Newbie/numpty chain question!

[Strommer]

As the rust creeps towards the o-rings it will cause stiff links, you might be lucky and just be at this early stage.  Once the lube has gone from the o-ring it's toast.

The chain needs to be warm or at least have been spun a few times before you can make a true assessment.  Spin the wheel on the centre stand and it'll feel stuck; once you've spun it a few times it'll suddenly feel like something has freed up.  You can now do a check for stiff links.  It's just the grease loosening/warming up.

A well looked after chain can go 25k - most seem to last 14k, a few shockers will go at 9-10k.   But they can go at anytime if not lubed.  Make a fiddle part of your weekly checks, ideally after parking up on Friday night when it's still warm.

You can't really overlube a chain, you just need to ensure you're not also lubing your rear tyre....

Whereabouts in London are you?  Happy to help with Scottoiler fitment.  I found the best place to put mine was to hang the nib off a paddock stand bobbin, shove the main gubbins in a side panel and the lube tube extended under the seat.

[Brockett]

IMHO a chain with stiff links is beyond saving. Whilst the links may have freed up in use, if they were stiff due to a build up of some sort, that will almost certainly have damaged the 'O' rings. The chain is under tension even when the bike is stood still. Try and put a kink in the chain and see just how hard that is. A build up of road salt and dried muck is unlikely to exert as much of a hold on the chain to be able to overcome the forces pulling it in line. What is more likely is there are corroded pins and siezed bushes that were freed off when used but these cannot self repair and will only get worse in time.
A busted chain can, as Grey Wolf says, smash an engine case but it can also wrap around your wheel and throw you off quicker than a mad bull.
I doubt that a scottoiler will save a knackered chain.

[loggamatt]

Like I say though, I think I may have made it sound worse than it was in my overly panicked initial post

There are no kinks in the chain, just a few of the links didn't move that freely at first when I tried moving them by hand with a cold chain... but after a few minutes riding and warming the chain up it feels as loose as it always did to be honest. That said, there is quite a lot of surface rust, so I'll wait to see what the mechanic says to see if I got away with it or not... fingers crossed!

Thanks Strommer! I don't mind getting the mechanics to fit the Scottoiler though, they've already got it on order for me anyway... plus they can fit a new chain at the same time if it turns out it does need one and I can get it all done in one hit. I may seek your advice at some point (in return for a pint or coffee or something of course!) on Scottoiler flow rates and suchlike if I can't figure it out though if that's OK? I'm in the Battersea area... but, have Strom, will travel

[jabmotorsport]

Blather the thing in brake and clutch cleaner and get aggressive with a rag, this is how I do mine ..

The crucially remember to re-lube it properly

Works fine for me
Josh

[Strommer]

Battersea's easy for me.  Used to live just south of the park, next to the Latchmere pub.  I think you'll be fine once you've cleaned the chain up - no harsh brushes as they damage the 0-rings.

[hookie]

Here in France Lidl sell a range of cleaners under the W5 brand. There is an aerosol chain cleaner (which is very good and can be used for cleaning pretty much anything), chain lube, an anti rust spray (similar to WD40 only slightly heavier and hangs around for longer) and and several other auto type cleaners. They are all typically under 2 Euros so should be £2 or less in the UK if available. They also do a heavy duty hand cleaner which is often better than Swarfega.

[jimbo8098]

If it is really stiff you are best to get a new chain but if it is still running around the sprockets fine , leave it in a bath of motor oil overnight and that should loosen it off OK. while the chain is off , you might as well give it a decent clean too , get the toothbrush into it!

My chain used to get rusty even though I lubed it every few days. I would also lube it after getting into it with a toothbrush and "gunk" degreaser and the chain would be sparkling again. It wasn't even wet , just cold that brought it on , it was strange. But for some reason it has stopped doing it now...

[Andy M]

...
My chain used to get rusty even though I lubed it every few days. I would also lube it after getting into it with a toothbrush and "gunk" degreaser and the chain would be sparkling again. It wasn't even wet , just cold that brought it on , it was strange. But for some reason it has stopped doing it now...

Same here, surface rust like crazy on the Suzuki fitment in conditions where Triumphs, Yamahas and BMW's all stayed grease gray with hint of road gunk. Dry spray lube in the working bit is doing it's job but I've reverted to lithium grease and WD40 on a rag to keep the sideplates tidy.

I think I should try and top the "must be replaced or the atmosphere will catch fire" posters;  sell the bike and get a shaft drive. If it worries you to the extent that cleaning it and confirming it'll last the week doesn't work best not buy a GS though either.    

Andy

[loggamatt]

Got the Scottoiler fitted today! They seems to have run the pipe for it down the outside of the swingarm... I would have thought running it down the inside would be a neater install. Does this look right to everyone?





The chain looks OK-ish now... I think? What do the experts think?

[frez]

I'm not sure if chain whip or debris flung off the wheel might have the opportunity to take the tube off if it was run down the inside of the swinging arm. I think running along the underside of the swinging arm would have been a better solution from a visual point of view. There is no reason why you couldn't move it yourself if there is enough slack, just order some more sticky pad clips from Scottoiler.

The chain looks OK to me, but what looks OK does not necessaily mean all is OK under the surface. Spin the wheel regularly just to make sure the chain is moving freely with no tight spots.

[Strommer]

Good nib install, I had my tube under the swingarm for a year but the sticky pads kept coming loose.   Mine ended up like yours.  The pics shows a groove in the swingarm which helps stop the tube wandering when the sticky pads fail (if you add cable ties)

Back up those sticky pads with cable ties, always good to have redundancy in a safety critical system...

[greywolf]

It's hard to tell for sure with only a small section showing, but the chain looks too tight and some links look like they are sticking.

[loggamatt]

Glad people think it's a good install

So you still think I should replace the chain then Greywolf? Hmmm... well, I can't afford it this month but don't plan to do a lot of riding anyway (will be on holiday... in your country as it happens!), but I'll look into getting it done before my planned European touring in the summer.

[Strommer]

If you can spin by Ealing on Saturday before one or anytime Sunday, I'll happily give it the once over.

[loggamatt]

Thanks Strommer, don't think I'll be able to make it this weekend I'm afraid... but PM'd anyway!