I'll probably put some sort of Scottoiler on the bike that does the Europe trip. I don't want to be carrying chain lube and faffing about every day.
Again, it depends on tour ride. A relatively short 50 mile ride on a sunny day OK. A 200+ mile ride in wet weather and there be precious little of the oil you applied actually left doing it's job.
Not so, it's worked well doing tours around Scotland and trips down to Spain. We are talking thick 80/90 gear oil here not wishy washy stuff. It sticks, that's why so many people use it. I re-apply every 300 - 400 miles when on tour.
I used EP80 on my ZZR, same as all my bikes, got 43k out of one chain. Regularly did daily commutes of 200 miles plus. Seemed OK to me.
I also use 80/90 weight but gear oil is formulated for enclosed gear train use, it has no "tack" and no real resistance to fling-off. Chain specific oils and lubes have this tack but they're more costly which is why I don't use them when I can get the results I want with gear oil, which I guess is your take on things. Motorway riding in heavy rain is like taking a jet wash to the chain and I really can't be bothered faffing about with an oil can and paint brush when on tour or holiday, hence the oiler. Whatever, if you're happy with your chain maintenance regime why change it.
I had to google the word you britts used. I thought it was an acronym of some kind, and I used my imagination and drew blanks. Then I googled it. FAFF hunh? Good word. When I know my trip is going to be more than 200 miles, I carry a spray can of whatever brand they happen to be selling at the shop. And a rag. I keep it in the saddle bag in a plastic bag. And even though it is a pain in the butt, I use the kickstand and do the oiling the only way I know how, about every (un measured / guestimate) 200 miles, Then, bending and putting a knee on the ground, I hold the rag in back of the 10 inch or so length of chain that is exposed. I spray a good stream and wipe a little too. Then... this is the hard part... I stand up, move around to the other side of the bike, push the bike several feet, then repeat spraying the newly exposed chain. The manual says lube chain every 200 miles. So, I do the above. I don't make a FAFF out of it, I just droop in the shoulders, hang my head a moment, grin and start oiling. I always have my eye out looking for a TINY can of lube. The big old can of lube is tough to carry around. I would gladly put out some cash for a spray container that was much more compact, say the size of um, ahh, uhh the size of a computer mouse, good for a half donzen lubes.
This is the tiniest can I've found and I've used it quite a lot on tours. It's motorex 622 strong chain lube in a size 56ml, but the best thing is it's refillable from the big can of 622. https://www.touratech-uk.co.uk/motorex-chainlube-622-strong-refillable-mini-can.html. So you never throw it away, just keep refilling it. I've still got a can from the 90's that I still use. Although last summer I moved to the wurth stuff and have the 150ml can now. Only reason is because the 622 is a bit mucky and gets flung off onto the back wheel, bodywork and panniers. Plus it's a bugger to clean off, which I suppose speaks well of it's protective nature...
My Enfield 350 has a duckbill breather on it and is directed onto the drive chain lubricating it, the chain is 15 years old an O ring.
Thanks Col_C and Wattie and victor Terrie: I'm not big on having that oiler thingee, not for any t-totally logical reason, I just think ... nah. I would not have had enough parameters for a search unless you posters told me what was available. In the USA (Emerald Isle, NC) I looked online and after 10-15 minutes I DID find a smaller can. I loved Wattie's idea of 622 - and refillable, but, could not find that in my 10 min search. I DID order this today, on Amazon... Maxima 77908 Synthetic Chain Guard - 6 oz. Aerosol (177ml) $12.70 USD ~ 9 GBP Perhaps I am a bit remiss but, I 'figger' that for road trips, (any time really?) the effectiveness of any given brand is probably somewhere between barely adequate and superior quality. That is, if they bothered to mfg it, put it in a can, do all that to sell it to me, it will probably lubricate my chain. I am not a nut for clean shiny bike, I doubt I wash it very well more than 3 or 4 times per year with 10K plus miles, so not really worried about 'fling'. I seldom (hey, but not never) jump on it, so effectiveness of one brand over the other is hard to discern. Now I have a ccan of lube easily accomodated because it will fit in my little 12" length 5 inch wide and 5 inch deep sissybar bag which carries stuff like air pressure guage, tire plugs, a few tools, a rag or two, a flask. I have had 8 motorcycles of all displacements since about 2010. I love my Triumph Bonneville America LT and have decided I do not want to part with it. It is perfect for me like no other bike seems to be. But I am sick of the maintainace of the Chain. In (hopefully) maybe another 15K servicable miles, when it comes time to change sprocket and chain I will scour the forum to learn about belt conversion. I saw one kit for it that is about 3 times the price of O.E. chain and sprocket kit. So, maybe, when the bike is off the ground, and I am changing the sprockets anyway... I will cough up the premium price for a belt conversion kit for the benefit of eliminating the bothersome task and flung off oil of constantly needing to lube chain every couple-3 hundred miles. PLUS - maybe quieter? I LOVE quiet motorcycle to slip past semi-corrupt small town cops in the middle of the night.
I know a lot of people like the Scott oilers or homemade version, you can make it yourself for a few dollars, however I didn't much care for it on my bike. Ditto with the gear oil etc, I'm sure it's fine but it wasn't for me. So it was down to the traditional way. I got sick of all the mess using kerosene to clean the chain, so I took a chance on something made by Penrite, who supply the oil I use. They have a chain cleaner and a chain lube. I love the cleaner, just spray it on let it sit for a while, run the chain through a 3 sided brush and hose it off if I'm washing my bike and then take it for a five minute ride to dry it, or if I'm not washing just grab the chain with a rag and wipe if off. I convinced myself I wanted a dry lube like the Dupont chain lube but it's impossible to get in Australia, so I went with the Penrite. I didn't like it too much at first because even though it's anti fling I had to still wipe a bit off the side of the tyre, then I put the chain guard back on, and now it's fine. After I had new tyres put on the bike shop used a professional dry wax on my chain, and that convinced me that I didn't want a dry wax because it just gets very gludgy**, also the outside links began to get surface rust almost immediately. After using the Penrite for a year, I'm very pleased with it, it's sticky but somehow it doesn't pick up sand or dirt and does an excellent job of just leaving a working film. My method for applying is to spray the chain then with a mechanics glove underneath a nitrile glove, I grab the chain in my hand and spin the wheel, this wipes off all excess and coats the outside of the chain. The whole operation is quick and easy and the chain is easy to clean because it's never full of gludge. Maybe the younger folk are happy to make a mess and clean it up but it gets tiring after a while. https://penriteoil.com.au/products/chain-cleaner https://penriteoil.com.au/products/chain-lube-road **yes I just invented that word especially for this thread. EDIT: 28k kms, chain has only been adjusted one time when the bike shop put new shoes and fluid on. The chain slack has not changed at all since, indicating to me no wear. Pulling the chain off the back sprocket there is also no slack at all.
Despite running chain oilers on my road bikes for years I use this stuff on the dirt bike. Chains get way more grief with off road riding which ultimately means they don't last very long, no matter what you feed them with.
Just a quick thank you to all of you for your replies and ideas re chain maintenance. Lube etc. Less than three weeks until I collect my new Tiger Rally Pro 900. Let’s hope the weather is improving by then. Thanks again.
