly on non O ring chains and then bathed them in oil for a few hours. Would this work on an O ring chain.

 

[julien_d]

Do you want to wash away all the oil on the shafts in between the O rings.

I wouldn't soak an o-ring chain in any sort of solvent unless said solvent was stated as being safe for rubber parts. Most are not.

 

[Patman]

My chains generally rinse clean when I wash the bike and then I just reapply the MFR. It beats the heck out of having a black gunked up chain. I suppose it has less internal friction as well compared to the same chain with typical crud gathering "lube" since there is no accumulated crud between the plates & pins. Cheap isn't always about the less expensive product.

 

[_JOE_]

I use silicone spray to lube and protect my x-ring chain. It makes cleaning as simple as hosing it off. Then dry it off and soak it down again.

 

[bultaco4ever]

I sought some advice on another forum that I visit and got this response on how to care for an 'O' ring chain

"I run an o-ring and have been for a long time on my BMW F650 and use ATF for both cleaning and lubing. It can be a bit messy because it will fling off when it's first put on but the chain will look new all the time. ATF is good for rubber and has cleaning properties in it due to the rubber goodies in an automatic transmission. I have tried other things and nothing comes close. Many others on our club site (f650dotcom) will agree and some have gotten 50,000 miles out of a chain though that is with a well lubed chain (some as often as every fill up) but the results speak for them selves. The other chain specific lubes I tried just attracted dirt and made it stick were ATF is constantly cleaning. I apply mine with a little squeeze bottle and spin the wheel and drizzle it on. Some use an acid brush and some use auto oilers. Many of these folks and myself included do take these dual sports off road in the dusty dirt and the ATF works."

 

[Patman]

Why would anybody want to lubricate a sealed chain that is pre-lubricated and sealed? Keep it clean and keep the seals in good condition is all it should need. I use the product I use because I have a standard (non-sealed) D.I.D. EK chain, I used exactly what Joe does when I had a sealed chain.

 

[reepicheep]

I guess that once a single o-ring on a "sealed o-ring chain" fails, it is now a "mostly sealed mostly o-ring chain". Which, given the "it is only as strong as it's weakest link" nature of a chain, implies that there could be significant benefit to really lubing a "sealed" chain.

Maybe the right strategy is to use silicone or something for the first 3000 miles or X hours, and then assume that by that point some of the seals have been compromised, and treat it like still perfectly good but now non o-ring chain.

(which kinds of begs the question of why bother to put an o-ring chain on a dirt bike in the first place, but I don't put o-ring chains on dirt bikes, so don't ask me. I put on reasonable quality inexpensive non o-ring chains and lube early and often, and make sure there is an extra chain and master link back at the truck any time I go riding. For my street bike, I think chains are annoying, and am very happy with my zero lash zero maintenance belt drive).

 

[Patman]

If the sealed chain becomes a mostly sealed chain that you lube, then wouldn't water & the grit that the lube attracts also get mostly sealed in? Yup.

 

[_JOE_]

I spent a good deal of time looking for torn rings on mine and couldn't find one. On the othe hand I bought a used bike with an Oring chain that was missing over half of them. If the rings are tearing off I would suspect the lubricant to be not compatible or lack of maintenance(cleaning). For what it's worth the Xring chains don't drag like standard Orings. The contact area on the side plate is very small. I will buy one again. Most standard chains seem to last about 40 hours before starting to wear the sprockets. You're looking at 125 bucks for decent standard chain and sprocket kit. A high end sealed chain will run you about 75 or 80 and may double the life of the gears. I guess in the end it's pretty similar in cost, more of a personal preferance......

 

[_JOE_]

I do like the ATF soak idea.

 

[Patman]

Interesting to hear about the X ring chains. I had an O ring on my KTM and it was something I could notice. Not like I really need that extra 0.25 HP but it did make think twice on my (K)XR build.

 

[domino dave]

I use silicone spray to lube and protect my x-ring chain. It makes cleaning as simple as hosing it off. Then dry it off and soak it down again.

Most recently decided to try an RK X-ring ... also went to steel sprockets , instead of alloy. Like Joe I spray with silicone. Sure is easy to lightly brush the chain down with soapy water, along with the rest of the bike. Dry and spray ... so much easier then all that take the chain off and soak in some solution. Couple of seasons now and chain and sprockets still look good ... Oh yea, no stretch with the X-ring. Dave

 

[_JOE_]

Dave, what did you run before that? I'm curious to know if there's a noticeable difference between them and a standard chain. I put mine on before I even rode the bike. And yeah, the lack of stretching is pretty amazing.

 

[domino dave]

Joe- I was running a standard chain. If you're talking about performance wise, I noticed no difference ... I'm not a racer. I changed over because I was looking for something easier and longer lasting. I really like that the X-ring has little or no stretch. If you've ever noticed, when a chain stretches it doesn't do it evenly. I'm no expert, but I'm thinking a stretched chain has got to be hard on your sprockets.

 

[bultaco4ever]

I received some more '0' ring chain maintenance advice...here it is:


"The only way to properly lubricate an 'O' ring chain is with bear grease. Not just any kind of bear, it has to be a 250lb Vermont Black Bear.

First you buy an illegal hi-powered rifle at a gun show, then go to Vermont and shoot the bear in the fall - it must be the fall in order to get the most amount of grade 'A' grease from the bear. Then you skin it and boil the rennent from the stomach region in a large cast-iron cauldron on your gas grill. You absolutely must place hemlock branches in the form of a circle around the gas grill so the vapors from the hemlock mingle with the bear grease or it is not as effective as a lubricant. After the renderings are a hot thin liquid, you totally immerse the chain into the cauldron and stir for 20 mins. Carefully remove the chain with a metal hook and allow it to hang dry/cool.

In a pinch you can use whale blubber if you fail at bear hunting, but not just any whale, it has

to be............ "

"