Ok so since i am still new to bike i have been reading about chain upkeep and i am just getting flustered with all the stuff i keep reading about what type of cleaner to use, how to clean the chain, X and O ring chains so i am putting this up for a direct answer.

First off what type of chain do the F3's have (and what is the difference between X and O ring chains?)

Second what is the best cleaner to use i read that people use kerosene but others use canned cleaners to clean up the chain and sprockets.

Last what is a good chain lube to use and is thier a special way to lube up a chain or do you just go crazy and spray the whole chain down?

Thanks for the info in advance!!!!!!

 

X ring has a a flat profile to the O-ring, which gives it a greater contact area, thus it stays cleaner (grit is death to chains) and lasts longer than the other types of chain. Interior grit not only ruins the chain quicker it also wears the sprocket more.

O ring doesn't last any longer than a normal unsealed chain. (an ordinary chain may cost $28, while an o-ring chain costs $35, and the XO-ring Chain is more than $100, designed to fit the same motorcycle.

Kerosene and a couple of good wire brushes will clean the chain. You could also use chain cleaner by Motorex or however you spell it. Either way it will get the job done. You could also take the chain off and soak it depending on how dirty it is. Everytime you spray the chain lube on it though, that stuff is supposed to clean the dirt away thats on there.

I use the repsol chain lube. It is more expensive than the other stuff but it never flings onto my rims which saves me time cleaning them so its worth it.

 

any non-flick lube will do you good. what i would do is clean the chain with the lube by leaning the bike on the kickstand and spinning the wheel with my hand (thus moving the chain) while spraying the chain/sprocket and then whipe the dirt and any other gunk off with a towel. After that, go on a short ride to warm the chain up. when you get back from the ride, put more lube on the same way you cleaned it except don't whipe it down with a towel.

 

I went through this same ordeal when I had to first lube my chain. Look into Dupont Teflon Coat lubricant (or something like that). It's not specified ONLY for bike chains, but it DOES say it can be used for such on the bottle, and boy does it work wonders. I spent about an hour cleaning my chain with a wire brush and kerosene. I had forgoten to clean the sprocket, so I'm spraying the lube on the chain, and get to the sprocket, it just washes EVERYTHING away, stuff that would have taken me hours to do by hand, gone in seconds.

Idk, a lot of people have their own preference, I swear by this stuff though.

 

Hmmm I don't think I would use K-1 to clean the chain unless it was off the bike and outside of the garage and with a fire extinguisher handy...FYI use a nylon brush when cleaning with K-1...

Any cleaner designed to clean the gunk off a chain should do the job and extend the service life of the unit and is a good maintenance habit to get in to!

Cleaning the chain will be a dirty project and the chain lube/cleaner will stain a concrete floor so use caution that you don't mess up and stain your garage or drive way floor.

I usually clean my chains using a pressure washer when cleaning the bikes, I blow the gunk build up off the chain, swingarm, rollers and guides and then I use an inexpensive spray engine cleaner from wally world to finish the job.

Stay away from canned spray carb cleaners if your running a O-ring chain since spray carb and brake cleaners are known to dissolve rubber products and these sprays could ruin the seals in your chain.

There must be a hundred different chain lubes on the market, some work and some don't!

One thing you can do to make even the cheapest chain lubes stick and not fly all over everything is to do this.

With a clean chain run your bike around the block a few times to heat the chain up and then apply the lube to a warm chain.

The warm chain will suck up the lube and this also helps keep the lube on the chain and not on the bike and your clothes.

I use Bel-Ray Chain wax, good stuff better than the sticky stuff IMHO!

The OEM Chain on the 600 F3 is a 530 size and it does a good job but it tends to wear quickly so if your needing a new chain and sprocket set for your ride go with the 520 upgrade and stay as close to OEM teeth numbers as possible.

Hope this helps SIRR1

 

I used bug and tar remover to clean my chain...stuff worked AWESOME from what i could see my chain is still factory and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in quite some time. let it soak in the bug and tar remover for a night and took a wire brush to it and now its looking great. also, +1 on the Dupont teflon lube...good stuff.

 

cleaning the drive chain with kerosene is pretty standard procedure. most chain cleaners are mostly kerosene and most motorcycle repair manuals actually specify kerosene as a chain cleaner. but yeah, with the chain off of the bike. i wouldn't suggest spraying the bearing seals on the chain with a high pressure sprayer, that just seems like a bad idea to me. converting to a 520 chain helps with handling but a 520 setup wears faster than a 530.

 

Okay, by now you probably know all there is to know but I'll throw in my 2 cents just the same. So here we go,

My buddy is the service manager at our Honda store and gets to go all all these Honda tech weekends and even spent a week in California riding their new toys. (He never hears the end of this from me.) I don't know if they would advertise it, but there are more than a few cans of WD-40 around their track. I've heard mixed reviews about the stuff and did some research. WD-40 is about 80% stoddard solvent. This is similar to kerosene but not the same. I've heard it works great for a quick lube but if you're going to pull the chain off I would stick with a product that is made specifically for it. Tirox is the only kind I've used and it worked really well.

Repsol chain lube seems to work really well and didn't fling all over my tire and rear set.

I hope this helps.

 

OK, I'll see if I can answer some of your questions.

1. F3's have an "O" ring chain from the factory. The size of the chain depends on the year. Up through 1996 they had 530's. But for 97-98, like you have, they have a 525. The first 5 in these numbers represent the distance from roller to roller, or tooth to tooth. The second 2 numbers represent the distance between the side plates, smaller being closer together and a little less weight. The sprocket thicknesses are designed to match, 525 sprocket with a 525 chain. A larger chain will fit a smaller (thickness) sprocket, but not the other way around. Not a good idea though as it allows the chain to wonder latterally across the sprocket. You going to a 520 isn't going to save as much in weight as if you were coming from a 530.
2. Yes, Kerosene is a good cleaner, even recommended by many of the chain manufacturers. Don't use a wire brush on it though. The wires will get down in between the side plates and damage the "O" rings. Use a parts brush, or a stiff paint brush with the kerosene. When I clean my chains, I take the rear wheel off and allow the chain to dangle down into a pan that's designed for draining oil into. I put about a 1/4" of kerosene into it and brush the chain while it's sitting in it. With the engine in neutral, I can then rotate a dirty section down into the bath while the clean section rotates up and starts to drain and dry. After going all the way around the chain, I wipe it off with a dry rag. I also remove the rear sprocket while the wheel is off and clean it too. This allows me to examine the sprocket for wear.
3. When people are talking about "O" rings or "X" rings they're talking about the profile of the seals that keep dust and dirt out of the pins that hold the chain links together, and keep the factory installed grease inside. There's a tremendous amount of force on a chain trying to sling the grease out of the chain. The "O" rings keep it there. Anyone that says that "O" ring or "X" ring chains don't last any longer probably thinks that all oil is the same too. (flame suit on ). There are some good explanations on DID's site here about the profiles.
4. After cleaning your chain and drying it off, a good lube should be applied. They all probably work fine, but some are messier than others. Take a look at an article written by WebBikeWorld and their review of the Dupont Teflon Chain Lube. You can get it a Lowes, but check online to see what stores have it. Some do and some don't. If you find one that has it, it sells for about $4.88 a can.

I hope this has helped a bit.

 

Wow thanks idodirt you should be the question guru for a motorcycle magazine with an answer like that. The info is greatly appreciated Thanks!