Looking after your motorcycle’s chain is important, but we’ve all neglected to clean and lubricate our chains on occasion (don’t lie, we’ve all done it!).
Your motorcycle’s chain needs to be lubricated every 400-800 miles to keep it at its best. This can vary depending on your bike’s use; road bikes will need the chain cleaning less than off-road bikes. You should always let the solvents evaporate before heading out on another ride, as this allows any lubricant to fully penetrate the chain.
At Tru-Tension, we’ve been working on perfecting our motorcycle maintenance skills. Our team have put together this short guide about how best to care for your motorcycle’s chain.
How to Clean & Lubricate a Motorcycle Chain
It’s always best to lubricate after a ride so that your chain’s still hot. Once you’re home, you’ll want to clean your chain first. Grab out your wheel roller or bike stand so that you can fully rotate your wheels while you work.
Cleaning the chain first is done to remove any excess dirt, grit or any old lubricant that might have built up (if left for long enough, it’ll form a tacky ‘grinding paste’, which will damage your chain). For this, we recommend grabbing a can of Primeshine Chain Cleaner, thoroughly cover your chain in it, and give it a scrub with a Muck Monkey Chain Brush. This one-two combo is guaranteed to leave you with a glistening chain, ready to apply your lubricant.
To clean your chain, you should:
- Raise your bike off the floor, or pop it on a secure roller.
- If there’s any large pieces of debris, remove these first by using your chain brush.
- Give the chain a good spraying with your chain cleaner, rotating as you spray to ensure a proper coating.
- Once it’s coated, give it another scrubbing with your chain brush. The longer bristles are perfect for hard-to-reach places.
- Apply a final coat of cleaner, before wiping the chain with a clean rag.
Once you’ve got your chain clean, and you’ve allowed it time to fully dry, grab yourself a quality lubricant. It’s extremely expensive to replace a chain, so caring for it with the best products is a great way to make it last a bit longer (and save a lot of money!).
Lubricating your chain is simple:
- As before, your bike will need to be raised on a roller.
- Give it a thorough coating in lubricant. Slowly rotate the wheel as you spray. BananaSlip Chain Lube is thin, allowing it to find its way into all the nooks and crannies of the chain, ensuring a proper coating.
- Allow the lubricant to fully evaporate before setting off on a ride – high-quality lubricants should evaporate almost instantaneously.
- Enjoy the smooth ride, safe in the knowledge that your chain’s perfectly lubricated.
Identifying Your Bike’s Chain Type
It’s worth being aware of what your motorbike’s chain type is, as this can change the process a little.
Many older motorcycles will use unsealed chains. These chains lack the little rubber seal that separates the side plates and inner links. Without these rubber seals, unsealed chains will need more frequent care and lubrication to stop the metal from grinding itself away.
Sealed chains, as the name suggests, do have the little rubber seal. Sealed chains are found on more modern motorcycles, and are designed to improve lubrication efficacy by trapping grease around the chain and keeping water out.
Check for the rubber seals on your motorbike’s chain. If you’re not sure, it’s worth consulting your bike’s manual, or checking with your local garage.
Why Do You Need to Lubricate Your Motorcycle Chain?
While this is all well and good, many motorcyclists spend years of their lives lubricating a chain, even though they aren’t really completely sure why.
The fact of the matter is, your chain is a hunk of metal that rotates at a very high speed. This has a distinct toll on the chain, and, without lubricant, the chain will wear out three to four times quicker than one that’s been lubricated. Alternatively, the increased strain on the chain could result in a catastrophic failure, causing the chain to whip violently about. This can cause damage to the bike or the rider – something we definitely want to avoid.
There are a whole bunch of benefits of lubricating your chain frequently:
- Ensure that your chain has an extended, happy and healthy life, as it suffers less friction damage over time.
- Lubricant is cheaper than a new chain – you’ll save a lot of money by caring for the one you’ve got.
- Environmental conditions such as dirt, grit, water and sand will have less of an effect on a lubricated chain.
- A nicely lubricated chain will operate more quietly.
- A dry chain can impact your shifting, resulting in a slower, less efficient bike, and none of us want that!
Motorcycle Chain Lubricants and Other Maintenance Products with Tru-Tension
It’s pretty clear that lubrication is a big deal. Here at Tru-Tension, we specialise in designing and manufacturing industry-leading motorcycle maintenance products. From chain tensioning and chain alignment tools to lubricants, wax and cleaning gels, we offer a comprehensive range of maintenance solutions at affordable prices.
Whether you are an inexperienced rider, a daily commuter or a competitive racer, our products are right for all levels of enthusiast. If you have any queries about one of our products, or would like some more information, don’t hesitate to contact our team today!