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Re: [ST] Chain Lube - WD40
- Subject: Re: [ST] Chain Lube - WD40
- From: Blake Sobiloff <sobiloff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 11:32:48 -0700
Robert Fastner wrote:
> Seriously folks, does anyone smarter than a box of rocks actually use
> WD-40 to lubricate motorcycle chain, O-ring or not?
(Geez, I wish Motorcycle Consumer News would adhere to our discussion
schedule. Alas, I can't resist fanning the flames.)
I think that folks who use WD-40 tend to apply it to their chains more
frequently, which may make up for the fact that it doesn't last as long
as some other lubes.
I used a Scottoiler for about 6K miles, and then PJ-1 (Blue) for about
8K miles on my OEM chain before it died. I liked the Scottoiler because
I never had to adjust the chain, but I could never get it metered right
and got tired of the the bike looking like a road-going version of the
Exxon Valdez.
PJ-1 (Blue) seemed to work well and didn't fling nearly as much. (It's
one of the recommended lubes in the MCN article.) However, it quickly
turned black and grungy, making the chain and sprockets look ugly. So, I
was stuck having to spend more maintenance time cleaning and lubing the
chain than I wanted. (I may be a bit anal retentive, but I'm all about
convenience, too. :-)
Now with my new chain -- a DID VM530 -- I'm spraying it with Tri-Flo and
wiping it clean with a paper towel every tank-full (~200 miles). (Why
Tri-Flo instead of WD-40? I used to use Tri-Flo for my bicycle chains,
so I still had some lying around.) The chain's shiny and clean, and it
hasn't needed adjustment yet (nearly 5K miles).
I expect to get better life out of the DID than the Regina that was OEM
on my ST just because it's a better chain. If I get significantly less
life out of it, maybe I'll look for a different lubricant. I know a
couple of people who have gotten very good chain life just using WD-40,
though, and I really like having a clean and shiny chain on my bike.
Maybe it just boils down to how often you clean and lube, and not so
much what type of lube you use. We'll see.
- --
Blake "Dawgbert" Sobiloff <sobiloff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Burlingame, CA, USA
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