ok.. so its a bit more than a week..  being waiting for dry weather to take some pictures and it still hasn't come along so you'll have to do without for now!

As i stated in my first set of tips, You should routinely clean and lubricate the rear chain.  This is best done with the bike on a centre stand (if you have one!) or by using a paddock stand, so that the rear wheel is off the ground.  You can by all sorts of chain cleaners and these are fine. Most users manuals recommend paraffin.

most chains have  rubber O-rings on every link, so make sure you dont use anything that can damage the rubber like WD-40 or similar penetrating sprays.  

with the help of a rag, wipe off all the rubbish and dirt on the chain  and sprokets, slowly turning the rear wheel  as you go untill all of the chain is clean... DONT think its a good idea to have the bike in gear and ticking over to make it easier for you..  its all well and good untill your hand gets trapped!


Once the chain is nice and clean of crud, its time to lubricate it, again dont use penetrating oils as these will damage the O-rings. Dont use thin oil or stuff like 3-in-1 oil either because as soon as you go for a ride you will find it all on your back wheel and not on the chain!  :rolleyes: . Chain wax is the best stuff i've found. castrol do a good one, or if you have a nice gold chain you can get "gold" chain wax which i also use and seems to work well.

To  stop the wax going everywhere hold a rag behind the chain and slowly spray a small section at a time.. rotate the rear wheel.. then do the next section... repeat untill the whole chain is done. Dont just spray it on the side plates either, you need to get it on the rollers  which can be best done  by spraying the chain from the rear of the bike onto the rear sproket... and dont forget on the side plates on the other side of the chain too!


once this is done, wipe off any excess  and  if possible dont use the bike for a couple of hours. this gives the wax chance to seep into the rollers and settle. otherwise if you go out straight away you will find it all on your back wheel again!


Next tip .. adjusting the chain

Good stuff EB, keep em coming.

If your a lazy bugger like me you could just fit a Scottoiler & fill it up once a fortnight or so  :D
Wax & road crap make very good grinding paste.

good point dp!  hence the need for regular cleaning.. really anything like wax or grease that supports grime and dirt can act as a good grinding paste.

of course not everyone has a scotoiler , good idea if u do alot of miles tho! my sv's chain lasted 5000 miles without one which i thought was pretty good

Another thing I heard / was told/ dreamed while in a whisky induced stupor was that you should clean and lube just after a ride. The warm chain is easier to clean and the lube works it way in further. Also, as you've just been out, its good calming therapy, you're being good to your bike after it's been good to you. You're also more likely to leave it for the few hours now anyway too.

Or, if your a lazy basket like me, get a Scottoiler and get it positioned and the flow adjusted right .. but that's probably an art in itself and for another tip .....

My zed ar seven chain lasted seven thousand miles from brand new and i was gutted.  With twice a week cleaning and lubing my zedzedar chain lasted twelve thousand and it was on the bike when i bought it.  In that time it never needed adjusting.

I think if you look after them they last.  i dont believe in stretching as some people reckon and think it's all wear.  You can gain about a mill and a half per link so im told if it wears and this will put a lot of extra mill onto a 70 (or whatever) link chain.

Im not convinced about scottoilers except for the reasons quoted above.

I know of a guy who got 30,000 out of a chain on a ZZR 1100
fitted with a Scottoiler-good enough for me.
Most peeps cant be arrisd to clean their chain after a good thrashing-the 30 mins it takes to fit a Scottoiler saves f*cking hours with a mucky rag.

That's a very good technique Essex Biker (I just happen to use it too.  :eyebrow: )

The Castrol chain wax is the best lubricant I've used onthe chain yet.
Their chain degreaser also happens to work very well.

I aim the nozzle from the back of the bike instead of the side onto the chain, to get in between the chain plates.

Wiping off the excess, there is just enough wax on the the side of the plate to stop corrosion, but not enough to attract crud.

Any wax accidentally sprayed onto the wheel comes off with a rag sprayed with a little GT85 (the nicer smelling WD40 alternative  :nod: )

Right, that's the "Rear" chain dealt with now how do i oil and adjust my 'front' chain?

I've got that bit sorted Zombie old man... simply approach the bike from the front and work through EB's list in reverse... a la Haines manual....  :laughcont:

Oh, and here's my tech tip!

When fitting (your first) a hugger... do adjust the chain correctly. Lovely new red hugger now has a fecking great chip out of the front where I went over a large bump (this is B&NES country and they don't believe in repairing roads, just building bloody great white elephant pedestrian areas) and the slack in the chain meant that it moved enough to clip the hugger...

BUGGER