Chain Lube for non o-ring chain

[Thumper]

This chain has only ~500 miles on it. It is the original SFR 520H chain that came with my 5speed Templar X. It is light, but plenty tough. It was a little too long (new), so I took two links off while building the bike. I have NOT had to remove more links yet.

It is not an o-ring chain, so it soaks up chain lube nicely. I hang it from the ceiling, put a vinyl glove on my left hand to cup the chain, and soak it top to bottom.

It will need to be wiped off, but this really gets in deep. It is worth pulling the chain and reinstalling.

[Megadan]

The best chain lube by far is gear oil. The best method by far is a hot bath.

Before I found the joy that is x-ring chains I would pull my chain at the start of every riding season, soak and clean it in a tub of kerosene, hang it to dry, then place it in a used fryer I got at the thrift store for 5 bucks filled with 90w-140 gear oil, and turn it on until it got hot, let it cool, and then hung the chain to drip dry for a bit. I had chains outlast their sprockets doing this method lol. During riding season I would simply clean, ride around for a little to get the chain warm, and brush on more of said gear oil.

[JerryHawk250]

On a non o-ring chain I'll let soak in gear oil after cleaning. I've also done the graphite and hot paraffin bath. That seems to work the best for wet and muddy off road riding which I've done a lot of here. I switch over to oring chains on the Hawk as it was much easier to clean and lube.

[Thumper]

BEST? by far???

I am using Champion Chain Lube Spray grease.
The lubricating component of this stuff is ONE thing. It is called Lithium Soap. Lithium Soap is a lithium salt of fatty acids. So what is that?

It is made from triglycerides (a major component of animal fat!!!!), specifically, the saponification of triglycerides. Most lubricating greases include petroleum-based grease/oil, but not this stuff.

Lithium grease ADHERES particularly well to metal, and STICKS, and good for use under under heavy loads to protect chain links under load. It also tolerates high temps (not usually a real problem with a motorcycle chain, but increases durability). But it STICKS to metal. I mean sticks...and It repels moisture. All good for motorcycle chains.

Gear oil flings off more easily. So I would not recommend it unless you lube your chain more often.

Since it comes from triglycerides, the most common Lithium salts present are Lithium palmitate, Lithium oleate, and lithium stearate.

The rest of Champion lube spray is SOLVENTS: Heptane, petroleum distillates (like pet ether), propane, butane. These let you apply the Lithium grease to the metal, then the solvents evaporates, leaving the grease on the metal. The solvents help it penetrate into crevasses, but I also squeeze it in with the glove.

It doesn't smell like oil (which wouldn't bother me), but you can tell it is not the same as gear oil (a petroleum product). But it STICKs better, and lubricates awesome. It even holds on when I spray off the bike periodically (within limits, but you can feel it-still sticky! and the chain stays quiet).

Oh, it is also easy to apply. I will continue to use it. Champion knows what they are doing. Yes, there are other ways to lube your chain. You choose.

[JerryHawk250]

I am using Champion Chain Lube Spray grease as well on my street bike and KPX . I haven't taken the KPX out to the spillway yet. On my hawk no matter what i use to lube the chain, by the time I'm done riding through the sandy mud and slop in the spillway i was better of just pulling the chain and thoroughly clean it. That find river sand grit would work its way into the links. I found the gear oil was easier to clean whereas the Chain wax wouldn't clean as easily. Both work well. Just have to use what works best with the situation.

[Megadan]

Grease flings off as easily as gear oil. Once it gets close to it's liquefication temperature it adheres just as good as gear oil. Same with chain wax, which I love.

I've used it all. Gear oil still wins for standard chains imho. You don't leave it dripping wet. Apply, wipe away excess or let drip off the excess. Barely makes a mess and still functions. The oil needs to get into the rollers a lot more than soak the outside plates.

Heating the chain and oil is what actually helps to draw it into the rollers and is a crucial part of applying any type of lube to a chain. There are old boys that do liquefied grease baths to chains in the same method I do the gear oil. Also works rather well at getting the grease inside the rollers. Just makes a bigger mess and the temps are hotter.

[Thumper]

Sand is brutal to steel bearings and devises. It is essentially glass (silica), and it is harder than steel.

If you ride clean and road most of the time, you won't have to wash off much dirt. I ride off road, and get lots of sloppy wet clay with vegetation all over my swingarm. I have to clean up frequently. Lithium soap stays there through more washes.

[tknj99]

I use DuPont Chain Saver. Good stuff.

[Thumper]

Teflon is a perfectly good alternative, but needs frequent application. Fortunately, you don't really need to take the chain off. The stuff is LIQUID. If you can get someone to roll the wheel for you, and you have a paper towel and the can of triflow in your two hands, it is a pretty clean process!

[Thumper]

Not sure what your point is here.

Oils don't melt?

Well oil is already liquid at room temp. Oils can congeal if you cool them to refrigerated temps, then warm them up to room temp and they melt again. Greases melt at higher temps.

But as I have stated, lithium greases stick better to metal. Even AFTER they liquify. So they persist longer than gear oil.

Lithium grease can trap more debris (as some have noted), but you can spray off the debris and the Lithium grease still maintains a coating pretty well. It just sticks better.

[pete]

Chain saw bar oil...
non fling . rust inhibiters..
made to lubricate hi speed metal to metal sliding components..
I paint it on the chain with a 1/2" paint brush..



.

[Zapkin]

babyoil in the crankcase and vaseline on the chain. simple, cheap, ineffective.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by tknj99

I use DuPont Chain Saver. Good stuff.

Same here. Easy, non-fling, works.

I think the biggest point here is just lube your chain. I hear bikes ride by my house all the time with that distinctive chatter. A dry chain is painful to hear.

[TominMO]

Back in the hills of WV we used a mixture of bear semen, raw honey and wolverine barf. Worked great, if we survived gathering the raw ingredients.

[CheapThrills]

If I remember, I just give a couple good squirts with chain wax and don't see any dirt or wax build up.