chain lube question/jack

My son just purchased his first motorcycle...a 1997 Yamaha YZF 600. It
has low mileage and is in very good condition. I own a Vulcan 750 with
a shaft drive. He is very good at taking care of it and we are
attempting to get all the knowledge we can glean from this great NG.
My question now is what is best for his chain. I've researched
numerous posts on the subject here and am more confused than before.
The manual calls for 90W oil for the chain. However, I'd think that
would produce alot of throw-off onto the rim, tires and chain guard.
Since it's been 8 years since the manual was written, I was wondering
if there has been a better alternative produced.
Further, it is an O-ring chain and I've read that some of the waxes and
lubes aren't good for that type. Lastly, there are some synthetics out
there now that could be used.
Also, we are considering purchasing a motorcycle "jack" since he
doesn't have a center stand. Any advise on that?
Help.......what do you people suggest?

 

90W gear lube is not a bad chain lubricant, but you're right,
it does make a mess. "Chain Wax" solidifies and doesn't keep things
well lubricated. And WD-40 is NOT a lubricant for power transmission,
no matter how enthusiastic some people are about using it.
FWIW, I've had good luck with Silkolene semi-synthetic chain
lube. It doesn't fling off as readily as some, and seems to be good
for o-ring chains. I've just replaced the chain & sprockets on my
Suzuki Bandit 1200 after 21,000 miles, mostly using Silkolene.
Sprockets showed slight wear on the thrust side of the teeth, and the
chain had a few links beginning to get stiff.
The thing most people omit is cleaning the chain. Roller
chains weren't really designed to be used in the open. They're better
suited to an enclosed drive with constant oil bath lubrication. It's
best to completely remove the chain from the bike and give it a bath
every couple of thousand miles, or more often when exposed to a lot of
sand or grit. Use only kerosene as a solvent. Many chemical solvents
can attack and destroy the o-rings that seal lubricant into the pin
bushings. Don't use too stiff a brush to scrub with: the o-rings can
be damaged.

 

No, it's not that bad at all. An application of two drops of 90-weight
gear lube on each link, plus letting the bike sit overnight for any
excess to drip off will last for a 300 mile ride. What little gear lube
flings off is EASILY wiped off by a kerosene-soaked rag...

If I got out on a long day ride, I might put ONE drop on each chain
link at a rest stop.

I made a simple screw jack out of a 12-inch long piece of square
section tubing that I already had in my garage.

I drilled two 1/4 inch holes in the top end of the tube. The tube
bolts to the swing arm with two 1/4-inch bolts at two pre-existing
holes that were meant for a factory racing jack.

A nut and bolt in the bottom of the square section tubing does the
jacking. No welding, the bolt just sticks into the tubing. I bolt the
square section tubing to the side of the swing arm opposite the side
stand and hold the nut with one 17mm wrench, while screwing the bolt
head with another 17 mm wrench.

The rear wheel comes off the ground high enough to spin the wheel.
That's good enough for lubing the chain on a trip or securing the bike
from being blown over in a high wind while I'm sleeping in a motel on a
road trip...

Only in the manufacturer's advertising hype. They are trying to sell
oil mixed with glue, packaged in a spray can for "convenience". That
chain goop is a far worse mess to clean off your motorbike than
90-weight gear lube would ever be, and it WILL damage O-rings in the
expen$ive original equipment chains that cost $200...

Chain Wax is the worst chain goop of all. It turns into hard wax that
has to be dug out of the back side of the sprocket cover.

There's always somebody inventing some new "snake oil" product. The
motorcycle manufacturers still recommend engine oil, mainly to keep
chains from rusting. The smart guys are using 90-weight gear lube that
costs a few dollars a gallon and the gallon lasts for years...

There are cheap Lockhart rear wheel racing stands for quickly jacking
up the rear wheel. Or you could buy a more expensive Pit Bull stand.
That's good enough for the rear end. I have what is called a "coffin
hoist" or a "come-along". It's a cable device with a ratching handle
like truckers use to secure loads of pipe on their flatbed trailers.
Costs about $40.
I attached one end to a sturdy rafter in my garage, and use nylon
tie-down strap extensions to go under the handlebars, and I ratchet the
front wheel off the ground that way if I want to work on the front
wheel...

 

Thanks for all of the info. Decided to try the Silkolene. Any advise
on how and where to apply it?

 

The strategy of chain lube application is to LUBE the chain when it's
HOT, like when you've just come home from a ride. Then the adhesive in
the chain lube will set up quickly and you can ADJUST the chain when
it's COOL. Doesn't that sound simple?

Problem is, if you've been out on the highway, your chain is dry and
dusty, but it's HOT and so many riders who can afford to buy a new
chain every year will just spray some Super Duper Chain Goop like PJ-1
or Silkolene on their chain and they will SEAL IN those tiny particles
of dust, making an abrasive slurry of glue, oil, and road grit to grind
away
at their O-rings...

So, what's a motorbiker to do, to save his chain from the horrors of
crud?

Aye, there's the rub, as Will S. would say. The manufacturers of Super
Duper Chain Goop will make claims about how their product doesn't hurt
the O-rings, or even that it somehow "nourishes" the O-rings, keeping
them soft and pliable, and they will argue with each other about
whether
oil is better than wax to cushion the shock as the chain hits the
sprocket teeth...

But the manufacturers of Super Duper Chain Goop will turn right around
and tell the motorbiker that what he needs to do is CLEAN all the old
chain goop off his chain, and then go out and RIDE the machine until
the chain is hot and come back home and shoot some new goop on the
chain!

So, if the chain really really really needs some lubrication ALL the
time, what sense does it make to ride the motorbike with the chain DRY,
just so it will be warm enough for the adhesive in the chain goop to
set up quickly?

My chain just doesn't get all that dirty. I can wipe it off with a
kerosene-soaked rag. I put one drop of 90-weight gear lube on the
inside edge of each roller as I rotate the rear wheel. Then I go around
once more and park the motorbike overnight and any excess drips onto a
piece of old carpet on the garage floor.

At least I'm not gluing DIRT to my chain that way. If I get a little
fling off, it's easily cleaned off. Now, if only 90-weight gear lube
had a pleasant scent...

 

Oil the chain at the END of a ride, while it's still warm.
Put the bike on the centerstand, start the engine, and put the trans
in 5th gear. With the engine idling, spray lube using the plastic
tube fitted to the spray valve. Aim at the INSIDE of the chain run,
below the swingarm. Make sure to direct the spray at the o-rings on
each side, as well as the rollers which contact the sprockets.
It should not need to be said, but keep your hands (and other
extremities) away from the moving drivetrain while the engine's
running. Make sure the bike is on a stable, level surface, so there's
no chance of it coming off the stand. Put the trans in neutral and
shut off the engine before wiping up.

 

Don't try THAT at home, kiddies. I know a guy who did. He went to the
emergency room with the greasy severed end of his right index finger
wrapped in a wet towel and asked the attending physician, "Do you think
you can sew this back on?" He didn't have much hope for that happening,
but the doctors sewed it back on and it's only a little crooked, so he
can still pick his nose with it...

Even spinning the rear wheel rapidly by hand can pinch your finger
between the chain and the sharp sprocket, so DON'T DO IT!

If you're going to lube the bottom run of chain, always point the spray
tube toward the FRONT of the motorbike, and always turn the rear wheel
*slowly* BACKWARDS so the chain links are moving AWAY from the rear
sprocket's teeth!

If you're going to lube the top run of chain, turn the rear wheel
*slowly* BACKWARDS and put one drop on the inside of each side link
where it touches the roller. Lube the link that's closest to the TOP of
the rear sprocket. As the chain moves slowly downward from the point
where you're lubing, excess lube will drip off the bottom of the
sprocket, so put a piece of old newspaper underneath the sprocket. This
method will carry less chain goop to the area around the countershaft
sprocket, so that area will stay cleaner...

 

krusty kritter wrote:

[further discussion of the wrong way to do it omitted]

Exactly. Do as krusty suggests. Look here:

http://www.ducatitech.com/info/chain.html
chain care ... take care if it and it will take care of you

 

Scottoiler the only way to go 19000ks on my Ducati and chain adjustment
need.
Lushy

 

Testing testing
Would her plugs be slightly damp?

testing testing the bike may require a service!

testing testing loads of grunt