GARYJL Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Whats best for your bike chain Wax or Oil I have Wax but I dont like thewhite finish it gives, is there any advantage to Wax or should I change to oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 for the chain ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korben Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Guess so Stu... Kinda interested myself, although if my memory serves me correct they both have positives and negatives... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtotheJ Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I was thinking this as well. I was recommended to use wax instead of lube for the chain. Not sure what the difference is to be honest apart from wax leaves white crap all over the sprocket and frame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korben Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I "Think" that the wax stands up to water a lot better.... Could be wrong though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 ok i will take the plunge and guess its the chain then i use oil no wax for me people say wax is no fling and all sorts of crap but ive cleaned wax off back tyres and rims before today even with the "best" on the market also a wax catches all the grit and salt off the road and turns it into a grinding paste that is sat in your chain doing a nice job of wearing it out oil doesnt hold the grit as easy i prefere the wet look on a chain not dry lube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 ok i will take the plunge and guess its the chain then i use oil no wax for me people say wax is no fling and all sorts of crap but ive cleaned wax off back tyres and rims before today even with the "best" on the market also a wax catches all the grit and salt off the road and turns it into a grinding paste that is sat in your chain doing a nice job of wearing it out oil doesnt hold the grit as easy i prefere the wet look on a chain not dry lube discussed on here, a product with a tube with a dispensing bottle that oils your chain as you ride and the oil is driven into the chain for better results.. cant remebre the name but it was pitted against scottoilers on here with better feedback.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 that will be the Lubeman ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asharin Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 As I still have 2 and a half litres of 2 stroke engine oil left over from when i still had a 50cc..guess what I use now to oil my chain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I use white grease... Is that OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bex Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 i was told to use both, lube up with oil then seal it in with wax, clean off bout every 500 miles. so thats what i do. i also have a scot oiler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosszx9r Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 i was told to use both, lube up with oil then seal it in with wax, clean off bout every 500 miles. so thats what i do. i also have a scot oiler you must have loads of time on your hands for all that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jixerman Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I was advised to use wax by my mechanic who does track daysReasoningYou can apply it the night before you go out and it dries onto the chain so that you dont get the spray off of it all over your bike.Use daily if its raining and once a week in dry weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korben Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Must admit I clean my chain after every ride and lube it.... The clean is only basic though so about once I month I really clean it.... Once I get my new Ketterman whatsit thing though it should all be a lot easier... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph_Rat Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I have tried both and think both are pretty rubbish. Next i'll be trying this. I'm about to type some information from a book now out of print. But is seen as a bible to home mechanics. 103. Chain lubrication.Modern aerosol chainlubes are fine in summer and for trips if applied regularly, but hot graphite bath is the best way to oil a chain for long life. Many makes are still on the market even if they do need ordering from the retailer, so don't let him fob you off with less! Clean the chain in petrol or parafin first,liquefy the graphite grease (i use a camping stove to avoid stinking out the kitchen) and gently lower in the chain on a wire. Leave for a while so that the chain becomes hot, allowing the grease to soak in between all the rollers, then lift the chain out and hang it over the tin to allow the excess to drain back. For machines used predominantly in the summer this only needs doing once a year in the spring.I will be interested if anybody tries this. I will be doing this when the chainlube i have at the moment runs out.You can buy Graphite grease from here http://www.classic-spares.com/p_details.php?pid=474 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I was advised to use wax by my mechanic who does track daysReasoningYou can apply it the night before you go out and it dries onto the chain so that you dont get the spray off of it all over your bike.Use daily if its raining and once a week in dry weather. thats the thing it dries and road grit sticks to it making a nice cutting paste oil stays wet and not as much road shite will stick to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosszx9r Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Clean the chain in petrol or parafin first,liquefy the graphite grease (i use a camping stove to avoid stinking out the kitchen) and gently lower in the chain on a wire. i used to do this years ago when i had an old CB400n but it didn't have a modern o-ring chain!i don't think the hot oil method is suitable for modern chains as the heat would damage the o-rings. if you buy a cheap non o-ring chain then this will help prolong it's life but why bother buy a decent o-ring chain and lube it every week and it will last ages.you can spend a fortune on addatives and special oils and whatever else the marketing people dream up and tell us we must have.... you spend all your cash on fancy lubes and you get an extra 6 months out your chain if your lucky.... save your cash. chains are consumable items. buy standard cheap chain oil, keep it lubed once a week and you'll be doing as much as you need to to make it last.it will wear and stretch if you thrash the bike so if you ride like an old lady, it'll last longer than if you spend a load of cash on fancy products Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph_Rat Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Thats your view mate . But modern aerosol cans arn't cheaper. So your wrong on that one. You can buy 500g of white graphite grease For under £8. And you would of saw that if you checked my link.I also think your wrong about modern chains aswell. As most of the top motorcross and enduro riders. I know use that method i discribled. They use expensive modern chains....And we all know motorcross and enduro riders are putting there chain through alot more strain,stress and wear...I also managed to get a few words last night with my old man. He said it is a good way of doing chains but very messy.Personally i don't have trouble going the extra mile for longer chain life, and we are talking alot longer with graphite grease compared to aerosol cans. The best i got with an expensive aerosol can is 800 miles in one spray. (or bike life for that matter,like using acf50 on bike or more expensive oils) because i ride all year round. What ever the weather. Biking for me ain't only a summer ride. I encompass the whole biker life style fully. I do all my own maintenance and mechanics. The more time spent with the bike the better! Thats me anyway. Not everybody has the time or passion Like i said when my dry micro ceramic chain lube runs out. I will be trying that very old fashioned method graphite grease. And i'll report. How bad it flings,if it attracks dirt,dust and makes a nasty paste which damages chains. And how many miles you get before needing to do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosszx9r Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I also think your wrong about modern chains aswell. As most of the top motorcross and enduro riders. I know use that method i discribled. They use expensive modern chains....And we all know motorcross and enduro riders are putting there chain through alot more strain,stress and wear... i've done a bit research on the net and found a few nuggets on this...first is http://chain-guide.com it tells you all about the construction and maintenance requirements. an o-ring chain is effectively a sealed for life bearing. the lube is purely for the surface between the o-ring and the chain surface to ensure a good seal. WD40 washes the greese out of o-ring chains and it's very hard to replace. i found a link that shows the effect of WD40 on bearings!... http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/ (scroll down to middle of the page)the point i was making was that it doesn't matter a huge amount what you use it's just important to lube it regularly. there is a vast industry created around motorcyling and it's hungry for our cash. this really grates with me (not just because i'm a scotsman you understand ) as the sales pitches are offten misguided. chain maintenance is a case in point. do a google search on it and you'll find hundreds of pages of advice all for different products. the general gist is though.... oil it regularly if you want it to last. i don't know any top motocrossers so i can't be sure what they do with thier chains but if you get the chance, find out if they use o-ring chains. they may not as o-ring chains use more power while transmiting drive to the rear wheel. they most likely use a standard low loss chain that WILL require the hot grease treatment.i wasn't having a pop at you personally and didn't mean to offend. i just don't like it when marketing types convince people to part with hard earned cash when they don't need to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 one of the problems i see with your methodoligy is that most bikes now have riveted chains and not split links, it wouild be easy to do this with a split link, but a PITA with a riveted chain, hence not bothering and using other accesible products out there, each to their own, as has been said, as long as you maintain it and look after it, then you can still get to ride it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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