A friend wants to clean the drive chain because it is dirty.
That's pretty dirty,
If you keep using it dirty, sands get caught in the chain and rust, which shortens the life of the chain, and in some cases the chain can break, leading to accidents and injuries.
If the chain gets dirty, you can use chain cleaner to remove dirt, then put on chain lubricant.
Understood.
Look for chain cleaner and chain lubricant at shops.
When I was looking for chain lubricant, I read that there are two types of chain: sealed and non-seal chain, what is the difference?
A sealed chain has a rubber O-ring between the link plates to prevent the grease inside the rollers from coming out. A non-seal chain has no O-ring.
A sealed chain is more durable than a non-sealed chain because the grease is sealed by an O-ring.
Oh, and there's something important,
Some chain cleaners and chain lubricants contain components that can damage the rubber O-rings, so choose one that can be used on sealed chain!
Understood.
But is my motorcycle a sealed chain? Or a non-seal chain?
It is written in the owner’s manual, but if you are not sure, go to a Honda dealer and ask.
If you‘re worried about doing the drive chain maintenance yourself or if cleaning chain is a hassle, get it done at the dealer.
My motorcycle has a sealed chain, so I bought chain cleaner and chain lubricant for use on sealed chains.
Now it's time to clean up.
To start with, spray a rag with chain cleaner and wipe the chain clean with the rag.
Where the dirt is bad, put some chain cleaner on it and brush it off. Use a brush that won't damage the chain and O-rings. Don't use steel brushes.
Once the dirt have been removed, the next step is to put the chain lubricant.
When the chain rotates, centrifugal force spreads the chain lubricant outwards, so you should put it on the inside of the chain.
The place to put it is the gap between the rollers and between the plate and plate.
After putting it on, wait a few minutes for the lubricant to penetrate, then wipe off the excess lubricants so that the chain lubricants don't fly off when the chain turns.
When chain lubricants get on tyres and other surfaces, you should wipe them off.
How, isn't it beautiful!
It’s got so cleaner!
Secondly, is the chain slack OK?
Chain slack?
I've heard of it, but how do I inspect it?
The owner’s manual also tells you how to check for chain slack.
You move the centre of the front and rear sprockets up and down by hand to check the slack is within the specified range.
The measurement position and method for the slack differs depending on the motorcycle, so please check the owner's manual. Some motorcycles measure the distance from the swing arm.
You can also find your owner’s manual on Honda's official website Motopub!
What if over the specified limit?
If the chain slack exceeds the specified value, it's safe to go to a Honda dealer to have it adjusted.
If you continue to use the chain over the specified limit, it can come off. If the chain comes off while riding, it can even lead to accidents and injuries.
Before that happens, get to your Honda dealer as soon as possible to have it adjusted!
So chain maintenance is important.
From now on, they should be cleaned when dirty and lubricated, then inspect for the chain slack also!
There are other maintenance tasks you can do yourself besides the drive chain, so have a look! The site is Maintenance on Motorcycle After-Sales.
Enjoy your life with safe riding!
Does your motorcycle get periodic maintenance?
My drive chain is getting dirty, how do I clean it?