Chain Lube

[mainerider]

After using Bel-Ray's White lube for quite awhile I decided to try the manual's recommended 80/90W gear oil. Although with the thinner gear oil I do get a little lube splash on the rear wheel and a little drip from the lube flying off the front sprocket (probably my fault because I over-lube), my chain and sprockets seem to stay much, much cleaner than when I use the stickier Bel-Ray and similar products.  Apparently, the factory engineers actually do know something about their products...I'm sticking with the gear oil.

[magnagregcan]

That's all I've ever used, 80W90 gear oil.
Yes, it does fling off a bit, but since I got my rims powder coated crinkle black and clean with Dupont's teflon cleaner, the oil doesn't show at all.
I got about 20K miles on my first set of chain & sprockets; they weren't wore out when I changed them (I don't like living on the edge!).
And when I clean the inside of the chrome cover over the drive sprocket and around the drive sprocket itself, I use Simple Green and rinse with water. Takes about 10 minutes all told.
Plus, gear oil is cheap!
My 2 cents!

[Justin]

I used to use Bel-Ray and a friend of mine switched me over to Amsoil Semi-Synthetic Bar & Chain Oil (ABC) somehow the engineers at Amsoil managed to make a tacky oil that dirt doesn't stick to, even down a dirt road in the middle of summer somehow it clings to metal and repels dirt.

[Magnum Magna]

Amsoil Semi-Synthetic Bar & Chain Oil (ABC)

I will look for it.

[Sledge Hammer]

I can recommend against Repsol chain lube. I think the only way to get it off is to threaten it at gunpoint, but it is tenacious stuff. It also never met a speck of dirt it didn't like. I guess I can console myself that I have been doing my part to pick up small bits of trash from the road.

I think Greg Cothern recommended Maxima chain wax, and a friend who just purchased a ZZR1200 with 25K miles and the original chain on it says the previous owner told him he used foaming tire cleaner to clean the chain and Maxima chain wax to relube every 400 miles. That chain looks like it would easily go another 3-5K miles. I think it's the same size chain as used on the VF750C, but on a heavier bike with vastly more power and torque available at the rear wheel, and it has been ridden hard, but the chain maintenance and proper chain tension seems to have worked well. My friend is staying with that regimen and I am going to do the same.

[lragan]

I use 90W oil.  Heck, I buy it in 5 gal cans for use in ranch implements anyway, plus it is the recommended oil.

I figured the Honda engineers knew what they were doing when the spec'd the oil in the first place, and was surprised in several folks (the person I bought the bike from, the dealership in New Braunfels) told me to use "chain wax".  Well, it wasn't long before I was replacing a chain.

Then again, recent failures in rectifier/regulator packs on 3rd gens have me questioning the Honda engineers...but that's another thread.

[trapper]

...recent failures in rectifier/regulator packs on 3rd gens have me questioning the Honda engineers...but that's another thread.

Ah, yes....You and I talked a little about the rectifier issue....can't wait to get to THAT thread.  Glad to see you made it home, Lawrence.....Thanks for everything.


Now I return everyone to the original program......lol