chain info - loose ends

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02-25-2011, 02:32 AM
euphonius

chain info - loose ends

this thread contains posts from http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...0-Enduro/page2 moved by jape, as requested. Your wishes are our command! When they make sense that is, like this ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jape

Yeah, that is brilliant. Many, in fact just about everyone would never work that out. So important a factor that would solve so many issues where people have given up by then - that I think China V is now duty bound to write a short pictorial tutorial covering all the points of sprocket changing we mere mortals miss/forget/confuse ourselves with? It will be a sticky.

I agree this is truly a brilliant, if totally counterintuitive, post and image. What I'd want to know is the implications of the change to a 428 chain. Is that a thinner/weaker chain? Hell, a quick/simple tutorial on chains would be brilliant, now that we are placing orders. What is a 520 and a 428? (Isn't that a euphemism for marijuana?) What's an o-ring chain and what are the alternatives, and is one a 520 and the other a 428?

OK, here's a link purporting to tell "all about motorcycle chains" and it answers my o-ring questions, but not the gauge questions.

Oh! Hey, this is good on sprockets and chain gauges! Though it doesn't really tell me how to determine what I should be using for my bike.

It's a start, anyway.

cheers
02-25-2011, 05:33 AM
ChinaV

Quote:

Originally Posted by euphonius

it doesn't really tell me how to determine what I should be using for my bike.s

Your bike (JH600) chain is 525RO made by 桂盟

You should be running a high end RK, Tsubaki, or DID 525 O-Ring chain from Hong Kong on new sprockets when the time comes. That should take you 20,000 kilometers easy with only one or two adjustments the whole time. Keep it cleaned and lubed well and you may be able to get 35,000 kilomters like I did on my stock V-Strom chain.

Cheap domestic chain is shite... don't bother, costs more in time, effort, and sprockets in the long run. High quality 428 will last longer than shit quality 520. It's all in the grade of steel, not the size of the chain. I had a Tsubaki 630 O-ring on my FJ1100 and it lasted 25,000 miles...was still good when I sold the bike.

Cheers!
ChinaV
02-25-2011, 06:34 AM
euphonius

Many thanks for your great advice, ChinaV!

I'm pleased to learn that my 525RO KMC chain is indeed an O-ring chain, and it seems to be wearing well. Will do my best to keep it affectionately lubed with spray-on chain lube.

cheers
02-25-2011, 06:51 PM
bojer

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChinaV

Cheap domestic chain is shite... don't bother, costs more in time, effort, and sprockets in the long run. High quality 428 will last longer than shit quality 520. It's all in the grade of steel, not the size of the chain. I had a Tsubaki 630 O-ring on my FJ1100 and it lasted 25,000 miles...was still good when I sold the bike.

Cheers!
ChinaV

yep it was having to adjust my chain three times in 160 miles that made me swap to an o ring chain on the CCM .

Have also had the experince of cheap "Heavy duty" chain wearing out quicker than "normal" - wonder if it was the weight of the chain plates wearing itself out !?
02-26-2011, 05:16 AM
slabo

Quote:

Originally Posted by euphonius

Many thanks for your great advice, ChinaV!

I'm pleased to learn that my 525RO KMC chain is indeed an O-ring chain, and it seems to be wearing well. Will do my best to keep it affectionately lubed with spray-on chain lube.

cheers

Howto lube a chain? It might be different for other bikes, but for for DS bikes, clean with carb cleaner and then spray on lube. Spin the chain over the cogs a bit, then wipe off excess. Excess lube only attracts more dirt. Stay away from WD40!
Am I doing it wrong ?
02-26-2011, 05:39 AM
jape

The main thing with a chain, after correct tension, is cleaning, getting the shit out of it especially if you go dirt. WD40 is in fact very good for that as it gets in and foams a bit. But read to the end. Once upon a time, the mechanics used to have special secret methods like a half a can of beer or coke in a clean container and shake the chain a lot in it. Again, the foam gets the crap out. Then they used to wash in kerosene /paraffin and then cook them in hot oil! Back then a good chain was good metal and lasted ages.

Nowdays the O'ring keeps the crap out but is also perishable and could be affected by a lot of these cleaning processes so I reckon you may be right, clean (in something certified not to rot O'rings) - then spray lube. Its all I do. The excess comes off on your trousers first trip however careful you are. And it adds up far more expensive, all these special newfangled products in cans, but convenient and fast indeed.
02-26-2011, 09:13 AM
euphonius

This is one of those topics -- like "which oil" and "which tire" -- that cause epic flame wars in motorcycle forums in Europe and America, and in the "chain lube" wars a key point of contention is the value (or not) of WD40, especially with O-ring chains. Democrats say it's great because it gets your chain clean quickly and then evaporates away so you can do a proper lube. Republicans note that WD40 is a penetrating oil that will quickly get past your O-rings and destroy the heavy gear lube that the O-rings are supposed to protect. Liberal that I am, I have used a spot of WD40 from time to time, but try to brush and wipe it clear quickly, and then lube her up with spray lube.

And, yes, good spray lube will set you back 80 yuan or so. And it's not permitted even as checked baggage on a flight, so don't try to fly with it it you have shipped your bike somewhere first by train. I had to toss a can at Pudong International...

this thread is straying far from topic. Probably would be good to have a sticky (a "slippery") on chain maintenance...

cheers

moved to here as new thread by jape as requested! will become sticky if more info becomes added
we don't have flame wars here, just happy customers!
02-26-2011, 09:50 AM
euphonius

Thanks, Jape.

The nice can of chain lube I had to toss at the airport was this imported Motul stuff..

http://img02.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploa...pg_310x310.jpg

But now I see in taobao that there are many other Chinese-made choices that are a lot cheaper. Any thoughts on quality of the following choices?

http://img04.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploa...pg_310x310.jpg

http://img02.taobaocdn.com/imgextra/...2163136286.jpg

TC-L Super Lube

there are others if you search in taobao for 摩托车链条油...

cheers
02-26-2011, 09:52 AM
euphonius

Re: chain info - loose ends

tidying up the thread title...
02-26-2011, 10:21 AM
jape

Re: chain info - loose ends

All I know is that you do need to check it doesn't eat the 'o'rings, the one I use is called INOX mx9 NO CHUKKA and the blurb on the side says 'sticks like shit! and it has 'special tackifiers' ... which scientific explanation encouraged me (only in Aus would you see that!). They recommend a chain clean using, yup, their brand cleaner, every 3 lubes. It doesn't say it is OK for 'o' rings on the can but the I checked the web site and indeed it is 'o' ring safe. I doubt you will find this brand but just look for that info.

NOTE: do not spray this type of stuff in a closed space or near any equipment with live electricity, switches etc. as a spark can cause fire! That's a jape warning, not an official one but common-sense should apply.

I could only go through the posts individually to delete thread titles referring to old thread Jeff, haven't worked out a way to do that as a batch yet, will look further next time I have to do a batch move of posts like this! Another anomaly is that I have to do post moves page by page as post selections don't hold for more than one page at a time. Not to worry, it doesn't hurt or take too long and we get there in the end. one day, after talking to CC, I intend to go through a lot of threads and put them together in sections under 'maintenance' for example. Some get out of place quite quickly. The biggest 'moan' I get from members apart from about my own behaviour is that the search function often fails. I will have to look at 'tags' and 'keywords' in the forum admin. blurb to get a better handle on that. This forum format does work better than most I know of and use. Any ideas on this, or similar matters, PM me or post in the http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/fo...nd-Suggestions. Hmm, now I am hijacking the hijack.
02-26-2011, 01:30 PM
humanbeing

Re: chain info - loose ends

Quote:

Originally Posted by jape

... wash in kerosene /paraffin and then cook them in hot oil! Back then a good chain was good metal and lasted ages...

This?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/...121bc1463d.jpg
I read similar story in "modern days" when that "oldie" disappear in market from somewhere:
Stir chain in molten Moly Grease (Chinese equivent). Most important thing is let that sh** seeps into roller surfaces.
Let that s*** cool & solid again. (This sh** can use again) Pull the chain out. ***no solvents, rags ONLY *** Wipe the surface thoroughly.
Fit the chain on bike. Spin back wheel. Spray entire chain with WD40. Wipe wet WD40 off using clean rag. *** WD40 is to protect outer surface. DON'T let it seep into the roller surfaces ***. Ride & enjoy.
Cleaning using WD40 ONLY as above step every week. NO oil or chain lube. *** NO thin oil seeping inbetween the roller surfaces displacing the grease. DON'T attracting dirt ... that f***s outer of chain. Grease will find its way out!!! ***
Clean thoroughly in solvent & "redo" when grease used up after 4-6 months.
02-26-2011, 08:44 PM
Lao Jia Hou

Re: chain info - loose ends

Quote:

Originally Posted by euphonius

Any thoughts on quality of the following choices?

http://img04.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploa...pg_310x310.jpg

I've been using a can of this - seems ok, as far as I can tell, but I haven't run either of my JH600s through any streams or seriously dusty conditions. I ran my XTR 250 through some ugly stuff and after the bike dried off, the chain seemed to have remained somewhat lubed. I applied some more spray lube and it cleaned it up reasonably well. I also use a little tube of heavy gear oil that I apply sparingly and the two components (lube spray & gear oil) don't seem to mind each other.

I go through a lot of this stuff so price is a concern of mine.