I own a 2005 Honda CBR F4i, with 11,000 miles. Original chain and sprockets.

Can the chain be removed? Is is difficult?

I would like to clean it completely and maybe soak it in something. Advice?

 

If it is the OG stock chain, it will not just come off. You must take a grinder or a chain breaker and grind the rivets on one of the links smooth to the face. Then take a hammer/ chisel/ punch /Air Chisel/ whatever you got and smack the face off the link.

Do this with the axel loosened and the chain adjusters ran into the swingarm. After you get the face off the link, push the half out the other side.

I just cleaned mine in solvent and blew it dry with compressed air. before i put it on the bike I soaked it in engine oil for a while. Looks brand new.

Make sure to order your preference of a rivet or clip style master link. If you dont want a clip style but dont want to buy a riveter/ breaker tool then get both links, install the clip style and ride it to a shop to have them rivet on the permanent link. I have the clip style with no problems and it made the dis assembly, cleaning and maintenance much easier.

 

if your wanting to clean it your gonna have to grind one of the rivets. your gonna have to get a new master link after this. i clean my chain in solvent using a nylon brush

 

ouch, ya I don't want to do any grinding or break anything. I'll leave well enough alone.

 

Don't neglect your chain. If all you want to do is clean & lube it, you don't have to take it off to accomplish that. Here's a good article: LINK.

 

by removing the chain for cleaning, you could add a thousand or thousands of miles. If keeping it on means doing a poor job cleaning. It is a simple task and if you neglect your chain, you will have to cut it off in a few thousand miles anyways to replace it.

 

I do lube it every 500 or when it rains, and give it a good cleaning every so often, but I don't REALLY feel like I'm cleaning it.

 

Buy lots and lots of chain cleaner and go to town with it. Or buy another master link and re-connect it after you cut it off.

 

I ride my bike often and put alot of miles on it every year. My chain gets dirty and I end up replacing the chain and sprocket every year along with going thru at least 1 set of not 2 sets of tires every year also.

If soaking it in kerosene is going to help the life of the chain, I am all for it, as I have a rivet tool and dont mind using master links either. but with the whole controversy of taking the chain off to clean it, I really dont think it matters because you are going to stretch the chain at some point anyway. (at least you will if you ride the bike hard) I find that I have to change the chain due to stretching more than anything else. It makes a horrible noise when its stretched.....

 

Just out of curiosity; what's a stretched out chain sound like? Clicking?