Hi All, I am new here and just came acros this conversation. I had a VFR and used to clean the chain with WD 40. After every Sunday spin I would wash the bike and then with a small brush I would apply gearbox oil ie 80/90 viscosity, to the whole chain, with 22,000 miles on the bike a mechanic could not believe the condition of the chain and sprocket, very little wear. Does anyone else use this oil, if not what do ye use to lubricate your chains. PS, I didnt clean the chain after every spin, maybe every 10 spins or so.
My mate uses gearbox oil in his scotoiler he swears by it I use a spray lube recommended by Coventry Ducati
I use Motul chain cleaner with one of those three sided brushes, and Motul lube. I lube every couple of hundred miles, and clean the chain about every thousand miles.
Just thought I'd add the below to this thread, FYI. Lifted it off the comments section in a Delboy's Garage post on YT which I came across whilst looking for something else. Seems paraffin may not be the best cleaner. Hi Del, I've read most of the posts below and having been a scientist in the metal finishing industry for over 35 years I note an awful lot of misguided advice about how to clean the materials used in modern chain manufacture. I'd like to offer my advice, as someone highly experienced in metal cleaning and metal finishing. Firstly, "know your base materials"... In modern chains you have 3 base materials (hardened steel links & rivets, sintered steel rollers and elastomer x or o seals). Second, "know what you are trying to remove"... Motorcycle chains typically have a mixture of grease, metal particles, road dirt and iron oxide (rust) on the surface. You need to take into account all of the substrates when trying to clean them. Rust for example, was once part of the base material so any significant amount that has developed can result in a much weaker base material and thus premature chain failure. My advice for cleaning a motorcycle chain would be a two step process. First remove the grease & oils. These also carry most of the fine metal particles and road dirt that wear the chain rollers and drive sprockets. Use a mild detergent (none solvent type) for example clothes washing liquid, in hot water. Proprietary cleaners are also effective and have usually been tested for compatibility with most elastomer seal materials. Petrol, Paraffin, White Spirits and other household solvents should be avoided unless you know the exact type of elastomer used in the seal for your specific chain and have checked it is not degraded by the solvent being used. Don't soak the chain overnight in any cleaning fluids as it is likely to migrate into the sintered roller materials and cause problems later. Use a nylon brush to remove the heavy soils and grease. Do this as quickly and effectively as possible. After cleaning, thoroughly dry the chain and let is stand overnight somewhere warm and dry. You don't want to lock in any moisture to the sintered rollers or behind the seals before you apply chain lubricant later. Some light surface rust may reappear overnight, which can easily be brushed off. Secondly, cleaning the sintered steel roller, hardened steel side plates and rivets should be done only after removing the grease and oils. Remember the sintered steel roller are sensitive to prolonged exposure to acids, surfactants and alkaline cleaners, so exposure time should be kept to a minimum. DO NOT use strong acids of any kind. If the rust is light, simply use a fine steel wire brush (not brass!). Brass is an alloy of coper and zinc, particles of this alloy can accelerate corrosion on the steel if left in contact with it. Use only a steel wire brush. If the corrosion or rust is excessive, I would not recommend cleaning it but replacing the chain. Heavy rust is a clear indication that chain has suffered poor maintenance and will most likely be weaker than the designers originally intended. Once the light rust is removed, inspect the rollers for pitting and wear. If there is a significant amount of either, again I would replace the chain. Once cleaned, make sure you lubricate the chain thoroughly with a recommended chain lubricant. The detergent used for cleaning may have penetrated the sintered rollers or behind the seals and have removed some of the original lubricant applied at manufacture. A good coating of chain lubricant should supplement this once the chain is running at normal operating temperature. Hope this helps...
If you do a shaft drive version I’ll invest in your company. My Nigerian accountant will phone you shortly.
