Brammo Owners Forum
Brammo Enertia Discussion => Brammo Enertia Servicing => Topic started by: Brammofan on June 23, 2011, 01:53:27 PM
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I figured my chain could use a good cleaning, as I just turned 1,000 miles. :)
... I'll let you know how it works:
(http://www.tiroxproducts.com/images/big-chain-cleaner.jpg) (http://www.tiroxproducts.com/brush-and-cleaner.html)
By the way, I got it from cyclegear.com. (http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=TRX_803500_G)
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You know you got the good stuff when the bottle says "Extreme Danger" really big...
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LOL It's mostly kerosene.
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I have been using a few different products to clean the chain.
One recent cleaning included WD-40 first to remove the oil/grease/chain wax and then concentrated Simple Green to remove the WD-40 and anything it left behind. It is a trick that worked well for my mountain bike chain.
I am curious to see how that chain cleaner works for you, Brammofan.
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I have been using WD40 and an old rag (which you will need to throw away afterward) for years to clean my chains. It works really well. I don't worry too much about wiping it off, I just coat the chain with chain lubricant after I am done cleaning. If the chain is really dirty, you can use an old soft tooth bush to clean around the links and O-rings.
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I've been using Motul Chain clean and it works like a breeze it just melts out everything, I normally use half a can when I clean my chain and tons of paper towel I snatch from a local gas station, I would suggest you ride your gasoline powered motorcycle when you go get the towels and at least gas up a bit there too lol
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I finally got around to using the TIROX cleaner with the brush that you thread onto the chain. I don't have anything to compare it with (never cleaned a bicycle chain in my life), but it did the job well.
The basic steps:
* Put down a bunch of newspaper (I did this in my garage but would probably use the driveway next time as it's a messy job). Next time I will probably try to shield the tire from the spray as well.
* Spray a few inches of the chain, turn the back tire, spray, turn, repeat, until the whole chain has been sprayed.
* Spray the sprocket.
* Put down the can, go inside and pop open a beer. Drink slowly. Wait 10 minutes.
* Thread the cool spiral brush onto the chain.
* Move the tire while holding the brush. You'll probably have to go around a few times until you're satisfied that the gunk is off.
* Rinse the chain and sprocket with water. The directions call for a "jet" of water. I used a spray bottle set on "stream" and it seemed to get it pretty clean.
* Wipe the chain dry with a towel or your wife's new scarf, depending on how long you want to live.
* Make sure the chain is dry (maybe pop open another beer, unless you're a lightweight.)
* Lube the chain - I use that DuPont Multi Use lube with Teflon, as recommended elsewhere on this forum. (http://www.amazon.com/LUBRICANT-MULT-USE-4-OZ/dp/B00030BFEM/ref=pd_sim_auto_3)
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I've been using Motul Chain clean and it works like a breeze it just melts out everything, I normally use half a can when I clean my chain and tons of paper towel I snatch from a local gas station, I would suggest you ride your gasoline powered motorcycle when you go get the towels and at least gas up a bit there too lol
Werm is using the best method, its the same i use with the Grunge Brush which you can get at any motorcycle dealer, except i use rags that i can wash afterwards.
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Obviously it depends on driving conditions, but how often do you need to clean it roughy
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Probably about every 1,000 miles.
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I've been using Motul Chain clean and it works like a breeze it just melts out everything, I normally use half a can when I clean my chain and tons of paper towel I snatch from a local gas station, I would suggest you ride your gasoline powered motorcycle when you go get the towels and at least gas up a bit there too lol
I agree, motul is by far the best and used with the grunge brush keeps the chain at its best
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(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7005854595_beb1cdd253_b.jpg)
Ok...I have officially joined the club of the grease monkeys....
I have "cleaned" the chain before...but this time I did it right (ride bike to warm up chain, apply lots of chain cleaner, let soak, grunge brush, wipe down with garage rag, thin layer of lube, let sit for 30 mins)...
What a difference...I am mildly addicted now and will probably clean my chain almost as often as Brammo suggests...ok, not THAT often...
But the ride feels smoother and quieter and just NICER...
Of course the chain did get pretty dirty when I went on that ride in the 47 mph sustained winds...LOTS OF DUST...so she did need a good cleaning.
I do need either a tire lift or center stand...cleaning your chain without either of those is a much more involved task.
Luckily I think you can get a center stand with the Plus...but I haven't seen one yet....
Gavin
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I have the same chain cleaning tools and they work OK, but that Grunge Brush gives me pause. It works fine on a "heavy duty" non-O-ring chain, but I worry that the stiff bristles will damage the soft rubber O-rings on an O-ring chain. I think I prefer to use an old tooth brush to clean an O-ring chain. It takes longer, but is a lot easier on the rings.
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Reading about stands on this other post (http://brammoforum.com/index.php?topic=48.0) got me thinking about cleaning the chain...
I recently cleaned the chains for a couple of bicycles using two methods. Both chains has a significant amount of fine sand / dust on them that was causing a sinister grinding sound when pedaling, which is why I was cleaning them.
Process for chain 1:
Using a toothbrush, I tried brushing the dirt off.
There was still a lot of dirt.
I sprayed some WD-40 along the chain and then using a toothpick, tried to push the dirt away.
I wiped off any remaining dirt with a cloth.
Results:
20 minutes later, the chain was cleaner, but still had dirt. :(
Process for chain 2.
I used a pressure washer to blast the dirt off the chain and the gears.
Then I sprayed on some chain wax to lubricate the chain again.
Results:
5 minutes later, I had a chain that was very clean and lubed. :)
Using the pressure washer worked great. Is that something that I can do with a motorcycle chain?
Does anybody have information about the merits and risks of using a high pressure washer on a motorcycle chain?
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You can do that with a non-O-ring chain, but you don't want to use a pressure washer on an O-ring chain. That would blow moisture past the O-rings and dilute the factory lubrication in the chain links and might also damage the O-rings. Your chain life would be significantly reduced.
P.S. in the good ole days, we would take our chains off our motorcycles (before the invention of O-rings), clean them in gasoline (dumping it into the gutter afterwards, of course), then drop the chain into a pot of boiling grease on the stove, let it cook for a while and hang the the chain up to cool off and dry. Boy was that fun. It did a great job of lubricating the chain, but those pots were sure tough to clean and you had to make sure that you didn't use that pot to make soup for dinner. :o
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I recently cleaned the chains for a couple of bicycles using two methods. Both chains has a significant amount of fine sand / dust on them that was causing a sinister grinding sound when pedaling, which is why I was cleaning them.
Process for chain 1:
Using a toothbrush, I tried brushing the dirt off.
There was still a lot of dirt.
I sprayed some WD-40 along the chain and then using a toothpick, tried to push the dirt away.
I wiped off any remaining dirt with a cloth.
Results:
20 minutes later, the chain was cleaner, but still had dirt. :(
Process for chain 2.
I used a pressure washer to blast the dirt off the chain and the gears.
Then I sprayed on some chain wax to lubricate the chain again.
Results:
5 minutes later, I had a chain that was very clean and lubed. :)
Using the pressure washer worked great. Is that something that I can do with a motorcycle chain?
My inner bicycle mechanic just cringed. Both methods are bad. Even if you spray chain wax on after power washing with water, you stand a very good chance of trapping water or WD-40 inside the chain.
You are much better off using a non-water based, non-residue cleaner, like White Lighting Clean Streak. If it is so dirty that you need a brush, use a dedicated chain cleaner tool like the one in this link:
http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/trigger.htm (http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/trigger.htm)
Then follow up with a non-spray wax lube like one of their clean ride/epic ride/wet ride products and wipe off the excess with a rag. Whatever you do, you don't want over-spray from WD-40 or wax spray lube getting anywhere near your brake rotors or pads. If that happens enough, your pads can get ruined.
Sorry I can't translate that bicycle knowledge into anything smart regarding a motorcycle chain. I'm the absolute worst at maintaining my motorcycle chain. I just keep putting more and more foaming wax lube on....
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Even if you spray chain wax on after power washing with water, you stand a very good chance of trapping water or WD-40 inside the chain.
What are your thoughts on using steam, that evaporates very quickly after applying it, to a motorcycle chain?
I use it on the original, non-Oring chain of the Enertia Classic.
I use pressurized steam, on the first pass, to clean off oil, dirt and grime before I use an old toothbrush & WD-40. I then wipe the chain dry and apply chain lube. I then take it for a 10 minute ride to heat up the chain, then apply chain wax to melt the wax onto the chain.
I have not noticed any rust or chain damage as a result of using steam, but I suppose there is some risk.
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On my Gixxer (and past bikes) I have always kept it simple. Clean with Kerosene and lube with Dupont Teflon... o-ring safe, and doesnt fling. Never had an issue... super cheap, super simple.
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What are your thoughts on using steam, that evaporates very quickly after applying it, to a motorcycle chain?
I've got no idea. Bicycles I know. I worked summers in High School as a bike mechanic, and raced competitively in college. I like to think that I've got enough knowledge there that I'm qualified to comment as a bicycle mechanic. Motorcycles are a whole 'nuther story. I'm purely a back-yard hacker when it comes to motorcycles.
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... you stand a very good chance of trapping water or WD-40 inside the chain.
I hadn't thought of trapping water in the chain. Since I live in Florida, I just expect the humidity to keep things wet most of the time, so I didn't consider a bit more water making a difference. Perhaps the high pressure might get the water in places that it doesn't normally go. Oh well.
What's the issue with WD-40 in the chain? Is that bad?
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In my experience, WD40 works great to clean a chain and I have used it for years for that purpose. But the stuff does not lubricate, so I follow the cleaning with chain lube. Some people worry that the WD40 will get past the O-rings and dilute the factory lube, but that is not my opinion. I think it helps keep the O-rings pliable. Some people also believe that WD40 works as a chain lube, but I am not one of them.
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... you stand a very good chance of trapping water or WD-40 inside the chain.
I hadn't thought of trapping water in the chain. Since I live in Florida, I just expect the humidity to keep things wet most of the time, so I didn't consider a bit more water making a difference. Perhaps the high pressure might get the water in places that it doesn't normally go. Oh well.
What's the issue with WD-40 in the chain? Is that bad?
WD-40 breaks down wax-based lubes. If you were using a petroleum-based bicycle chain lube, the WD-40 wouldn't be a problem. You mentioned you were using Chain Wax, so that's why I suggested a non-residue cleaner. The next thing you know, the wax will all be off again, and you'll be repeating putting the wax back on again. Next thing you know, all you are doing all summer is wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off....
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Ah ha! You've finally outed yourself, 1416.
(http://browsingthemind.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/mr-miyagi-smiling.jpg)
I'm not too worried about getting the wax off, since I don't clean my bicycle chain very often. I don't normally cycle in sand, so my chain doesn't normally get that dirty. I'll apply some more chain wax (or some other lubricant) before I go cycling again.
I didn't know that o-ring chains had factory lube. Interesting...
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That is the really big advantage to O-ring chains. The factory inserts grease into the chain pins when the chains are assembled and then seals the grease (more less) permanently into the chain with the O-rings. In theory, you don't need to lubricate an O-ring chain, but lubrication does help to prevent rust on the outside of the chain, helps to protect and keep the rubber O-rings pliable and helps to reduce wear on the chain sprockets.
O-ring chains have also helped the chain manufacturers profit margins. :o