Scrambler Lube Chain Every 200 Miles?

Bret Morey · Jun 22, 2020

Anyone pay attention to the chain lube interval stated in the triumph manual. The Scram 1200 XC says every 200 miles. The would have me lubing my chain every time I fill the tank. My offroad bikes get a chain clean and lube every 20-50 miles, but that is offroad riding with lots of mud and water and stream crossings. I presume the triumph chain is an o-ring or x-ring chain. Riding on road I would think maybe every 500-750 miles would be perfectly fine, or after a lot of riding in the rain...

Do any of you follow triumph's chain lube interval recommendation. I am generally pretty picky about following the manufacturer's recommendations, but every 200 miles just seems silly to me.

capt · Jun 22, 2020

I do my road bikes about every second ride. Most rides are 200/300 km round trips. So averaged over life of chain , every 5/600 km that's 380/400 miles. I get 45/60 thousand kms from my chains.

Notso · Jun 22, 2020

I do, but I know it is excess, I also like to follow the manual and quite like faffing. I whip it on the stand and give a very quick spray of dry lube, different angle each time. It seems like one of those 'rules that has been around forever, probably aimed at gear oil before seals. The guy at the workshop had a good point about it being a chance to check the chain.

That's the dry lube done, cue the scottoiler, gear oil, any oil, ACF50 and no oil posts along with the reasons why some are a waste of money!!

Hotdish · Sep 8, 2020

I looked at this as you did and was quite surprised at the frequency of chain lube and cleaning. It seems ghastly to think a chain would require maintenance mid-way though the day on a long ride. I did a 400 mile trip recently and contemplated how on earth a bike sold without a center stand could require this maintenance so frequently. I go probably 500 miles per chain cleaning, but that even ends up being a biweekly thing.

It's far too cost prohibitive to be spending $6-15 per bottle of boutique chain wax, cruelty free with organic waxes custom made in a deep underground former military research lab, and of course heavily promoted by paid YouTubers.

So I have my little oil can and a liter of 85w gear oil along with a bit of kerosene to protest the excesses of glamour chain wax.

I did the chain tension about 1500 miles ago and found during a chain cleaning that the tension had somehow slacked off to almost 5cm of play when the spec is 2-3cm so that was a good thing to catch and adjust.

Mark9 · Sep 8, 2020

I lube my chain with Motul C5 approx every 300 miles (I don’t ride in wet weather), it’s probably a bit over the top but as said above gives a chance to see any problems developing, I replace my chains at around 15k, chains are cheap compared to the damage they do if they let go.