Chain maintenance

[Ka Busa]

I purchased an '06 Ltd in December and already have 1700 miles on it. I LOVE the bike!!!! It is my first bike and I'm hearing different things from different people-some reliable. The manual says I should be oiling the chain every 600 miles. The people I have asked regarding this say that is excessive. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BusaWhipped]

Lube mine every week. Clean and lube it every other week. 12,500 miles on the stock chain and still going strong.

 

[BusaWhipped]

And welcome to the insanity

 

[BA BUSA]

I clean mine about every 500-1000 miles and lube it once a week

 

[Gunnybusa]

Claen and wax mine every sat , that ='s 500 miles.

 

[321CYA]

I had 16,000 miles on stock chain, but i was very diligent about maintenance every 500 miles clean and lube......now have the EK 530 zzz

 

[Charlesbusa]

300-400 miles I lube it.

Once a month I clean it, maybe more if I rode it alot.

32,200 miles on stock chain and sprokets!

 

[Schism]

300-400 miles I lube it.

Once a month I clean it, maybe more if I rode it alot.

32,200 miles on stock chain and sprokets!

+ 1 = man i thought 19,000 was alot for an original chain and sprockets.

 

[Fugly]

Clean and wax once a month wax every other ride (about every 300 miles)

 

[DaCol.]

I use chain wax at every 500 miles (makes it easy to remember) and my chains last 17,000 miles +

 

[Wag]

In Thrasherfox fashion, I wax it after coming home from every ride. The chain is hot and the wax melts right in there. The downside is, it's a bear to clean. Clean it every 600 to 1,000 miles.

--Wag--

 

[Warputer]

Once every other week .....clean / lube .

 

[nimzondn]

When you say "wax", is that the same as using one of the chain lubes like PJ's? (a 1000 miles roughtly between cleaning/lubing)

I describe my chain maintenance as clean and lube. I clean it with WD40 with a tooth brush for gritty areas then lube it with a chain lube made especially for motorcycle chains. I've got 8500 miles on my old bike and the chain (the origianl) is in good shape so far.

Educate me ... I need help with this one.

thanks
ndn

 

[DaCol.]

By wax we mean (well I do anyway) spraying chain wax on just like you do lube. It comes in a spray can and is clear. I don't use lube because it splashes all over everything when you ride and the wax doesn't. I even tell the dealership when they service the bike to use ONLY Chain Wax.
Correct method is just like the lube. Ride the bike at least 1 mile to get the chain warm, spray it on and let it dry and sink in. Actually, I do this on the road and only let it sink in while I drink a bottle of water when traveling. Makes the chain EASY to clean also.
Must work, I generally get over 17,000 miles from a chain and I only have to change them then because they have streached too far !

 

[onerabidshark]

lube every 5-600 miles clean about every two wks

 

[nitrousjunkie]

Clean & Wax once a week.

 

[BusaWizard]

Clean & Wax once a week.

+1

 

[Turbo-Torch]

I clean and wax every 300 to 500 miles. WD40 and a rag to clean and then spray on wax. Once a month I take a small brush and clean every link with the WD40. Personally I don't see the sense in waxing without cleaning it first as all you're doing is sealing in all the grit and road grime.

 

[Lamb busa]

You guys r some diligent wrenchers. I guess I really need a rear stand cause it is really difficult to do without it. I do my chain once a month. Clean the bike every other week!

 

[nimzondn]

I'm hearing a lot about waxing chains. I just read an article where they recommend a lubricant specifically for o-ring chains; and they mentioned wax tends to harden and flake off or get slung off.

I've been using PJ's blue label (sticky stuff) on my old bike. Never had a problem. I also use WD40 to wipe it down and clean it first then I apply the PJ's.

Anybody got thoughts on this method instead of waxing?

Very interested in input from Busa's owners. Its time to clean mine for the first time (250miles).

thanks
ndn