exhaust and chain maintenance?

[freediverGA]

What do you guys use to keep the header pipes and muffler looking nice and bright other than regular washing of the bike?

How do I get the S**t thrown off chain off the swing arm, sprocket and other parts of the bike. Something that won't take paint off the bike or what not!

I also read somewhere of a chain lube from Honda that's suppose be really good and doesn't have a lot of fling off! How often should one oil the chain? I have a center stand on my new bandit so it's no problem for me to do it. I don't want automatic oiler It's no bother to do on my own!

Thank You for your help

Les Laxson OUT

[Circlip]

cl
ean with WD 40
Ive had good luck with Belray spraylube.
lube at the finish of a ride wrile chain is still warm.
They all sling off some.
approx. 250 miles
Ive only had to adj. once in 10k
good luck & ride safe

[Kidder]

I have heard conflicting stores about WD-40 and an o-ring chain. Since I've yet to find a straight answer, Kerosene is what I use. Oh, and it is recommended by the manual. Clean with kerosene then lube. Let dry and it won't fling off. I use Chain Wax and it seems to be working well.

You can use a stainless steel cleaner for the exhaust if it is stainless.

[scooter]

I have used Kerosene on the aluminum parts of the bike to remove grease and grimme. I know the parts are probably coated with some sort of clear coat or just anodized. What do you guys think of using kerosene to clean the bike. I have not seen a change in the finish. Some times I get dirt adhereing to the front pipe, then I use a fine Scotchbrite to buff it off.
Clean and lube the chain when it's hot

Scooter

[freediverGA]

what about the exhaust?

[scooter]

Are you talking about the mufflers. The exhaust pipes use scotchbrite.
The mufflers are a grained finished aluminum you can clean these with a clean rag and Kerosene if grease does not come off after washing. If you use a dirty rag the grimme will be inbeded into the grain finish. Do not scotch brite the exhaust covers or they will become scratched from the scotch brite. The exhaust is going to turn a tan colour. Don't bother trying to keep it shiney.

Scooter

[Woofy]

Kerosene is honestly the best solvent to clean the chain. I use the HondaLube chain oil product and it's excellent. Just remember to apply it to a warmed-up chain and give it at least a few hours to soak in.

I find that S100 does a great job removing grease from painted body parts, frame and the engine. For under the fenders and chain guard, I have had good luck with a 50/50 mixture of Simple Green and water. Just remember to avoid letting strong degreasers on the chain for obvious reasons. One or the other seems to take off everything I've come across so far.

For the exhaust, I use Wenol metal polish after removing stubborn dirt with a Scotchbrite pad. It's best to start with the pad safe for non-stick cookware, using the harsher dark green pad only for the truly stubborn stuff, to avoid unnecessary scratching. Wenol is often used to polish high-end copper and steel cookware. Best of all, it doesn't require an ton of elbow grease to get great results. It's got almost cult status among cruiser owners. It works so well that several riders have assumed my 'Strom was new because the recently polished front header pipe wasn't discolored.

[tedder]

scotchbrite pads are made of steel, so they will rust. Better off using a brass wool pad instead- your local boating supply store will have them, and they are relatively cheap.

I don't worry about spiffing up my exhaust.. I'd rather spend the time riding.

[scooter]

Your thinking of steel wool Ted. Scotch Brite is a syntetic material. When you use it, rub in the direction of the factory scuffed polish on the exhaust covers, this is up and down . This way the scuffing will blend in. I spend a half an hour cleaning the chain with a tooth brush, rag and solvent. A good rubber glove saves getting your nails caked with grease.Take it out for a short ride cleaned, get the chain warm and then put some chain lube on it.


Scooter

[tedder]

You're right Scooter, I was confusing scotchbrite and SOS pads.

Headed up your way in the morning.

-ted

[Woofy]

Dennis Kirk sells a product called the "Moose Chain Scrubber" for $24.95 plus shipping. It looks like it might be worthwhile. Does anyone use one of these?

Here's the link:

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=301624&store=Main&productId=p301624&catId=418&leafCatId=41805

Here's a link to an article that compares the Moose to the Z-Chain product.

http://www.trailrider.com/tech/1097chain.html

Just one thing, though. It appears that FANAF, the company that makes the Z-chain oiler, is either not currently in business or no longer makes the Z-chain oiler. The Moose unit is marketed by Moose Tools and is available from motorcyclesuperstore.com and quite a few others.

[Pauljo]

I also read somewhere of a chain lube from Honda that's suppose be really good and doesn't have a lot of fling off!

Wow! I recently bought a can of the Honda chain lube. It is so much better than the Suzuki product I was using. Fly off is greatly reduced - almost non-existant. The chain looks cleaner too.

I threw my can of Suzuki lube away and purchased a backup can of the Honda chain lube.

[hogdogfxr]

You guys should try Bel-Ray super clean chain lube. I have used it for a while and there is NO fling off at all. I put my DL on the center stand and lube it all over. It turns the chain white and works really well!

[Pauljo]

You guys should try Bel-Ray super clean chain lube. I have used it for a while and there is NO fling off at all. I put my DL on the center stand and lube it all over. It turns the chain white and works really well!

Interesting. I haven't had a chain drive bike for a long time. One of the problems I have when lubing the chain is knowing where I started (and when I've finished the whole chain). The Honda lube is almost transparent. The Suzuki lube was blue, but it didn't show on the chain much better.

How do you guys deal with that?

With this Bel-Ray stuff, it would be pretty apparent when the chain was completed the first time you used it. But after that you'd be back to white on white....

[GT500]

For some strange reason, I can't get the Honda chain lube in Ottawa. Not sure if you can get in anywhere in Ontario - can you guys in Toronto / SW Ontario get it?

As a result, I've been using the Belray. I agree, no fling..seems to work well. Easy to tell where you started applying it on the chain if you clean it off well beforehand. Kerosene works well as a cleaner.

Richard

[Pauljo]

Easy to tell where you started applying it on the chain if you clean it off well beforehand. Kerosene works well as a cleaner.

Richard

I am sure you are right. I just don't like the idea of keeping a rag that has been used with a flammable cleaner in the garage. Anyone use something non-flammable to clean their chain?

[Doebag UK]

How to find where you started with the chain lube?.I put a spot of typewriter correction fluid(TIPPEX oher here in UK) on the head of one of the link pins. Easy! Also you should not use petrol on an O-ring chain as it can damage the O-rings. Diesel fuel or Kerosene/Paraffin is fine but then I blow it dry with an air line to make sure it is all removed before I apply the lube.
Ride safe Doebag

[wpennington]

Hi Pauljo:

Just tie a string around one of the chain's outside plates. You'll then see each time it makes a revolution. Cut off the string when finished.

Bill

[Pauljo]

Hi Pauljo:

Just tie a string around one of the chain's outside plates. You'll then see each time it makes a revolution. Cut off the string when finished.

Bill

Cool idea. I'll try that.

[kawidan]

only bad thing with wd-40 is that it has sulfur in it.if you get it on parts that get hot it leaves white deposits on them.the moose chain scrubber is for 520 chains,i use it on the dirt bike and haven't yet seen one for the larger chain.i was given a can of motul chain clean by a friend to try and it works very well,gets the chain fairly clean with no scrubbing.be careful with simple green around rubber parts,it is designed as a household cleaner and it dissolves the natural oil found in rubber.it will eventually cause things like the intake boots and chain o-rings to dry out and crack.to get the nasty chain lube off the swingarm and related parts i've been using uni filter cleaner.it is a spray cleaner that dissolves the grime in off-road air filters without destroying the foam in the filter.cold water and then spray it on and let it sit,a little wipe with a rag that you don't want anymore and all the chain lube,road grime,and animal parts are all gone.if you haven't tried it yet find some of the suzuki motorcycle spray wash,it gets everything but the worst grime off without scrubbing at all,especially useful with so many hard to reach spots on this bike.a light coat of motul silicone clean under the tail section and on the swingarm and related parts keeps that chain fling-off from sticking and then you don't have to clean it up at all.makes cleaning wheels a breeze when everything doesn't stick to them. :idea:

[Bob]

I bought a 2002 DL 1000 today and will be picking it up in two days. It only has 4000 km. on it. The current owner lives on a farm about 5 miles from any pavement, so he's ridden it up and down that 5 miles of gravel quite regularly and I did notice the chain looked awfully dusty when I drove out there today. When I pick it up I was thinking of lubing the chain as soon as I get the bike onto pavement. Unfortunately, I won't be able to clean the chain with kerosene on the side of the road before lubing. It got me wondering. Is it better to ride it the 200 km. home just dusty and unlubed, or should I lube over the dust? Or can I clean it and lube it before the kerosene etc. has dried. No centre stand either, so it will be a bit of a pain.

[Pauljo]

Hi Pauljo:

Just tie a string around one of the chain's outside plates. You'll then see each time it makes a revolution. Cut off the string when finished.

Bill

I used a yellow twist tie. Worked great! Probably just a bit easier to put on and take off than the string would be. (Other issue was that I had twisties in the garage - but no string...)

[BillC]

I fitted a scotoiler,bit dirty till adjusted properly,oil cleans of easily never get dirty chain,hardly ever adjust chain,longer chain life.just got to make sure adjusted properly,to much and might get on tyre ,although i never experienced any problem.Fitted larger reservoir under seat ,lasted 2000 miles touring france.

[Woofy]

I swear by the Moose Tools' Chain Scrubber. Uses about 2 ounces of cleaner, almost no mess and the chain comes out sparkling after about two trips through the scrubber. Takes all of about 2 minutes to set up and clean the chain, another minute to wipe off the chain with a clean rag, ten minutes to make sure the cleaner has evaporated (I'm usually filling the crankcase with oil during this part since I clean the chain with the scrubber every 2000 miles at the same time I change the oil/filter), and another minute to apply a fresh coat of HondaLine chain lube after I take it for a brief spin up and down the block to warm up the chain a bit.

And when I'm done, there's almost no mess to clean up. Most of the cleaning solvent gets absorbed by the rag I used to wipe the chain with and wipe off the chain scrubber and bristles. Then the rag goes in the trash when it's dry. I've tried all sorts of chain maintenance products. NOTHING cleans so well, with so little effort and with so little chemical waste, for those who are more eco-conscious.

[GB #121]

I've been using Silkolene chain lube over here with good results, html is
http://www.710supplies.com/shop/silkchainlubes.htm

I'm nearing 14k on this chain and there seems to be little fling-off. I put a plastic/metal tie on a chain link to let me know where I started from.

[DooFighter]

Wow, read thru all the replies and surprised no one knows the naphtha trick. VM&P Naphtha, as in at your local paint dept. It will clean anything oil based off of anything without harm. DO NOT SMOKE while using it, though, you've been warned! LOL I clean the chain with it as well. It is sooo volatile, it is not around long enough to harm anything (paint, orings) but will dissolve chain goo readily. It's a good idea to wear gloves, too, it's not very kind to your skin. I picked up this tip on another bike forum and I find myself using all over the house when something's got something greasy on it. Cheap too!

[DrDale]

I use a "Grunge Brush". especially for motorcycle chains. It works great. I use very diluted dishwashing detergent. I haven't used the Scottoiler, but sounds like a good idea...