Bike chain oil, WD 40?

shimy182 · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:16

As title says, can i use WD 40 as my motorbikes chain oil.
says a couple of things about chain oil such as ,

comercial chain lubrificants may contain solvents which could damage the rubber O-rings

and i dont think we have gear oil.

and also chain tension will be adjusted tomorrow, i have rough instructions in the manual and would like to ask for some tips of anyone has there own ways.
+ is it easy?

Cyanide · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:21

NO! Don't use WD40, use proper chain oil/wax, it isn't expensive and it's worth the tiny extra cost.

Tension is easy, just make sure that you adjuest both sides equally (there should be markers to make it easier)

squiffy · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:22

WD 40 isn't suitable for motor bike chain oil imo. I would use a proper wax based spray or similar.

WD40 Water Displacer/anti seize spray.

shimy182 · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:26

ok dw i havnt used WD 40 yet *phew*

well i guess thats a extra trip for me to the dealers or something..

EDIT. i may have saw on at the shell garage?

mr jamez · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:30

You can buy chain wax anywhere, spray it on after a ride when the chain is warm. The cleaner the chain and the more you lubricate it, the longer it will last. On the other hand, a chain and sprocket set for an NSR125 is very cheap, so I used 80/90 gear oil.

Hawk Tuah · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:44

What about 3 in 1?

Oakesy2001uk · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:51

I use WD40 to clean the chain up before I lube it back up.
Silkolene or roack oil chain wax I find the best, only a few quid.

lukechad · 4 Sep 2006 at 20:55

I use a spray on wax for my chain, it seems to stick far better than any oil so I dont have a slippy messy tyre once I have freshly lubed it up! I have only recently started to use this but I dont think I will ever go back to regualr oil, it seems to last longer on the chain too. WD-40 is a massive no-no!!!!

mrgubby · 4 Sep 2006 at 21:03

Use a good quality motorcycle chain lube

The chain/sprockets last longer , gear changes are smoother , it runs quieter and it is fractionaly faster

Ps. In my irresponsible youth I convinced somebody to use swarfega "well it looks just like grease" to lube their chain

Avalon · 4 Sep 2006 at 21:12

NEVER use WD40 on a bike chain, especially a motorbike chain. Wax is ok for summer/track use but i've always found silkolene chain lube better for the winter months assuming you actually ride it year round. At under £4 a can it lasts well even with daily use.

Tension adjustment is easy but it's 10x simpler if you have a centre stand.

squiffy · 4 Sep 2006 at 21:13

Bug One said:
What about 3 in 1?

Bit thin, it'll just fly off with nothing left on the chain. Suitable for pushbike chains, although I would use "Racing Line" bike chain lube. Good stuff.

Use Castrol motorcycle chain wax, it sticks to the chain.

shimy182 · 4 Sep 2006 at 21:29

thanks for replies it helps a lot

i will do a little garage crawl for some silkolene stuff you people talk of.

and do the change tencion before providing i wake up in time.

And also im a bit undecided on taking the motorcycle test or not, only one of friends has managed to pass first time and it seems like hassle. Im not sure if i will get a bigger bike in the future either.
and i havnt taken theory yet.

Luke · 4 Sep 2006 at 21:40

Castrol chain wax is brilliant.

GSXRMovistar · 4 Sep 2006 at 21:51

emailiscrap said:
Castrol chain wax is brilliant.

Agreed.

Snaggle · 4 Sep 2006 at 22:52

Wax is rubbish ...sits on the top of the chain but does not penetrate like proper chain oil . Always lube yer chain after a ride (when the chain is warm )
Also Nsr C&S are not cheap .. Had to replace my sons and it was £85 .. A £7 can of lube is cheaper than a new C&S .
As for adjusting the chain ...dont do it to tight ...you should have 1/2" to 3/4" of play in the chain when you are sitting on it ...so if you adjust the chain whith the suspension unloaded when you sit on it the chain goes from correct to tight which will wreck the C&S quicker than a loose chain .

Persil

GSXRMovistar · 5 Sep 2006 at 10:36

Persil said:
Wax is rubbish ...

In your opinion. I've used both wax and oil on my chains and have always found that the ones maintained with wax last longer than those with oil. Also waxed chains don't make a mess of your rear rim like oil does.

Luke · 5 Sep 2006 at 10:43

Wax is rubbish when used on top of oil as it doesn't penetrate the chain. If you use wax on a clean chain, it is hard to beat.

mrgubby · 5 Sep 2006 at 14:34

Persil said:
*snip*
As for adjusting the chain ...dont do it to tight ...you should have 1/2" to 3/4" of play in the chain when you are sitting on it ...so if you adjust the chain whith the suspension unloaded when you sit on it the chain goes from correct to tight which will wreck the C&S quicker than a loose chain .

Persil

Check the manual , it all depends on the bike. Some require a certain slack when loaded , some specify it with no load.

If it's to tight it can snap & wreck the bike/rider , if it's to loose it can jump off

Fensta · 5 Sep 2006 at 14:36

as has been said, don't use WD40 as it makes rubber brittle and / or perishes, so is not good for seals around the chain area.

Wax / proper lube is the way to go

Oakesy2001uk · 5 Sep 2006 at 14:48

Fensta said:
as has been said, don't use WD40 as it makes rubber brittle and / or perishes, so is not good for seals around the chain area.

Wax / proper lube is the way to go

so I shouldent use WD to clean the chain before applying the wax then? Ive always done this, save getting a gunky horrible chain if you get the old stuff of first. Never had any problems. Im just a bufty with my bike, keep it religeously clean and polished!