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Post by papawheelie on Apr 2, 2018 20:55:46 GMT -7
I typically lube my drive chain about every 500 miles, and clean & lube it every 1,000 miles. When I clean & lube it, I go at it with a grunge brush and tooth brush to make it all shiny again, and call it good. Today, I went the extra mile, though. It turns out to be a process that I'll incorporate into my maintenance schedule every 5,000 miles. Thought I’d share, as I was surprised at the amount of gunk and junk that I ended up removing. I did not take before photos of the gunk and junk because I don’t feel the need to show it off. Along with my usual process, I removed the front sprocket plastic cover. Three bolts gets it done, but also have to move the transmission shift rod out of the way. Quite a bit of gunk on the rear surface. All cleaned... Once the cover is removed, the front chain guide slides right off. Cleaned. The mid chain guide is pretty easy to remove as well. One bolt and one plastic push-pin style connector thingy must be removed. Then the chain guide can be worked out of position and thoroughly cleaned... As always,, I am very careful to not contaminate the rear brake or tire with cleaners and lubricants. It’s also the only time that I use water to clean the bike. After liberally spraying/brushing/repeating, it does take carefully directed water to really wash it all away. Once the drive chain and sprockets are all shiny, I use the opportunity to wash the wheels, tires, and general under-side. Good old fashioned bucket of water, dish soap, and dedicated “wheel” wash mitt. All clean and shiny as the day it was assembled at the manufacturer. I also took a minute to admire that naked front sprocket. It does make me want to modify the front sprocket cover so that a portion of the sprocket is visible. An off-season project for this Summer. Once it’s all clean, I use a piece of cardboard when applying my favorite chain lube to the o-rings to be sure that it doesn’t get on any other surfaces. Reassembly quick and easy. I’ll ride it knowing that her dirty little secret parts are all clean now.
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doctorzoidberg
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Post by doctorzoidberg on Apr 3, 2018 5:33:09 GMT -7
Very nice. I think I'll give these extras a try the next time my chain needs an adjustment and clean.
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osiris10012
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Post by osiris10012 on Apr 3, 2018 10:50:03 GMT -7
Great write up. I may have to give your combo a try. I'm currently using motul street products and the lube is extremely difficult to clean off
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Post by RedAndBlack on Apr 3, 2018 15:24:50 GMT -7
Great write up, moving it to Tech Tips. Thanks for the excellent contribution with pics and all!
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daveinwoodland
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Post by daveinwoodland on Apr 3, 2018 16:43:20 GMT -7
I like a little bit of my bike to be "dirty"
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mario
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Post by mario on May 15, 2018 1:46:20 GMT -7
Nice! Will certainly be doing this as part of my winter maintenance on the bike from now on. Already got gunk / lube that needs cleaned off in that area where the dealer sprayed more chain lube than you can shake a stick at! Got most of it off, but can still see some on the side of the engine and inside of the frame / front sprocket cover which will need the cover removed to gain proper access to it for a thorough cleaning. Doesn't bother me too much at the moment as you can't see it unless you look right into the gap where the swing arm meets the frame and it literally just wipes right off as long as you can reach it. Will certainly clean it up fresh for next season using the method above though! Thanks
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Post by evitzee on May 15, 2018 11:22:12 GMT -7
Nice write up, but most owners won't go to that effort to keep things clean like that. A lot depends on what kind of chain lube is used, how often the chain is lubed, and if much riding is done in the wet or on dusty roads. Some lubes just seem to make a mess around the sprockets and also flings off on the wheel. Judicious use of the right lube will minimize a lot of the mess from ever starting.
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maadi
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Post by maadi on Sept 17, 2018 3:13:36 GMT -7
Funny story about chain lubing. I haven't owned very many bikes, so when something feels wrong I don't immediately know what the issue could be. The bike stated to have this awful knocking feel at the foot pegs with low rpms, and of course I'm looking up transmission issues, engine knocking, etc... I have my husband take it for a ride and he can't figure it out, so hr takes it to the local yamaha service shop. My chain at 14700 miles was bone dry and had horrible tight spots. Apparently I'm supposed to lube it every week if I ride it every day to work... So about every 350 miles. I guess every 500 isn't enough... Also changed from chain wax to the yamaha synthetic chain lube. We'll see how that works. Good news is that with a new chain the bike feels smooth as butter again!
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Post by evitzee on Sept 17, 2018 8:11:03 GMT -7
Sounds like an overly tight chain was your main problem. If your chain was bone dry at 500 miles than something doesn't sound right. That's a little long between lubes but within spec. If you ride in rain than you have to relube right after.
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scuba77
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If you're cleaning you're not riding
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Post by scuba77 on Sept 17, 2018 10:54:54 GMT -7
Nicely written. I was using PJ1 but have a tendency to over spray. When the bike heated up and I got her home I was thinking I had a leak. When cleaning the chain one day I took off the front sprocket cover off cleaned the area and felt up towards the shaft...bone dry, just too much PJ1 spray. Using the DuPont Chain Saver lube now and the chain stays clean. The can says O ring safe and there is currently no noticeable wear. May try the Tirox when this can is done.
Have to admit, being old school, it just looks a bit wrong not having oil flinging all around the back wheel like when we used 30 weight motor oil on the chain. lol
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fastback89
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Post by fastback89 on Sept 17, 2018 16:28:48 GMT -7
Curious how often you've had to adjust the drive chain, I think mine loosened up at least 3 times before it is hopefully done stretching out. Your bike looks great by the way!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2018 22:20:10 GMT -7
The bike stated to have this awful knocking feel at the foot pegs with low rpms, and of course I'm looking up transmission issues, engine knocking, etc... My chain at 14700 miles was bone dry and had horrible tight spots. Did you ever adjust it? If not, then that was the 'knocking'. The chain stretches quite a bit the first few hundred miles, but stabilizes after that. You need to readjust it at the 600-mile service. And by 15K, most chains are done, for what I remember. This is only my second chain-driven bike, so not an expert by any means, but it's an extra hassle to keep it lubed and adjusted properly. Or at least cleaned. With O-rings, there's no real need to lube it IMO, but maybe it lasts a bit longer. As long as the lubricant inside the O-rings is not depleted by using improper cleaning agents or tools, it should last almost as when lubed. I HATE lube sprayed all over the place. On my last chain bike, I just cleaned it with WD40 and when I sold that bike with 10K miles, the chain was still plenty good. Will give Tirox a try and see how I like it. By the way, I only use toothbrushes when cleaning chains. I personally think those hard brushes can damage the O-rings, so rather take a little longer with a toothbrush. But will keep checking these threads to see what my final approach to chain cleaning/lubing will be . My bike has 38 miles now, so have about 462 more to think about it. Ha ha. EDIT: Hey folks, which Tirox chain product you use? Found 2 on Amazon: Chain Clean 360 and Ultra Chain Lube. Would appreciate which is the best. Many thanks.
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Post by evitzee on Oct 16, 2018 22:27:08 GMT -7
^^^ 38 miles! Man, you have to get out and put some miles on that baby.
You want the Tirox Synthetic Chain Wax in the 14.8 oz can.....just got my new can today in the mail.
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maadi
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Post by maadi on Oct 17, 2018 2:32:58 GMT -7
Yeah, I adjusted it. It was the tight spots that were clunking. I'm in a constant battle with my husband about how tight the chain should be. So far we've reached a compromise at 35mm (didn't stoltech moto recommend that?). I need to re-adjust my new chain, though. Brisk ride to work today, 44f out there...
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scuba77
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Post by scuba77 on Oct 17, 2018 10:46:02 GMT -7
Yeah, I adjusted it. It was the tight spots that were clunking. I'm in a constant battle with my husband about how tight the chain should be. So far we've reached a compromise at 35mm (didn't stoltech moto recommend that?). I need to re-adjust my new chain, though. Brisk ride to work today, 44f out there... Check the chain tension when the bike is still hot.
Your sprockets will expand with the heat.
I discovered this years ago, use to adjust the chain when it was cold and then after a ride would find the chain being over tight.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2018 12:42:38 GMT -7
My take is the chain is supposed to be checked COLD; the specified range supposedly accounts when bike gets hot. You don't want to burn yourself with the freaking cat right there. Now, just checked the slack on my 38-mile new bike, and it's a whopping 1-3/4", so guess will have to adjust it now. And this 1-3/4" distance is from the top of the chain when moved up, then the top of the chain when moved down. The picture in the manual could be misleading, leading some people to believe you need to measure the top of the chain up, and the bottom of the chain down. Don't do that, or it'd be super tight. The other thing I remember questioning is how hard to push the chain. It should be pushed hard enough to not move anymore easily, but more seasoned chain owners can chime in . The manual states 20 to 30mm. I think I'll shoot for the looser 30mm, to make sure it's never tight, but will have to check it often, especially now that bike is new, until chain stabilizes. Right now it's at 44mm. Way too loose. No wonder it felt jerky sometimes. Maybe it got stretched with just 38 miles, but don't want it any looser than it is, so will adjust it today. Weather has been crap, so won't be able to ride for a while. Does anybody know how much the chain tightens with 1/6th of the hex adjusting bolts moved? I think for my chain, I might to go a full turn, but will probably do half (3 1/6s) and measure, to have an idea how much it needs. Don't want to go over. That way, I know both sides moved exactly the same, but I'm assuming it was aligned at the factory. The marks on the blocks look very aligned (although it doesn't look super accurate), so all should be well. Evitzee, thanks for the heads-up brother. Found it on Amazon. Will order it soon.
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maadi
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Post by maadi on Oct 18, 2018 2:35:45 GMT -7
I think you'll find that quarter turns are better to start with that full turns.
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scuba77
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Post by scuba77 on Oct 18, 2018 3:01:02 GMT -7
My take is the chain is supposed to be checked COLD; Do your adjustment and then take a long ride and measure again. Since I started to check the chain hot I have needed one adjustment at about 3k miles got a new tire at 6k. Have close to 10k now and the chain is still within normal limits.
When I did the adjustment cold on my CB900F, I'd ride it check, and the chain would be too tight. I called a engineer friend that does a lot of bike mods and repairs and he said he does the chain hot and that it's better the chain be just a little loose than too tight.
I ride fairly aggressive but do not do track days.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 10:06:23 GMT -7
Hey guys, do you think we should start a new thread, specifically titled 'chain adjusting tips', or something like that? For the benefit of future owners. Stupid manual is not detailed at all. Adjusted my chain yesterday, which was at 1-3/4" with only 38 miles. Probably stretched quite a bit with those miles, but it'd be great if somebody here could measure the slack on a new bike with zero miles, just to see what the factory does. Anyway, did a full turn on the adjusting screws, and it went from 1-3/4" to 1-1/4" (or 32mm), which is still over the max spec, but chain feels waaay too tight already. Don't know what to make of it. Since I'm over the limit, I don't think it'd be officially tight after getting hot, but plan to measure it next time I ride to see how much it tighten, if at all. Just scrutinized the entire chain run from sprocket to sprocket, and contrary to other bikes I've seen, the chain remains perfectly straight up and down when the swingarm articulates, so there's no need to compensate for changing geometry. The only thing that could alter the adjustment is expansion, which I think should be minimal, plus chain probably stretches a little when hot, offsetting that. At any rate, just wanted to hear what you guys think of the factory spec of 20 to 30mm. I haven't tightened the axle nut yet, to see what you guys think, but I don't think I want to tighten it more than it's now. Nor do I think it's necessary. Again, I'm pressing the chain with what I'd describe as normal force, not at far as it'd go if pressed very hard, but close. It goes 1 inch up, and 1/4 down, for a total of 1-1/4", or 31.75mm or so. At that level, I'd have to probably adjust it more often, but if everybody thinks getting it tighter does not present a problem, I'd go a maybe another 1/6 turn, which based on my full turn for 1/2" difference, would put the chain right below 30mm, within spec. Finally, Scuba77, can you measure your chain cold AND hot, to test your very plausible theory, and report what you found? Weather is crap here, and I'm sick, so might not be able to ride for a few days. And don't want to tighten the axle nut until I'm done for good. This is the first chain bike that I'm aware of that the chain is not 'deformed' by a chain guide while swingarm articulates, so that's probably why it seems so tight. If we put it at 20mm, it'd be tight as hell IMO, but want to hear opinions. Now I see Maadi's 35mm adjustment as very logical. Ha ha. Thanks gang.
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Post by evitzee on Oct 19, 2018 10:42:54 GMT -7
I measure the chain after I get back from a ride when it is on a rear stand, a rear stand just makes for an easier measurement and adjustment. The service manual calls for 25mm to 35mm slack when on a stand. The chain stretched a lot over the first 600 miles, then stabilized. It was last adjusted about 3,600 miles ago when the rear tire was replaced and has been steady since. I wouldn't fuss too much about it, it is not a super critical measurement. I never detected any difference when cold or hot, but wasn't really looking for a difference either. I always will err on the loose side, too many chains are adjusted too tightly which just puts added stress on the chain and sprockets.
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