I'm at 11,400 miles. I can see one strand of rubber sticking out of my chain so I have at least one busted o-ring. I suppose there could be more broken o-rings that I can not see. I expected to get almost twice the life out of this chain than i have so far.

What are the effects of running a chain with broken o-rings and how much farther should i ride on it before changing to a new chain?

I've kept my chain lubed with Maxima about every 300 - 500 miles. I have used WD-40 to wipe the chain but it was used very sparingly on a rag and not applied directly to the chain. Last cleaning was more thorough but still, I did not drench the chain with WD-40 and I did wipe it off well and ran the bike for a couple miles to hopefully fling out more. I doubt there was ever a lot of WD left in my chain because it would have thinned the chain wax and caused it to fling more.

I like Hub's idea of using what ever you lube the chain with as a cleaner. The drawback is that all lubes cost enough that you will probably have spent enough in extra lube to cover the cost of a new chain by 11,000 miles of use. Think I'll try the Miracle Oil next time.

11000 miles is a good life for a chain, definitely change it, wheel lock is something that I don't wish on anyone.. Don't just lube chain on a schedule!!! Lube based on riding conditions and visual inspections, e.g.: Lube after long ride in the rain...Also Keep tension approx 1.5inch slack...Happy Riding..Regards Dave.

Thanks, Dave. You're right about the schedule. There were those times when the chain looked dryish but i figure, "well, it's not due for a lube yet - so off i go." So time to change. Any suggestions on an aftermarket chain? Blue has recomended an X-ring chain. I'm curious what an x-ring is. Always like to try new stuff.

The lube going to the link without the o-ring will probably be better lubed than the factory pre-lube that was pushed out of it a long time ago. So, you are back again to measuring the stretch marks of the link length to determine when to replace chain/sprockets.

Rook, x-rings are also known as quad-rings. Imagine you cut an o-ring in half and look at the cross section. It would look like an "o". An x-ring has a more squarish look. The benefit is better sealing.

* Last updated by: redtrace on 9/3/2009 @ 7:08 PM *

rook heres an article i found although it dont say in this one but i have read somewhere not to use wd40 on o-ring or x-ring chains but heres the article

Let's face it, without your chain, you ain't going anywhere. So why, then, do we ignore our chains for so long? Chains have gotten so good over the past 10 years that it is easy to forget about them. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Which in motorcycling, an ounce of prevention can also be worth a pound of skin.

There are really two main types of chains: O-Ring chains and Non-O-Ring chains. O-Ring chains have, as you would guess, small O-Rings built into them. The O-Rings are used to keep grease and lube inside your chain (between all the moving parts). Non-O-Ring chains do not. Back in the day when O-Ring chains came out, many people believed the O-Rings created high levels of drag. However, that is not the case. A well-maintained O-Ring (X-ring, Y-ring etc) chain provides less drag, requires less maintenance, and lasts a heck of a lot longer.

It is important to remember that the purpose of an O-Ring chain is to keep the lubrication inside. So based on that, there is little you can do to keep your chain in top condition, right? Sorry, but O-Ring chains require attention just like everything else on your bike. A true sign of a squid is a dry, squeaking, rusty chain.

A chain that is ignored will eventually fail, typically by breaking. A broken chain will many times ball-up around the countershaft and front sprocket. When this happens, your chain will rip and tear its way through your soft aluminum motor and will always result in engine damage (either from the chain flailing around or from the motor coming to an immediate stop) Sometimes a chain will get caught in the rear wheel, resulting in an immediate rear wheel skid. Rarely, somebody will get lucky and the chain will fly off the bike without making contact with anything while the rider coasts to a stop (this is rare). In either case, you will be stranded. More than likely, you will have some damage, be it be minor or major.

So now that we've established chain maintenance is probably a good idea, where should we start? Like all things mechanical, let's start with lubrication. You should lube your chain every 500 miles of riding. There are many types of lube available; everything from basic wax, foaming wax, conventional lube to foaming conventional lube. Different lubes will provide different levels of fling and protection. Typically the more fling, the better protection and the less fling the less protection. The hard part is deciding what level of fling/protection you want to deal with. The less fling, the more frequently you'll have to lube.

When your chain is without lube, it will build up a lot of heat and result in the chain stretching. Without lube, your O-Ring will also be exposed to the harmful ozone and ultraviolet rays, causing them to dry out, crack, and even fall off.

It is important (with O-Ring chains) to always lube your chain immediately after riding, while the chain is warm. Remember how we talked about how O-Ring chains keep the lube inside the chain? Well, lubing your chain while still hot will cause the lube to be drawn into the chain as it cools. Also, remember that chain lube's primary job is to lube between the chain and the sprockets.

Also, you need to lube your chain in two locations. Spray the majority of the lube on the inside of the chain. This helps prevent fling and will force lube into the chain when you are riding. You also need to spray lube directly onto the O-Rings. The best way to do this is at the rear sprocket, spinning the wheel as you go. Avoid the temptation to prop the bike up on the track stand or center stand, start the bike, put it in first gear while the rear wheel is in the air, and spray as the motor moves the rear wheel. The number of fingers claimed by this exercise is astonishing and a quick search on the Internet will reveal images of people who have lost their fingers doing this (not just dummies, but experienced motorcycle mechanics). It is much better and safer to do it the hard way, with the motor off and the bike in neutral.

If you do this regularly, your chain will keep a high level of lubrication but will also draw a lot of dirt and you'll end up with a really dirty-looking chain. Dirt, as I'm sure you can imagine, is very bad for a chain. A good idea is, every 3000 miles or whenever you change your oil, to clean your chain. The easiest way to clean your chain is with a rag, a toothbrush, and kerosene.

Don't use harsh solvents, like gasoline, because they can ruin the O-Rings. Spray or wipe your chain with kerosene. The best part about using kerosene is that it will clean your chain amazingly quick, saving you lots of time. I usually use an old rag and soak it with kerosene and wipe it over the chain until the chain is clean. Incidentally, kerosene can be found at any department store, usually in the camping section. Its traditionally used to run camp-stoves, lanterns and stoves. But be prepared to spend $5.00 for a 10-year supply. After about 20 minutes you will have an immaculately clean chain and an amazingly filthy rag.

CAUTION: Be sure you get "kerosene" - not camp fuel or white gas. Camp fuel and white gas comes in the same can as kerosene but it is extremely volatile and will ignite astonishingly easy. Be double and triple sure the can says "Kerosene". Don't trust the store clerk either, if it doesn't say kerosene it is most likely white fuel and that is very dangerous.

Its also a really great idea to remove the countershaft sprocket cover and clean all the excess lube build-up that is around the front sprocket. If you let this stuff build up it can cause problems that you probably do not want to ever deal with.

Your chain also needs to be adjusted properly. Of course, your owner's manual will have exact requirements for your bike, but the rule of thumb is about 1 to 1.5 inches of slack. But what does that mean and why is that important? Slack is how much the chain will move up and down freely at a point halfway between the two sprockets.

You need slack because as your swingarm moves up to compress for a bump, the chain gets tighter. When a chain is too tight, it will bind on the sprockets, causing quicker wear of both chain and sprockets. A tight chain will also, over time, ruin your countershaft and your countershaft seal (the seal around the shaft that carries the front sprocket) and may even bend the countershaft. Also, a tight chain is more likely to develop tight spots. Tight spots are portions of the chain that stretch at different rates and cause binding between links. So, why not just run the chain really loose? Well, too loose and the chain runs the risk of flying off the sprockets. Bad news! Also, too loose causes a lot of slop in the driveline. Example: twist the throttle, short delay, then lurching as the chain snaps tight, then loose until you are under heavy acceleration. Chain adjustments are very important, even though it may not be something you need to do very often.

From "G" (2/09): "Recently I had just about had it with all the 'expert opinions' on this stuff as it regards the cleaning and lubing of chains, particularly O-ring types. So I thought I'd go to the horse's mouth.

Further below is the entire response (from WD-40), but here is the meat of it:

"It is possible that if there is a special lubricant in the o-rings, WD-40 could act as a cleaner and remove that oil. The special lubricant would be replaced with WD-40. We are sure there are superior heavy-duty chain lubes
on the market."
'nuff said. Thanks for all you do!"

"Thank you for contacting the WD-40 Company with regards to using WD-40 on o-rings. WD-40 is a multi-purpose light lubricating oil, which will displace water and moisture from the chain. The "WD" stands for water displacement and acts as a rust preventative on any metal surface. WD-40 will not dry out the rubber o-rings. We have found no visible effects on the surface of rubber and o-rings. Certain types of rubber will swell under prolonged immersion in WD-40 (this refers to long soaking and not just a spray).

WD-40 is also a cleaner, which will remove grime, dirt, tape, bumper stickers and oil. It is possible that if there is a special lubricant in the o-rings, WD-40 could act as a cleaner and remove that oil. The special
lubricant would be replaced with WD-40.

We are sure there are superior heavy-duty chain lubes on the market. There are several people who recommend using WD-40 on their chains. Perhaps some experimenting with WD-40, as a water remover and rust preventative followed by a heavier chain lube would fit your needs. The bottom line is WD-40 will not harm your o-rings, but it could remove a lubricant that was previously applied to the chain.

Thank you again for contacting the WD-40 Company. Please let us know if we may be of further assistance."

Thanks for X-ring explanation Redtrace and thanks for all the WD info, Scott. The O-ring I found sticking out of my chain was extremely thin, almost like paper. It wouldn't surprise me if they are more susceptible to damage from chemicals that would be safe on thicker pieces of the same substance. Still, if the solvent used in spray on chain lubes doesn't soften the O-rings, it seems that WD-40 would also be safe. My guess would be that kerosene would have a stronger solvent action on thin rubber than WD-40. I've heard a lot of people recommend kerosene, however.

i've been using wd to clean my chain always, never had any problems, i spray some on the rag and wipe, works great, then i spray on the chain wax and good to go, another more messier way to clean is using gear oil from the auto parts store, it does a great job cleaning and also since gear oil is thicker, it leaves a nice film on the chain that you can just seal up nicely with chain wax

Section 2-30 in the manual says to clean the chain only with kerosene or diesel oil because it is an o-ring chain.

Get a new chain and change your gearing.

Nothing lasts forever- over 11K miles,
time for new chain and both front and rear sprockets IMHO.

^^Rear sprocket doesn't look worn. Haven't seen the front yet. I suppose chain changing time is a good opportunity to change everything if that's the way you want to go.

I don't know how you could have ruined the chain so fast. Especially an o-ring unless it was punctured by something. I talked to someone who recommended using gear oil 90 wt. I have been using it only for some time and my chain seems good so far at 18k miles. That chain lube in a can stuff when flung off turned into hard balls, rock like really. I stopped using it. You figure an internal chain like the timing chain is always in an oil bath and they last a long time maybe the life of the engine. Seems like some sort of chain guard to enclose the chain would be best does anyone know if this has ever been done?

* Last updated by: kawnow on 9/6/2009 @ 4:10 PM *

^^Seems like a nice idea but then you wouldn't be able to inspect it as easy. Also it seems like you would have to enclose the sprockets which would make pulling the wheel back for adjusting chain tension a problem.

I used the edge of a rag to really "floss" each link pretty well a the last couple times I cleaned the chain. I think that may have broken some O-rings. Perhaps i was overly thorough.

Where did you get the Silkolene chain oil?

Thanks. -bg

I saw that stuff at my stealer. A couple bucks more than Maxima but worth a try for sure. Actually, I'm thinking about a petroleum lube for the cooler weather coming. I'm not sure wax softens up quick enough in cold weather riding.

Ya rook looks like its time for that gear change ( 2 teeth up in the rear, 1 tooth down in the front) a new chain and a speedo healer. They say thats the best bang for the buck!

^^^This will require a longer chain than OEM, right?

My 06 has done 21000 miles and the chain and sprockets are still good. Keep them well waxed with a quality product and I also remove the back wheel every 2000 miles and clean the chain and rear sprocket with power parrafin, which you guys in USA call Kerosene, but it is not normal kerosene. It is green so I don't know what you would call it. The wax I used to use is made by Valvoline and it is white. I have recently switched to something called GO wax and it is top quality. The only problem is that it is not a spray but in a bottle so it has to be applied onto the inside of the chain. I occasionaly spray the 'o' ring area with Valvoline wax. This has seemed to work. The only ball ache is lubing the chain on a long ride with no centre stand when I am far from my paddock stand! I always lube the chain after 500+ miles. My 07 has done 7500 miles and chain etc still as new. What you put in is what you get out!!!

* Last updated by: harleyzx1400 on 9/9/2009 @ 12:30 AM *