Chain lube

[matt7chunk]

whats a good chain lube that wont make my chain look dirty all the time ?  wet/dry? what do you guys use


  summers coming

[mickvp]

I use a ton of Fuchs stuff that I got from somewhere. Works fine for me, just spray it on and wipe the excess off and leave it to dry a bit.

Got a scottoiler as well but I don't use it.

[Frosties]

Tutoro auto oiler on the CBF and muc off endurance chain lube on the Fazer & Tiger

[joebloggs]

Engine oil. Brush it on with a small paint brush, leave over night with a piece of card under the chain run to catch any drips, wipe off the excess in the morning.

You'll still get some that flings off but you do with most lubes, best thing about oil though is you can easily wipe it off unlike some chain lubes which stick to everything other than your chain

[dublet]

The owners manual states you should use engine oil..

[Bretty]

When I bought my bike, it appeared that the previous owner had been filling the scottoiler with used engine oil.

The problem being when the Scottoiler ran dry, the chain quickly followed. Because engine oil is quite thin it doesn't seem to stay on the chain. After just 500 miles with a 'dry' chain it eventually stretched enough to jump a tooth on the front sprocket!! Snapping my clutch push rod.

Now I use chain wax or dry lubes, believing that they stay on the chain longer. I also lube every 300miles or so, mainly to prevent the chain rusting as my bike lives outside.

Just my two cents. I would certainly be interested to hear other people's 'long interval' lubing options!

[fazersharp]

Me use this --- it goes on liquid and then sets, the first few miles still fling off but only very small blobs that I see under the side panel that dont add up to much. But there are those who say that this type just lets grit and dirt stick to it, I like it cause it looks nice     

[His Dudeness]

lube it every tank or at least every other tank with whatever you're having yourself. any longer than that and you're wearing the chain. engine oil works fine. if you can't keep a chain in good condition using engine oil get a shaft drive

[darrsi]

Me use this --- it goes on liquid and then sets, the first few miles still fling off but only very small blobs that I see under the side panel that dont add up to much. But there are those who say that this type just lets grit and dirt stick to it, I like it cause it looks nice     

Joking aside, until you put your chain through shitty conditions during the winter months when there's salt on the roads then it doesn't really count what you put on your chain because it's simply not a true guide.
No offence matey, i'm just being realistic.

[HarryHornby]

Old engine oil saved from either a car or bike oil change with an old paint brush for application, after every ride I give it another coat.  Only problem is it's very thin and just falls off the chain if you ride in heavy rain, but for dry weather riding it's perfect, and costs nowt! 

[fazersharp]

Joking aside, until you put your chain through shitty conditions during the winter months when there's salt on the roads then it doesn't really count what you put on your chain because it's simply not a true guide.
No offence matey, i'm just being realistic.

Yes you are quite right one should add that caveat to what I say.

As a lube and non fling I think it is still good and I doubt would get washed off easily   

[joebloggs]

I was commuting 70 miles a day through winter in all weather (inc snow) and lubed the chain everyday using engine oil, by spring the chain was still as new

[His Dudeness]

the oil cleans and lubes at the same time. the spray lube attracts dirt and grit. all the road crap sticks to it and grinds away at the chain. if you have the patience to apply oil I think it does a much better job and there's litres of it sitting there. someday I'll invest in an oiler and hook up a litre bottle to it and fill it once a year what happened to the old way of doing it where the chain ran in a casing and was constantly oiled?

[darrsi]

Old engine oil saved from either a car or bike oil change with an old paint brush for application, after every ride I give it another coat.  Only problem is it's very thin and just falls off the chain if you ride in heavy rain, but for dry weather riding it's perfect, and costs nowt! 

See, i don't get that at all.
Old oil will have fine metal particles in it, and as you say will be thin because it's lost it's properties.
If you're gonna use engine oil, at least use new stuff.

[His Dudeness]

Old engine oil saved from either a car or bike oil change with an old paint brush for application, after every ride I give it another coat.  Only problem is it's very thin and just falls off the chain if you ride in heavy rain, but for dry weather riding it's perfect, and costs nowt! 

See, i don't get that at all.
Old oil will have fine metal particles in it, and as you say will be thin because it's lost it's properties.
If you're gonna use engine oil, at least use new stuff.

I'd agree it's better to use new stuff but you're only protecting a drive chain from the weather for a few days. It's not going into the engine and being put under the force and stress of the inside of an engine so for me the old stuff does the job fine. People who say oh it flings off and doesn't work probably haven't tried it or they have tried it once and that's it. Use it regularly and it works fine

[fazersharp]

Back in the 80s I had a round tin of solid wax oil that you put on a camping stove and melted it and then chucked your chain in - wiggle it about a bit and then take out to dry. It was a 125 with a split pin link so was easy to get off

[Slaninar]

Scottoiler is as good (and as practical) as it gets. Next best thing is any chain spray with silicone.


Scottoiler is also the cheapest in the long run: less chain and sprockets wear, triple lifetime at least, plus cheaper than cans of chain spray lube.

[joebloggs]

I don't buy the metal in old engine oil theory, if, as its suggested, the oil is full of metal particles it would destroy your engine in seconds, sure its thiner but still far better at lubrication than most chain lubes.

I've also used a rag soaked in oil in the past, wrapped the rag around the chain and slowly rotated the wheel, I found that not only covered the chain in oil but also wiped off any dirt and dust that had built up on the links. Bloody messy though lol

[Slaninar]

I don't buy the metal in old engine oil theory, if, as its suggested, the oil is full of metal particles it would destroy your engine in seconds, sure its thiner but still far better at lubrication than most chain lubes.

I've also used a rag soaked in oil in the past, wrapped the rag around the chain and slowly rotated the wheel, I found that not only covered the chain in oil but also wiped off any dirt and dust that had built up on the links. Bloody messy though lol

Engine oil has several functions: lube, gather and neutralize combustion tar, acids that build up etc. Used engine oil has degraded lubrication qualities and is full of dirt and acid. That's why it is changed. Good for painting wooden fences, but not good for lubricating anything anymore.


New thick engine oil (20w60), or new SAE90 oil is good, but I'd never recommend using used engine oil.

[darrsi]

I don't buy the metal in old engine oil theory, if, as its suggested, the oil is full of metal particles it would destroy your engine in seconds, sure its thiner but still far better at lubrication than most chain lubes.

I've also used a rag soaked in oil in the past, wrapped the rag around the chain and slowly rotated the wheel, I found that not only covered the chain in oil but also wiped off any dirt and dust that had built up on the links. Bloody messy though lol

The oil filter is s'posed to drag out and contain the metal particles, and i've heard of people sticking magnets on their filter to assist it as well.
If you have metal on metal at high speeds there has to be some release of particles, it won't be anything major but they will exist.
I might give it a try when i next clean the chain, but will do so with nice fresh oil with intact properties, it just makes more sense to me.

[His Dudeness]

I don't buy the metal in old engine oil theory, if, as its suggested, the oil is full of metal particles it would destroy your engine in seconds, sure its thiner but still far better at lubrication than most chain lubes.

I've also used a rag soaked in oil in the past, wrapped the rag around the chain and slowly rotated the wheel, I found that not only covered the chain in oil but also wiped off any dirt and dust that had built up on the links. Bloody messy though lol

Engine oil has several functions: lube, gather and neutralize combustion tar, acids that build up etc. Used engine oil has degraded lubrication qualities and is full of dirt and acid. That's why it is changed. Good for painting wooden fences, but not good for lubricating anything anymore.


New thick engine oil (20w60), or new SAE90 oil is good, but I'd never recommend using used engine oil.

All correct but the fact is the oil that you drained out was protecting your engine just fine right up until you drained it. It would not be as good as fresh new oil but it was working well enough up until you drained it that the engine wasn't suffering any major wear. Right? So will it protect a drive chain for a few days? Yes of course it will. Would new gear oil be better? Yes. But does used engine oil work fine? Yes

[Slaninar]

All correct but the fact is the oil that you drained out was protecting your engine just fine right up until you drained it. It would not be as good as fresh new oil but it was working well enough up until you drained it that the engine wasn't suffering any major wear. Right? So will it protect a drive chain for a few days? Yes of course it will. Would new gear oil be better? Yes. But does used engine oil work fine? Yes

All correct and I agree. Some people run it through a cofee filter to make it a bit cleaner and re-use it. It does come free, while a litre of new engine oil costs around 5 euros in my city.


However, I have tried using used motor oil and it is a lot messier than using new oil. So you have:


- more dirt
- less viscosity so it slips off chain more quickly
- worse lubrication
- worse corrosion inhibition and perhaps some acid as well (though if changed regularly and of decent quality oil should still be base by the time it is drained)


+ 5 euro per litre saving
+ more eco if you would otherwise throw old oil away

[His Dudeness]

All correct but the fact is the oil that you drained out was protecting your engine just fine right up until you drained it. It would not be as good as fresh new oil but it was working well enough up until you drained it that the engine wasn't suffering any major wear. Right? So will it protect a drive chain for a few days? Yes of course it will. Would new gear oil be better? Yes. But does used engine oil work fine? Yes

All correct and I agree. Some people run it through a cofee filter to make it a bit cleaner and re-use it. It does come free, while a litre of new engine oil costs around 5 euros in my city.


However, I have tried using used motor oil and it is a lot messier than using new oil. So you have:


- more dirt
- less viscosity so it slips off chain more quickly
- worse lubrication
- worse corrosion inhibition and perhaps some acid as well (though if changed regularly and of decent quality oil should still be base by the time it is drained)


+ 5 euro per litre saving
+ more eco if you would otherwise throw old oil away

Of course it has more dirt than new stuff and worse everything but it's just lubing a drive chain so the question is, is it good enough to to do that? I think it is as long as you apply it regularly. For me the benefits are it's a way to use a waste product. As far as I can tell it keeps my chain in tip top condition. I've always got a supply of it so I don't have to think about it or go to the shop when it runs out. I get a good look at the chain every few days so there's no chance of it hoping off the sprocket or anything mad going on. It saves a small bit of money. It's just a personal choice. I can see why people use the spray cans but after using them for a while I wouldn't bother with them

[fazersharp]

Any way arn't the chains supposed to have oil/grease sealed in them with o rings and stuff

[joebloggs]

As I understand it chains need lube around the O-ring to stop it failing, letting the grease seep out