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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

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Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
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Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #31  
Old 10 May 2011
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Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
In reality, who really rides 200 miles and then gets down in the hot sun to clean their chain.
Yeah, I do sadly. Only not in the sun though. It's simple with a bit of help who holds the rear wheel of the ground. Just turn the rear wheel and drop the droplets on the chain. Run the toothbrush over it and you're good as gold. As easy as taking your boots off.

Do have to say that I removed the counter sprocket cover which just builds up gunk. Will also remove the chain guide once I've finished my build.
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  #32  
Old 10 May 2011
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Originally Posted by tmotten View Post
Yeah, I do sadly. Only not in the sun though. It's simple with a bit of help who holds the rear wheel of the ground. Just turn the rear wheel and drop the droplets on the chain. Run the toothbrush over it and you're good as gold. As easy as taking your boots off.

Do have to say that I removed the counter sprocket cover which just builds up gunk. Will also remove the chain guide once I've finished my build.
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  #33  
Old 10 May 2011
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It's more a case of hating with a passion dealing with chains and sprockets. In particular road side. That and tyres. I rather stand on the side of the road with a soldering iron fixing my own crap electrical connections. Luckily that is something you get better at. Chains and tyres will always be a PITA.
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  #34  
Old 10 May 2011
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I'm the same, actually found it quite therapeutic cleaning my chain with kerosene and a toothbrush with the bike propped up on the walking stick every few days...got 30,000kms out of the chain so like to think it helped prolong the chain/sprockets life which was a good job as I didn't find any replacements until I actually really needed them.
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  #35  
Old 10 May 2011
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30,000 km = 18,000 miles = normal life of a good chain even if you leave the toothbrush behind (unless you coat it with something sticky before riding on sand or dirt, in which case it won't last that long).

Although: mileage varies....but you knew that.

Of course if it's therapy you're after, well, who am I to interfere? I get mine elsewhere, and it involves neither toothbrush nor kerosene.

Mark
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  #36  
Old 10 May 2011
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Problem is that new chains also have some of the pin grease on the rings. This will create some sticky business on itself.

I usually end up wearing the front sprocket before the chain goes. Who swaps the front sprocket halfway through the chain life? Or when the teeth start to look worn an hooked? Wonder if this really does increase chain wear.
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  #37  
Old 10 May 2011
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I swap sprockets when they look fairly worn. This is never once per chain; more often once per two chains (front or rear or both). Doesn't seem to cut into my chain life, despite all the theory which says it should.

If you're really changing out a front sprocket in less time than your chain wears out, you're definitely doing something different from me. What do you think? How many miles/km to wear out a front sprocket? Why so fast?

As for the grease slathered all over a new chain: yep, until the first wash with WD40. In fact, maybe that's what I'm really doing with my spray cleaning: I'm washing off the grinding paste which otherwise eats sprockets. That would go a long way towards explaining why I always seem to go two chains per set of sprockets, minimum.

Or not: what do I know? It's just a theory.

Mark
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  #38  
Old 16 Oct 2011
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I recently met a bloke in outback South Australia who used an XR as a scout vehicle when taking heavy machinery to remote areas. The chain on the bike was rusty as hell and I joked about it needing a quick lube. He said he'd never use any type of lube on his chain because it picks up all the dust and sand and grinds it away, as many people here have said. He reckons just putting it on and leaving it alone gets him the most out of it.

I don't think we'll ever all agree on whether WD40 is good to use or not, but kerosene or paraffin (or maybe engine oil / ATF) seems the best option to me. Years ago all anybody did was soak the chains in engine oil and wipe off the excess and it seemed to work for them.
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  #39  
Old 16 Oct 2011
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I concur with what Markharf has said. Run the chain dry and forget about it.

I rode to Morocco and back, riding on sand and trails then back at home for a while. I may of adjusted it once in a while but other than that ran it dry.

Now back home I never oil my chains on both my XT or my XR trail bike, just use WD-40 to clean them.

I have noticed no real difference between the longevity of an oiled chain as opposed a dry chain, but then like others I don't log it or anything. The only difference is the noise- a dry chain clatters a bit, but as far as I can see this does no harm and you soon get used to it.

Get a good quality x-ring chain and run it dry is my advice.

Dan
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Old 12 Mar 2012
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Baja
We arrived in Baja in time for the Baja 1000 race, I talked to several desert racers and dirt bike riders and they all said to clean the chain with kerosene and run them dry in sand.

I carried on using my trusty PJ1 Blue label though and cleaned the chain when back on the pavement - to be honest how much sand are you going to be doing in the life of a chain!

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