If adjusted incorrectly, they do throw a lot of oil. I had mine way too high once and found it about a third of the way onto the tire tread!! . This makes me worry that some Idiot would tweak it while parked. I'd like a way to lock the adjustment.
I use chain wax! Its just easier and creates less mess, it doesn't attract dirt as much and definitely easier to carry on the bike! I have used both methods i used to use gear oil, so far I can't see any difference in wear protection one over the other, so for me Its chain Wax!
I tend to agree with you. I get much longer chain life by not spraying with “gunk”. I clean it every month with WD40 and a rag and forget about it. I get 45kkm average on most chains.
G'day from the land down under. Well, with 30km of dirt just to check my mailbox, chains and oil are a big issue for me. I generally carry a can of bel ray under the seat (not the wax type) and give mine a wipe and spray when I hit blacktop. Once I find a sealed road it's a long way to anywhere from here. Not too much of a hassle with a centre stand. Haven't seen an auto oiler but it would probably be a good accessory for my neighbourhood. Happy trails.
Someone might care to correct me but the chains I buy are anodized (gold, etc). They don't rust like the "economy" chains I see.
No. Quality chains don't seem to rust. I tend to buy the DID gold chains, not a spot of rust on it. Now I do a couple times a year take a WD-40 soaked rag and run the chain through my hand to clean off the little bit of dirt that sticks to it. (note - a sprocket tooth punches right through a thumnail if you are not paying attention)
And even beyond that - the oil on the chain holds grit. When I bought my DL1000, the guy who owned it was a chronic chain luber. Chain had maybe 20K on it (according to him) it was super greasy, full of sand and the o-rings were stuck all over the inside of the sprocket cover.
I use this same can of tiny lube, as well a the tiny matching bottle of wd40. Both of them, and a pair of cotton rubber coated gloves live in a plastic bag on my wet side case. The wet side has tent, cooking, sandals and everything that doesn't have to leave the bike at a motel in the rain. A few paper towels from a gas station also end up in that bag.
I carry a small jar of final gear oil. What I used in my Super Tenere and FJR along with a very skinny paintbrush. I just "paint" a thin layer of final drive oil on the chain when I stop riding that evening. Seems to work as well as any spray chain lube I've ever used. I admit though I am seriously considering going to a Torturo chain-oiler.
The Toturo oil is excellent. It coats the chain well yet has very little fling, and to top it off, consumes very little oil. The chain requires very infrequent adjustment, and that's being ridden pretty hard. The Toturo oil is expensive, but the consumption is so small it becomes irrelevant.
Just wait til you get that Toruro. No more on your knees applying chain lube, cleaning dirty chains, more frequent adjustments.I carry a small jar of final gear oil. What I used in my Super Tenere and FJR along with a very skinny paintbrush. I just "paint" a thin layer of final drive oil on the chain when I stop riding that evening. Seems to work as well as any spray chain lube I've ever used. I admit though I am seriously considering going to a Torturo chain-oiler.
As I reach further into decade 7 ... the idea of staying off my hands and knees after every ride is gaining a lot of appeal!!!
Even quality chains like EK and RK have shorter lifespans ridden in the wet and not oiled. Not much sucks more at the end of a long day than seeing sticky red dust of death (the factory grease + rust) on your not-sealed-anymore chain.
