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How Often To Lube The Motorcycle Chain? Inspect To See

black underbone motorcycle

“Have you ever wondered if there was a correlation between lubing your motorcycle chain and keeping your bike running well?

Lubrication is vital in a motorcycle chain. Regular oiling will prevent chains from wearing out prematurely. The question is, how often do you lubricate a motorcycle chain? Do we know that not doing it can result in damage, but is there such as thing as too much lubrication? Let’s find out together.

How often can you lubricate a motorcycle chain?

Lubricate a motorcycle chain every 300-600 miles to keep it running at its best and last a long time.

The best way to lubricate is to do it after riding, not before you do. This gives the solvents in the spray time to evaporate before using the bike again, and it lets the lubricant get into the link.

Inspecting the Chain and Sprocket

If you want to ensure that your motorcycle is in good running condition, inspection and maintenance are the keys. Part of this is regularly checking your bike’s chain and sprocket, especially if you’re riding a lot. Whether every time you ride or once a week, you should inspect the chain and the sprocket for any issues that might cause you problems during your ride.

On the chain, check the following:

  • Kinked or binding links
  • Loose pins 
  • Damaged rollers 
  • Dry or rusty links
  • Signs of wear and tear
  • Too much slack

On the sprocket, check the following:

  • Worn Teeth
  • Broken or chipped teeth
  • Loose sprocket nuts

To clean your Bike Chain, you need these things

By design, the chain will carry your bike’s weight, which means it has to be strong. So, how do you make sure that it’s strong enough? You can do a few things to ensure that your bike chain is in tip-top shape. Make sure your chain is clean. But what do you need to be able to do it? The list is pretty short.

  • A motorcycle lift or stand.
  • A motorcycle grunge brush or regular soft-bristled brush
  • Clean towel, rag, shirt, or sock.

You will also need kerosene (or wheel cleaner), motorcycle chain cleaner, and motorcycle chain lubricant.

The steps to clean your Bike Chain

  • Wash the motorcycle and dry it.
  • Insert a stand under the wheel and lift the motorcycle off the ground; this will enable you to rotate the wheel if needed.
  • Rotate the wheel and spray the chain with either a wheel cleaner or kerosene.
  • Soak the chain, then use a brush to clean it. This will remove the grime.
  • Remove the dirt from the surface with a clean rag.
  • Repeat until you reach the desired level of cleanliness.
  • Wipe the chain with a cloth until it’s dry.

If your motorcycle has plain metal chains, apply a liberal amount of lubricant. If you have sealed chains, put a small amount of chain lubricant, ensuring that you slather the outside and the sides. Remember that you may attract more dirt when you use too much lube. So please don’t overdo it.

When do you replace a motorcycle chain?

When you replace your motorcycle chain, there are several things to look for before you do it. Is it deafening? If it is, then it means there is friction between the individual links, which may cause it to break.

Does it seem rusty? Pull the chain from the rear sprocket to get the most accurate measure of the distance between the pinholes. If you look at the teeth on the front sprocket, you can see if the chain is getting stretched.

Remember that worn sprockets will cause chain wear.

A chain and sprocket replacement is something that only skilled mechanics should handle. It’s possible to replace these parts yourself, but it will take time and effort. As a good thing, some tools can make it easier, and you don’t need to be a mechanic to do this repair.

You should have the local shop service your bike’s chain and sprockets while they have the rear wheel off. It could save you some labor costs.

There are times when it’s best to replace the chain and both sprockets. However, if you’ve kept up with chain maintenance, you can avoid the expense of replacing both the chain and the sprocket.

Symptoms when your chain is loose

Here are some of the signs that your chain isn’t tight:

  • The chain is out of measurement, or it’s hanging low.
  • A tugging feeling on low RPM. 
  • Motorcycle chain dislodges. 
  • Grating noise (chain running over the sprocket). 
  • Missing chain rollers. 
  • O-rings are wearing off fast. 

Prevention and maintenance

Chain maintenance and chain-related problems can be avoided by regularly checking the chain and adjusting it.

In some cases, if you’re riding a used bike or just started paying attention to the tension in your chain, it might be better to buy a new chain and begin taking care of your bike.

You can do a few things to keep your motorcycle chain from wearing out.

The correct length of chains on most bikes is usually within a half-inch of the original factory specs. But the different chain tension on every bike will vary.

Conclusion

When it comes to maintaining your motorcycle, many things can go wrong.

But if you understand how to check your motorcycle chain, it’s easy to fix most of the problems that come with it.

You can do a few things to keep your motorcycle chain from getting worn out. You can make sure that it is in good shape and maintain it through regular lubrication.

 In addition, you can make sure that your motorcycle chain is in good working condition by checking the tension regularly.

Remember that it is always better to be safe than sorry.

In addition, it’s essential to know that you can also buy chains online, but you should always buy them from someone well-known.