low tech chain lube

[alanvendy]

over the past few years of maintaining my eldest sons moped and now nsr125 and my youngest sons moped and now baby vara i have tried just about any chain lube available and have been dissappointed with how long it lasts. recently just before a 100+ mile trip i heard the usaul cry dad can you check over my bike. after checking it had 2 wheels a seat and engine i noted the chain was again dry. i seem to remember when i was younger many years ago i always used some grease mixed with a small amount of engine oil (recipe recomended by an old engineer) which unless my memory is failing lasted for ever. so as it was a sunday afternoon no aerosol lube and shops all shut i considered what to do. the baby not having an "o" ring type chain, so no risk of the grease/oil degrading the "o" rings etc i thought stuff it low tech here we come, mixed a nice batch and applied it with a small paint brush much to my sons . 3 weeks later on his return chain looked great hardly any loss and "great chain lube dad" both bikes have now been treated.RESULT

[steveR]

over the past few years of maintaining my eldest sons moped and now nsr125 and my youngest sons moped and now baby vara i have tried just about any chain lube available and have been dissappointed with how long it lasts. recently just before a 100+ mile trip i heard the usaul cry dad can you check over my bike. after checking it had 2 wheels a seat and engine i noted the chain was again dry. i seem to remember when i was younger many years ago i always used some grease mixed with a small amount of engine oil (recipe recomended by an old engineer) which unless my memory is failing lasted for ever. so as it was a sunday afternoon no aerosol lube and shops all shut i considered what to do. the baby not having an "o" ring type chain, so no risk of the grease/oil degrading the "o" rings etc i thought stuff it low tech here we come, mixed a nice batch and applied it with a small paint brush much to my sons . 3 weeks later on his return chain looked great hardly any loss and "great chain lube dad" both bikes have now been treated.RESULT

We used a similiar recipie on farm kit with a multitude of chains such as a beet harvester. Worked quite well.

Can you still get Linklyfe or similiar chain wax? That was brilliant stuff in the pre-O Ring days even if you were sent to the shed on a camping stove to do it "it" bein melting a tin of grease over a stove and then immersing the chain in the melted gloop. Nice.....

[veodoble]

Hey Alanvendy, great idea!

You say "O" rings can wear out if you use that mix, but is it because of the grease or because of the engine oil? Anyway, will my Transalp accept that mix with no harm to my chain? And will it fling off if I ride fast?

How do you mix it, just a tin and 50% of both ingredients and a stick to beat it?

cheers

BTW, I had too an NSR125 when I was younger and I remember that chain replacement was very easy due to the clip system. I also remember that the bike was a rocket in twisty roads!

[Doctor Big]

The O rings in chains have been made from neoprene not rubber for many years, so the likelihood of grease or oil degrading them is very unlikely. I use a Loobman and use old engine oil and I also spray with Wurth dry chain lube regularly. Makes an effing mess over the back wheel, but the chain lasts for upward of 20k. This is on an 800 single which is famous for snapping/eating chains due to the power pulses. I used grease for a while but found that it flung it off around the drive sprocket eventually, and mixed with dirt/dust etc formed an awful lump of claggy nastiness which evetually started climbing out of the drive sprocket cover like some alien life form.
There is nowhere in the manual that says you can lube a chain too often.

[Mervinh]

We used a similiar recipie on farm kit with a multitude of chains such as a beet harvester. Worked quite well.

Can you still get Linklyfe or similiar chain wax? That was brilliant stuff in the pre-O Ring days even if you were sent to the shed on a camping stove to do it "it" bein melting a tin of grease over a stove and then immersing the chain in the melted gloop. Nice.....

ere ya go Steve £22 a kilo chainlube
better price from demon tweeks