Searced the section but didn't find a ready thread for this spesific "problem".

So, for some time now I've been thinking my trans is on it's last legs. It doesn't pop any gears out but shifting, specially downshifting can be a pain, the hotter the engine oil is the worse it gets. I changed my chain and sprockets some time ago, probly 1000km or less, to a 530 RK GXW "superlink" chain, told to be the best available chain for the bike, and JT steel sprockets. A few days ago I was doing a regular maintenance clean&lube to the chain (castrol o-ring chain grease, the one that leaves a white stigky layer once dried) and checked the chain tension. I tightened it a bit further than I normally do, but still so that there should be appropriate play on it. Now when I ride the bike the trans is workimg MUCH better than it was, I never miss a shift, the gears go on much quieter, they used to keep a horrible clunk but now if I time the up shift right I could hear a mouse fart at the same time, not even a click.

The thing is now the front sprocket is letting out a horrible clattering tap whenever I give it more throttle. Almost sounds like the teeth of the sprocket would be too long and now that the chain is tighter than before and sits all the way in the tips of the teeth would be hitting the next spool in the chain when entering/leaving the sprocket. I don't want to ruin a 230eur chain but don'r wanna loosen it either cause the improvement in the gearbox operation. Could it just be the JT steels are incompatible with the chain or is it just too tight (which I do doubt cause as said there still is over 3cm of play loaded, had my wife sit on it when measured) or is the chain grease just wrong or poor? I'll be fitting a chain oiler momentarily once it arrives so I might give it a go to just brush on some engine oil on the chain and see what it does.

Feels just a bit weird to me... Is it just that some chains are noisier than others? For me that explanation just doesn't cut it, to exept it I need to find out WHY the chain is letting out the sound and what could be done about it.

 

So the thing was just as I thought... last night when I got home I drove the bike in the garage, lifted the rear wheel on stand, sprayed what little chain cleaner I had left in the can, let it cure and wiped off some of the Castrol chain wax. Didn't get all but at least some. Then I thoroughly lubed the chain...with Briggs&Stratton SAE30 lawn mower engine oil let that cure in, came back about an hour later and wiped off the exess.

This morning I rode to work... never had a chain so silent before. So as said, and as I suspected the castrol chain wax does not penetrate the chain links properly enough before the solvent vaporizes and just leaves a sticky greasy thin layer of white gluey goo on the chain without lubing it properly. I will be fitting the chain oiler and will be using regular oil to lube my chain hence forth, yes it will probably fling and smear my rear tire but let's face it my bike isn't exactly a concours piece as is, I can surely live with some spots on the rim if it doubles my chain's lifespan. Not to mention not having to splurge on those fancy expensive chain sprays. Now to think of a way to use the remaining chain wax somehow...I wonder if my neighbour would lend me his shotgun...

 

I'm glad you figured it out!

 

Kinda. There still is a sound that was not there before, I suspect it is the chain hitting the end of the nylon guide rail on the swing. Or at least that's what it seems, very limited vision until I remove the hugger. What surprised me is can the castrol chain wax be so POS stuff after all? The oil sure does smear, my left exhaust and the rear rim are covered with oil but I did bathe it very thoroughly so not a surprise there... the temp has threatened to plummet properly after this week, mornings are already getting pretty fresh so might be that the season is nearing the end for this year. Right after I get the Daytona finished I'm gonna tear the cbr apart and take a closer look at this, amongst many other things. Probly gonna pull the whole swing and give it a fresh paint coat as the current one is in a pretty tatty state.

 

I used the castrol once. Once. Stuff was crap.

I use yamalube now. Not the best, better, but hey it was free.

 

There you have it, Matti, maybe indeed the Castrol stuff is simply crap, though I must ask a dumb question... before you clean the chain, do you ride around a good bit, or at least run the bike in 1st gear on stands, so that the chain is good and warm before cleaning?
Then, after cleaning, do you make sure the chain is good and warmed up before applying the lube?

Silly questions, probably, I know, but I have to ask.

 

Silly answer to a silly question...no...

I do have to confess I mostly do not, sometimes I clean the chain when I get home and leave it to dry before going back later to lube it but mostly I`m just a lazya$$ and do the whole process cold. I only recently discovered I even should warm it up before doing that.

The loobman chain oiler has arrived but probly gonna hold back with the fitting as I`m still unsure which bike I will fit it to. Depends do I have hopes for getting the you-know-what ready for spring... Doubt I`ll ride much at all anymore this year...