Taking care of the motorcycle chain is very important to enjoy the ride of your motorcycle. A dry chain will not move as smoothly as one that has been taken proper care of and lubed. Thus, you should have to take proper care of the chain-like cleaning, lubing, etc. Let’s start with our question.
So, How often should you lube your motorcycle chain? You should lube your motorcycle chain at least 400 miles ride or every week whichever comes first. Lubing your motorcycle chain not only smoothes the ride but also prolong the chain life. The frequency of lubing your chain should be changed depending on the weather (dry, rainy) and the condition of your ride.
Apart from this, you should lube your motorcycle chain at least every week. It will enhance the riding experience and prolong the chain and sprocket life too.
Now, we will discuss everything in detail because lubing the motorcycle is not static for every motorcycle and every condition.
Benefits of lubing the motorcycle chain
Lubing the motorcycle chain is one of the healthy habits of riders that also determines the overall health and performance of the motorcycle. There are many benefits of lubing the motorcycle chain regularly which ultimately results in optimizing the performance of your motorcycle.
- Prolonged chain life: Keeping your chain clean and lubed will help you to prevent the chain from rust, dryness. It provides a prolonged life to the chain and sprockets.
- Increased Smoothness: Lubing the chain increases the smoothness between the chain and the sprockets.
- Reduced chain Friction: It reduces the friction between the chain and sprocket and gives us a smoother ride.
- Reduced chain noise: If you lube your chain regularly then you will be saved from annoying chain noise.
- Protection against environmental elements: Lubing the motorcycle chain protects it against water, dirt, debris, and other harsh elements.
- Protection against rust: If you regularly lube your motorcycle chain then it will save the chain from getting rust.
- Better gear shifting: Lubing the chain will give you better gear shifting at a better efficiency than a dry chain.
- Saving money in the long-term: Overall, if you lube your chain regularly then the life of the chain will also be prolonged, It will result in saving your money in the long-term.
Factors Affecting the Chain Lubing
Depending upon the condition and riding frequency you should lube your chain. If one rider is riding his motorcycle for 100 miles every day then it is a better idea to lube the chain every week. One should clean the chain before lubing it which will enhance chain maintenance.
So, here are the factors on which the frequency and time of chain lubing depends:-
- Using the motorcycle in a dry weather
- Riding the motorcycle in a wet weather
- Using the motorcycle off-road
Let’s understand the very need for the chain lubing. We need to lube our chain to keep it clean, prevent corrosion, reduce friction. And in the end, we get a smooth ride and prolong chain and sprocket life.
But the most important action here for motorcycle riders is to keep lubing the motorcycle chain regularly depending on the ride.
- So, If you ride a motorcycle in dry weather then you should lube your motorcycle chain every second week or once every three fuel tanks.
- If you use motorcycles for long rides then you should lube your motorcycle chain every 300 miles or two fuel tanks.
- And, if you live and ride a motorcycle in wet /rainy weather then you should lube your
- Motorcycle chain every time you refuel your tank or every week.
- If you do off-roading dirt bike riding then you should lube your motorcycle chain every time you refuel your tank or after your whole day ride.
The reason, you should be more aware and cautious with the dirtbike or off-road chain lubing. Because riding off-road makes chain more susceptible to the specks of dirt, debris, liquid, etc. So, if you don’t lube your dirt bike chain then it may start to accumulate dust and starts to wear and tear.
How do I know if my motorcycle chain needs lube?
There are some things you can check easily by yourself and know that you chain needs lube.
Noise from motorcycle chain: If you hear chain noise while riding your motorcycle then it’s an indication of the friction between chain and sprocket. You should know that your motorcycle chain needs to be lubed.
Chain Dryness: You should make a habit of check the motorcycle chain before every ride or once a week. If you encounter dryness and rust accumulated on the chain then it a clear indication of the need to lubing your chain.
Rust on the chain and sprockets: If you see rust or corrosion on the motorcycle chain or sprocket (you will frequently encounter it if you live or ride in a wet area). Then it’s a clear indication that your chain needs lube.
Environmental elements accumulation: As you ride your motorcycle every day, your chain is prone to get around environmental elements such as dirt, debris, water, etc. If you check your motorcycle chain then you will clearly see the elements. Then it’s a clear indication to lube your motorcycle chain and this time make sure to clean your chain first.
Note: You should always clean your motorcycle chain before applying lube or oil to it.
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FAQs
Should you lube a new motorcycle chain?
Although, the factory chain is already lubricated and it doesn’t need to get lubricated again until you see some rust or any other sign. But, if you lube the new motorcycle chain then it will help the motorcycle to run smoothly,
Can you over lube a motorcycle chain?
You can over lube a motorcycle chain, just make sure to get the lube all over the chain in the right proportion. Putting extra lube will attract dirt on the chain. So, If you put extra lube then just wipe it until the excess lube got spread along the chain in the right proportion.
What happens if you don’t lube your motorcycle chain?
If you don’t lube your motorcycle chain regularly, then the chain will become dry and rusty. In a short time, the chain seal will become dry and starts to crack which will eventually let the factory-installed grease escape. So, make sure to lube your motorcycle chain regularly. Otherwise, your chain and sprocket both will be useless because of rust, dryness, and crack.
