Best Way To Clean your Motorcycle Chain.

When a bike is constantly on the road, there is a very high chance of attracting dirt and debris to your bike’s chain. This chain’s dirt will further affect your engine performance and weigh on your pocket too because specks of dirt and debris create friction around the bike’s chain and thus affect the mileage of the bike.

So, regular cleaning of motorcycle chains is essential for maintaining the optimal performance of your bike. In this regard, we are going to learn how to clean a motorcycle chain starting with the tool required for a clean motorcycle chain:

Tools Required For Cleaning Motorcycle Chain

Here is the list of tools required to make your chain clean and dirt-free:

Two-Wheeler Chain Cleaning Brush: It is a tool specially designed to clean the bike’s chains. As, it has three brush faces equipped with hard bristles, making the motorcycle chain cleaning way more effortless.
Bike Chain Cleanser: A specially designed cleaner for cleaning a motorcycle chain, where you just need to spray the cleaner on the chain to enter into the dirt-free mode.
Motorcycle Chain Lube: As the name suggests, it is a lubricant that is applied over and inside the chain to enhance performance and efficiency while preventing it from corrosion. There are several chain lube to choose from.
Microfiber Cloth: A microfibre cloth is used to wipe out dirt, grease, or lube resting outside and beneath the chain. Accessories such as microfibre cloths are easily available online.

Now, let’s delve into the best way to clean motorcycle chains.

Step-by-Step Guide To Cleaning A Motorcycle Chain

Here are some major steps you need to take to wipe out all the dirt and grime your chain contains:

Step 1: Find Out What Type Of Chain You Have

First finding out the types of chains your motorcycle has, is crucial to have a good cleaning plan for your motorcycle chain.

Types of motorcycle chains-

Standard Roller Chain: Standard roller chain is the most traditional and basic kind of chain having inner and outer plates, pins, bushings, and rollers.
O-Ring Chain: The O-ring chain contains rubberised O-rings between inner and outer plates to seal or retain the lubes within the chain.
X-Ring Chain: An X-ring Chain is a chain having specifications similar to an O-ring but it has X-shaped sealing instead of an O-shape.
Sealed or Sealed X-Ring Chain: A sealed or sealed X-ring chain combines the benefits of an X-ring and O-ring chain with additional sealing mechanisms that further ensure the chain’s longevity and durability.

Step 2: Put Your Bike On Stand

park your bike on a paddock stand, rear or Single sided to give the maximum uplift and a proper way to play around with your chain while cleaning and lubing the motorcycle chain.

Step 3: Inspect The Motorcycle Drivetrain And Sprockets

Giving a careful watch to your drivetrain and sprockets is so crucial to ensure the safe and smooth operation of your motorcycle.

Here are some of the steps you can take to ensure the optimal care of these elements –

Start by visually inspecting the drivetrain components including chain and sprockets.
Look for any signs of wear, damage, rust, corrosion, bent or missing teeth on the sprockets.
Check the tension of the chain by pressing up the chain from the lower angle of the chain, it should neither be too tight nor too loose.
Now, inspect the overall condition of the chain including plates, rollers, pins, and side plates of the chain.

Step 4: Wash The Chain With Chain Cleaner

Here are some steps you need to follow to wipe the dirt, grime, and old lubricants from motorcycle chains:

Grab your chain cleaner can and shake it well to mix out the content thoroughly.
After shaking well, spray the cleaner throughout the chain, covering each and every aspect of the chain including links and rollers to dissolve the dirt and grime effectively.
Now, allow the cleaner to settle down onto the chain for a few minutes.
This setting time will allow the cleaner to break the dirt and old lubricants.

Step 5: Clean The Chain Using A Scrub

When the setting time is over, grab your chain cleaning brush and rub the chain thoroughly. Give attention to small sections of the chain including rollers, and inner and outer plates.

Move your brush back and forth gently to ensure the thorough cleaning of your chain. If you haven’t cleaned your chain in a while, you will need to repeat the above steps until satisfied.

Step 6: Rinse The Motorcycle Chain

Direct a gentle stream of water on the chain to rinse off cleaner along with dirt and debris. Start from one end and go through the end of the chain while maintaining the gentle stream of water. Rub with your hands to remove the traces of soap, dirt, and grime.

Step 7: Dry The Chain And Sprockets

Now, move your bike into the sunlight and let it dry. When the chain looks dry, rub it with the microfiber cloth to wipe out any potential dirt or water drops inside the plates or roller of the chain. It’s time to clean and lube the motorcycle chain.

Step 8: Lubricate The Chain

Once you are done with cleaning and drying, lubricating the chain is the next step. Before lubricating the chain, choosing the right lubrication according to your chain’s type is crucial to ensure the longevity of the chain.

After selecting the right chain lubes, park your bike on a paddock stand, rear or Single sided and now spray the lubricant can on the upper surface of the chain while rotating the rear wheel slowly.

Repeat this process for the inner surface of the chain until the entire length doesn’t cover. Now, give some time for the lubricant to penetrate properly. Excess lubricant can be wiped out, if any.

Now, your chain is ready to give you a smooth ride.

Conclusion

Whether you are a casual or a dedicated rider, investing time in proper chain maintenance pays you off in the form of a smoother, safer, and enjoyable riding experience. That’s why we have compiled above, those steps include applying a cleaning agent, rubbing, rinsing, drying, and finally lubricating the chain.