Best Tips To Clean Motorcycle Chain: A Handy Guide

When a bike is constantly on the road, there is a very high chance of attracting dirt and debris to your bike’s chain. This chain’s dirt will further affect your engine performance and weigh on your pocket too because specks of dirt and debris create friction around the bike’s chain and thus affect the mileage of the bike.

So, regular cleaning of motorcycle chains is essential for maintaining the optimal performance of your bike. In this regard, we are going to learn how to clean a motorcycle chain starting with the tool required for a clean motorcycle chain:

A] Tools Required For Cleaning Motorcycle Chain

Here is the list of tools required to make your chain clean and dirt-free: 

• Two-Wheeler Chain Cleaning Brush: It is a tool specially designed to clean the bike’s chains. As, it has three brush faces equipped with hard bristles, making the motorcycle chain cleaning way more effortless.    
• Bike Chain Cleanser: A specially designed cleaner for cleaning a motorcycle chain, where you just need to spray the cleaner on the chain to enter into the dirt-free mode.
• Motorcycle Chain Lube: As the name suggests, it is a lubricant that is applied over and inside the chain to enhance performance and efficiency while preventing it from corrosion. There are several chain lube to choose from or buy motorcycle chain lube online.
• Microfiber Cloth: A microfibre cloth is used to wipe out dirt, grease, or lube resting outside and beneath the chain. Accessories such as microfibre cloths are easily available online. You can check and buy motorcycle chain cleaning accessories online.

Now, let’s delve into the best way to clean motorcycle chains.

B] Step-by-Step Guide To Cleaning A Motorcycle Chain

Here are some major steps you need to take to wipe out all the dirt and grime your chain contains:

Step 1: Find Out What Type Of Chain You Have

First finding out the types of chains your motorcycle has, is crucial to have a good cleaning plan for your motorcycle chain.

Types of motorcycle chains-

• Standard Roller Chain: Standard roller chain is the most traditional and basic kind of chain having inner and outer plates, pins, bushings, and rollers.
• O-Ring Chain: The O-ring chain contains rubberised O-rings between inner and outer plates to seal or retain the lubes within the chain.
• X-Ring Chain: An X-ring Chain is a chain having specifications similar to an O-ring but it has X-shaped sealing instead of an O-shape.
• Sealed or Sealed X-Ring Chain: A sealed or sealed X-ring chain combines the benefits of an X-ring and O-ring chain with additional sealing mechanisms that further ensure the chain’s longevity and durability. 

Step 2: Put Your Bike On Stand

Park your bike on the center stand to give the maximum uplift and a proper way to play around with your chain while cleaning and lubing the motorcycle chain.

Here are the steps to park your Bike:

• Find a flat and stablе surfacе.
• Locate the kickstand and usually near the rеar whееl.
• Lеan thе bikе slightly and flip thе kickstand down.
• Ensure the kickstand is securely in place and thе bikе is balancеd.
• Tеst stability by gеntly pushing thе bikе.
• Oncе stablе and lеavе thе bikе parkеd.

Step 3: Inspect The Motorcycle Drivetrain And Sprockets

Giving a careful watch to your drivetrain and sprockets is so crucial to ensure the safe and smooth operation of your motorcycle.

Here are some of the steps you can take to ensure the optimal care of these elements –

• Start by visually inspecting the drivetrain components including chain and sprockets.
• Look for any signs of wear, damage, rust, corrosion, bent or missing teeth on the sprockets.
• Check the tension of the chain by pressing up the chain from the lower angle of the chain,  it should be neither too tight nor too loose.
• Now, inspect the overall condition of the chain including plates, rollers, pins, and side plates of the chain.

Step 4: Wash The Chain With Chain Cleaner

Here are some steps you need to follow to wipe the dirt, grime, and old lubricants from motorcycle chains:

• Grab your chain cleaner can and shake it well to mix out the content thoroughly.
• After shaking well, spray the cleaner throughout the chain, covering each and every aspect of the chain including links and rollers to dissolve the dirt and grime effectively.
• Now, allow the cleaner to settle down onto the chain for a few minutes.
• This setting time will allow the cleaner to break the dirt and old lubricants.

Step 5: Clean The Chain Using A Scrub

When the setting time is over, grab your chain cleaning brush and rub the chain thoroughly. Give attention to small sections of the chain including rollers, and inner and outer plates.

Move your brush back and forth gently to ensure the thorough cleaning of your chain. If you haven’t cleaned your chain in a while, you will need to repeat the above steps until satisfied.

Step 6: Rinse The Motorcycle Chain

Direct a gentle stream of water on the chain to rinse off cleaner along with dirt and debris. Start from one end and go through the end of the chain while maintaining the gentle stream of water. Rub with your hands to remove the traces of soap, dirt, and grime.

Step 7: Dry The Chain And Sprockets

Now, move your bike into the sunlight and let it dry. When the chain looks dry, rub it with the microfiber cloth to wipe out any potential dirt or water drops inside the plates or roller of the chain. It’s time to clean and lube the motorcycle chain.

Step 8: Lubricate The Chain

Once you are done with cleaning and drying, lubricating the chain is the next step. Before lubricating the chain, choosing the right lubrication according to your chain’s type is crucial to ensure the longevity of the chain.

If you’re looking for our recommendation for the best chain lubricant for your bike, we’ve carefully chosen Motul C2 Chain Lube & Putoline DRYTEC RACE CHAIN LUBE as the top two options that perform wonderfully on a variety of chains.

Alright, after selecting the right chain lubes, park your bike on the center stand and now spray the lubricant can on the upper surface of the chain while rotating the rear wheel slowly.

Repeat this process for the inner surface of the chain until the entire length doesn’t cover. Now, give some time for the lubricant to penetrate properly. Excess lubricant can be wiped out, if any.

Now, your chain is ready to give you a smooth ride, but don’t forget to wear a helmet while riding your bike.

In case you want to know the best off-road helmets that provide you the maximum safety while off-road riding, then we have compiled the 10 Best Off-Road Motorcycle Helmets For Thrill Seekers In India for you to help you choose the best off-road helmets.

Conclusion

Whether you are a casual or a dedicated rider, investing time in proper chain maintenance pays you off in the form of a smoother, safer, and enjoyable riding experience. That’s why we have compiled above the top set of lists to clean your bike’s chain and those steps include applying a cleaning agent, rubbing, rinsing, drying, and finally lubricating the chain.

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FAQs

How to clean and lube motorcycle chains?

To clean and lube your motorcycle chain, start by spraying chain cleaner and rubbing the chain with the chain cleaning brush. Rinse and dry, then apply lubes while rotating the wheel covering all aspects of the chain.

Wipe off the excess lubrication and you are good to go.

What to use to clean motorcycle chains?

Use a dedicated chain cleaner to wipe off dirt and grime from your chain. Kerosene can be used to clean your bike’s chain, in case of unavailability of a dedicated chain cleaner.

How to maintain a motorcycle chain?

To get optimal performance from your bike’s chain, you need to regularly clean your chain with chain cleaner and brush it off to remove the dirt and grime. After cleaning, Apply the right lubricating oil throughout the chain. Further, check out the chain tension and adjust it if necessary.