Drive Chain Maintenance

[tommypr]

New to Triumph. Been on Harley's forever. Now that I have a T120, I will have to keep an eye on the chain. My question: How often do you guys lube the chain? I know what the manual recommends but I'm thinking that if I'm on a 2,000 mile trip, that's a lot of lubing. Thoughts?

 

[Philois]

Welcome tommypr, personally if I am on a long trip I lube my chain lightly at the end of each day while the chain is still warm. Otherwise I lube when I feel it needs it, normally I check it after each ride and decide then. I always give it a light clean before relubing it. Chain lube is like the oil debate everyone has there favourite. Just try and find one with a resistance to flinging off. Also remember if you have an O or X ring chain the lube is only there to prevent corrosion of the chain,and keep the O or X rings protected, the critical lube is sealed in place by the O or X rings.
Regular cleaning of the chain is also recommended, again everyone has their own preference I use low odour kerosene and a soft paint brush for a major clean and a rag with low odour kerosene for a quick clean. Unfortunately chains are messy, no way round it.
If you search Chain maintenance on this forum or the web you will find a lot of info. Hope this helps a little.

 

[tommypr]

Welcome tommypr, personally if I am on a long trip I lube my chain lightly at the end of each day while the chain is still warm. Otherwise I lube when I feel it needs it, normally I check it after each ride and decide then. I always give it a light clean before relubing it. Chain lube is like the oil debate everyone has there favourite. Just try and find one with a resistance to flinging off. Also remember if you have an O or X ring chain the lube is only there to prevent corrosion of the chain,and keep the O or X rings protected, the critical lube is sealed in place by the O or X rings.
Regular cleaning of the chain is also recommended, again everyone has their own preference I use low odour kerosene and a soft paint brush for a major clean and a rag with low odour kerosene for a quick clean. Unfortunately chains are messy, no way round it.
If you search Chain maintenance on this forum or the web you will find a lot of info. Hope this helps a little.

Thanks. Will do. I may try Dawn to clean it. I've even used Dawn to clean guns and it works well.

 

[Philois]

I don’t know what dawn is but be careful it isn’t something that will damage rubber O rings, certain chemicals are not compatible with them.

 

[Greyfell]

I don’t know what dawn is but be careful it isn’t something that will damage rubber O rings, certain chemicals are not compatible with them.

Dawn is a mild dishwashing liquid soap, in North America. Inventive people have found a multitude of other uses for it.

 

[Rocky]

Dawn is a dish washing soap available in North America.

 

[Philois]

I know here in Oz that dish washing detergent has a small amount of salt in it, so probably not the best thing to be cleaning a chain with?

 

[tommypr]

Dawn is a mild dishwashing liquid soap, in North America. Inventive people have found a multitude of other uses for it.

It's a good degreaser.

 

[tommypr]

I know here in Oz that dish washing detergent has a small amount of salt in it, so probably not the best thing to be cleaning a chain with?

Didn't know that. Thanks, good info.

 

[Trincinf]

I like the kerosene idea better than Dawn. Yes, dawn is a great degreaser, but is that what you really want to do? I would not want Dawn to remove the oil from the metal. I would think you want to use a like for like here, i.e. a lighter petroleum product to break down the heavier dirty product to cleanse the chain and not degrade the o rings. I would think all surfaces of the chain should be covered in the freshest chain oil as possible at all times. Just my brain on "nick-logic" overload here. Maybe I am wrong.

 

[tommypr]

I like the kerosene idea better than Dawn. Yes, dawn is a great degreaser, but is that what you really want to do? I would not want Dawn to remove the oil from the metal. I would think you want to use a like for like here, i.e. a lighter petroleum product to break down the heavier dirty product to cleanse the chain and not degrade the o rings. I would think all surfaces of the chain should be covered in the freshest chain oil as possible at all times. Just my brain on "nick-logic" overload here. Maybe I am wrong.

Good point.