As fun as it is to ride a motorcycle, it is extremely important to keep it clean as well. After a long weekend of fun and frolic of riding your bike, you would want to bring it back to its original glow. On top of that, it is extremely important to take care of your bike’s transmission system – the chain and sprocket, to be precise.
One should be very careful and make sure they are doing it right when to comes to cleaning and taking care of the chain. Here are some important tips to take care of your motorcycle’s chain system:
- Preparation: You would need a chain lubricant, chain wax, a chain brush for cleaning debris, a 10 mm wrench (if applicable for your motorcycle) and, a swingarm lift if you need one. If your bike has a rear fender and a chain guard, make sure you remove them and keep them aside for cleaning. Keep your bike stable by using a swingarm lift so that it doesn’t fall over you while you are cleaning the chain system.
- Overdoing is a big no-no: It is important to balance out the washing cycle for your bike’s chain system. Frequently washing might lead to problems like rust or similar performance-degrading problems.
- Cleaning the chain: The key to keep it clean is not to use a lot of water but use the right cleaning products. General purpose cleaning and household cleaning products damage the chain and sprocket. Detergents with varying ph values might also be harmful to the chain links and sprocket teeth. The best possible approach is to use chain and sprocket cleaners. Use as much chain cleaning fluid as you can and make sure the chain and sprocket are dripping with the cleaning product. Make sure you are rotating the tire of your motorcycle so that the cleaning liquid distributes evenly across the chain and sprocket. Leave it on for a few minutes so that the product soaks in your bike’s chain. Scrub the chain with a firm brush so that debris/grease comes off easily. At the end of it all, use cold water to clean the remaining product off the chain.
- Lubricating the chain: Apply good quality chain lubricant on your bike’s sprocket and chain and wait till the product settles in and penetrates deep into the chain links. Make sure you are rotating the rear wheel of your bike while you are applying the product on the chain. Do not take the motorcycle for a ride at least for half an hour after you have lubricated the chain and sprocket system. Make sure you lay enough old newspapers beneath your bike while lubricating its chain and sprocket system. It is recommended to do so since chain and sprocket lubricating products are extremely slippery when stepped on and if you accidentally smear some of it on your bike’s tire treads, make sure you wipe the same clean to keep yourself and your bike from harm’s way!
Here are only a few tips, it is advised to visit motorbike chain care periodically so that they can inspect if everything is okay with your bike’s engine, transmission, and overall performance.
