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[2014ZeroSR]

Just curious, What’s being used?

It’s been a very long time since I’ve owned a bike with a chain  (17 Eva).

At Laguna Seca during the recent Superbike, I saw this product being demonstrated - “Moto Chain-Mate”.  It looks interesting but is it a viable option?

Are there better choices?

[Demoni]

My regiment is:

Every 2-300 miles check the chain to see if it needs adjustment.
Place the bike on a rear stand and use Maxima chain wax to protect the chain.
I do 3 coats; one on the outside face of the links, one right down the middle of the rollers and the last on the backsides of the link plates.
^ This works best if your chain is warm (after a ride). Let the wax dry it will still fling a bit.

One cool trick to get even coverage is to put the bike in forward parking assist mode and use a ziptie around the throttle and front brake.
The tension of this ziptie will allow you to engage the throttle and have the rear wheel slowly rotate. ***Keep your fingers AWAY***
** Also don't use this trick when you are cleaning the chain as it's very easy to snag the brush or rag and pull it into the sprocket **

Every 3-4 wax's I will use a chain cleaner spray and a stiff brush to clean the outside of the chain.
Cardboard or 1/2 sheet pan under the bike helps keep the process clean.

After cleaned re-apply wax.

The internal parts of the chain are protected by the o-rings all you are doing is protecting the outside.
If you ride in the wet do the above more often.

[BigPoppa]

I do pretty much the same as Demoni. Keeping the chain adjusted properly is the most important thing followed by proper cleaning and lubrication. Over the years I’ve found cleaning with WD-40 and then lubricating with a good chain wax worked best on my chain driven bikes.

Again, my personal opinion is proper adjustment is the most important thing for chain health.

[Richard230]

O-ring sealed chains don't actually need lubrication to keep them functioning well.  However, chain lube does help to retard surface rust, keeps the O-rings pliable and helps to lube the drive sprockets, which will greatly extend their life. I used to use Chain Wax, but now I prefer a more oily lube as the Chain Wax seems to build up on the chain quite a bit and it looks like it might not do as good a job lubricating as an oil-based product.  There are a lot of chain lubes on the market and in my experience they all seem to work well, but some fling oil a lot more than others do. Just buy one that says it is "safe for all O-ring chains".  My latest chain lube love is Lucas Chain Lube.

I might add that all chain manufacturers and most motorcycle manufacturers recommend 80 wt gear oil for chain lubrication.  It is a really cheap alternative, but flings off quite a bit and is too messy for me to appreciate its lubrication properties. 

[DonTom]

For chain care, see here.


-Don- Auburn, CA

[dittoalex]

I'm a big fan of doing the bare minimum: just spraying some wax on the visible chain after parking the bike.  Most of the life and durability of the chain for none of the work.  https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/how-to-clean-and-lube-a-motorcycle-chain#comment-3741245178

[2014ZeroSR]

Thanks to all for the assist.

It's now time to acquire some product(s).

[MostlyBonkers]

I'm a fan of Scottoilers.  The chain stays well lubricated and clean.  Fill up the reservoir every few thousand miles and the chain last longer than other methods with almost no effort. Very good in dusty environments too.