What Is The Best Motorcycle Chain Cleaner and Lube?

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What Is The Best Motorcycle Chain Cleaner and Lube?

Рет қаралды 3,451

Күн бұрын

DIY #Motorcycle #Chain #Clean and #Lube
How to clean and lubricate your motorcycle chain.
Cleaning and lubricating your motorcycle chain is one of the most frequent maintenance activities you should be doing if you have a chain driven bike and want your motorcycle chain to last as long as possible. It is a quick and easy task, so likely you aren't going to want to waste valuable time and money to have it done at your local motorcycle shop! This video runs you through the steps.
Things that you will or may need to clean and lubricate your motorcycle chain. Most of these items can also be found at your local bike shop so be sure to price shop with them as well:
Kerosene: Yes kerosene...find this at your local hardware store and save the money you would otherwise spend on motorcycle chain cleaners!
Grunge brush
Motorcycle Chain Wax
Motorcycle Lube (if you don't want Chain Wax)
Microfiber Clothes
Boot tray too protect the garage floor (Optional)
Motorcycle jack (optional)
My motorcycle is my passion, and as someone who loves bikes I am also an Independent AMSOIL Dealer. To support this channel while providing the best possible lubricants to extend the life of your motorcycle check out the following link here: www.amsoil.ca/...
Consider becoming a preferred customer to save 25% off!
I am a motorcycle instructor but I am not a mechanic, so I want to make clear that although I am showing you step-by-step how I clean and lube my chain your motorcycle owner's manual and service manual should be your bible when it comes to how or when your should service your motorcycle. That said, this task is pretty easy to do and even if you are not 100% as thorough as some riders, it definitely falls into the something is better than nothing category when it comes to maintenance!
This video is NOT sponsored and my gear has been purchased by me at my own cost. Some links may be affiliate links which means that I may receive a small commission at no cost to you should you make a purchase.
The views expressed in this video are based on my experience as a rider and a motorcycle instructor. Please check with your local authority regarding the governing laws in your province or state.
KZfaq videos are a great way to learn but keep in mind that they are substitute for in person training from a qualified instructor. Ride safe and ride on!
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Пікірлер: 17

@robsalvv5853 Жыл бұрын

25yr rider, diligent user of kero to clean chains… I’ve had several chains last 60,000+ km, with moderate lubing and cleaning, riding in both dry and wet conditions, and upwards of 80,000km with an anal OCD level of attention. If kero does get past the oring, yes it will dilute the sealed in lube, but that is very very unlikely on a well maintained chain, particularly using the method shown in the vid where the soak dwell time is short.

@CaledoniaKeys Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. My personal experience has been the same. As a bonus, the overspray does a fine job of cleaning my wheels as well. Ride on!

@CaledoniaKeys Жыл бұрын

A lot of older motorcycle manuals recommend Kerosene as a gentle but effective solution to clean your chain and yet the shelves are full of higher cost, specially formulated chain cleaners. What are your thoughts?

@jimh2061 Жыл бұрын

Did my first chain clean the other day. Hahaha what a mess. I used the kerosene and had cardboard and a pan under it but that was dripping off the chain everywhere. Chain was really dirty. I overlubed it and wiped off the excess but probably not quite good enough. Adjusted the chain and went for 50 mile ride. Lube flung on the rim and spokes. I'm going to go easy on the lube next time. The kerosene cleans the chain great though. Never realized what a great cleaner it is.

@CaledoniaKeys Жыл бұрын

I hear you…. I always used to overdo it a bit on the lube as well. That is part if the reason I switched to chain wax. Another “which is better” debate, but on the plus side I find that chain wax tends to stick better. Ride on!

@Ephesians-xt4xc Жыл бұрын

Just had my chain replaced on my 2022 Suzuki Vstrom 1050 because it got so rusted from not lubing it. The mechanic told me never to use kerosene to clean the chain. My manual also states NO KEROSENE, only neutral detergent to clean chain, soft brush and no high pressure rinsing. Also lube with O ring safe product, OR, 80-90 oil. I have heard that Maxima Chain Wax is a good product.

@CaledoniaKeys Жыл бұрын

Definitely treat the owner’s manual as the bible for your maintenance. Funny how some other manuals even specify kerosene as the best chain cleaner to use. Makes you wonder…

@j.a.7721 Жыл бұрын

I did the same with the lube, but I use less kerosene since it disappeared from New Jersey

@CaledoniaKeys Жыл бұрын

Wow. It is still pretty easy to find in my area. I did a google search for New Jersey and apparently some gas stations may still sell it? Of course you are on the ground and would be the expert in your area! I would be curious to know if it is still cheap in your state though. dollarsanity.com/where-to-buy-kerosene/

@j.a.7721 Жыл бұрын

@@CaledoniaKeys for some reason all the places that sell kerosene don't. I use it as auxiliary heat. But I guess I can use diesel since it's similar....?

@CaledoniaKeys Жыл бұрын

I can’t really comment on diesel as I have never researched that. If you check out some motorcycle owners manuals, some manufacturers actually specify kerosene as a recommended chain cleaner. It is tough enough to lift the dirt and grease but gentle enough for your chain. That is what originally led to me making the switch. Thanks for the note.

@basext Жыл бұрын

The chain manufacturer (D.I.D.) does not recommend to use kerosene to clean the drive chain. It may penetrate under the X- or O- ring and remove grease inside. You should check what the kind of chain is used on your bike, if it is X- or O- ring chain you should probably avoid to use kerosene. Also it is recommended to use a high viscosity oil to chain lube, e.g. 75w90 manual transmission oil.

@CaledoniaKeys Жыл бұрын

I didn’t realize that there was a manufacturer that was against using kerosene but I did look it up and like you said D.I.D. says “don’t”. That said, I have seen many motorcycle owners manuals that specifically name kerosene as a preferred cleaning agent. It kind of makes you wonder… Thanks for sharing! www.manualslib.com/manual/837941/Yamaha-Mt-07.html?page=73 www.didchain.com/en-ca/blogs/news/d-i-d-chain-maintenance

@jimh2061 Жыл бұрын

My owners manual says use only kerosene or diesel for cleaning the Oring chain. Kawasaki versys

@robsalvv5853 Жыл бұрын

What is DID smokin? You’d need to leave a chain submerged in a kerosene bath for days before you’d be worried about compromising the seals - unless of course your chain is already worn. A kero “soak” of a minute or two on a well maintained chain to loosen oil ingrained dirt, is fine. I use a very similar method as the video, perhaps with more OCD and diligence when I really set to it (takes me 20minutes) and in my “early” days of being super diligent with chain maintenance, I got 70 - 80000 kms from a DID gold chain on my ZX9R, with plenty of hard riding. (For the record, I preferred MOTUL road rather than wax).

@TheBigBlueMarble 10 ай бұрын

I find it disturbing that so many "experts" on KZfaq recommend cleaning a sealed (o-ring or x-ring) chain with kerosene and many actually say it is recommended by the chain manufacturers. It is even more disturbing when a bike's owner's manual suggests kerosene. Not a single chain major manufacturer that I could find recommends kerosene for sealed chains and most specifically advise against using it. Kerosene will damage the o or x-rings. From the RK website... "RK Chain recommends cleaning a sealed chain with only a mineral-based O ring safe chain cleaner. Do not use kerosene, mineral spirits, diesel fuel, brake cleaner, motor oil, or any caustic chemicals because that can damage the seals." From the DID website... "D.I.D. does not recommend maintaining any drive chain with kerosene. Cleaning a sealed chain with kerosene would cause deformation of the seal ring and can oftentimes lead to rusting of a chain due to the removal of grease on the chain’s surface, which increases the risk of chain corruption and chain failure. It is highly likely that use of kerosene on a sealed drive chain will drastically decrease the chain's performance."

@CaledoniaKeys 10 ай бұрын

Point taken. There is definitely conflicting “expert information” out there. When the owner’s manual says use kerosene and one or more chain manufacturers say the opposite it can be a head scratcher. I used kerosene for years, but in fairness I never did a scientific side by side test. Thanks for sharing.