Even as people learn how often and how to lube a motorbike chain, learning what and how to clean the chain is a very crucial information in to every biking enthusiast. If thinking of what to use to clean the motorcycle chain or how to do it, here are tips to help you out. You can extend the life and performance of your bike chain in a few minutes. Read on for more!
What you need-get the right tools
To effectively clean your motorbike chain, you need to get a chain cleaner, a chain lubricant, a brush, and a towel. To get the best results, make sure you have the right brand of chain lube and cleaner. Make sure that the cleaner that you get is compatible with your chain, whether your bike has an O-ring or X-ring chain.
With a brush, just make sure you get a brush that specifically designed for cleaning the motorbike chain. Even though this is not necessary since you can choose to use a toothbrush, but a specialized one is better.
A towel is crucial, especially when the cleaning process gets messy. You may need to wipe off excess dirt to a smooth process.
Put the bike in the right position before cleaning the chain
Place the bike on the center stand to make it easy for you to begin the process. Besides, while placed at the center stand, you can easily rotate the back wheel using hands to move its chain as you clean it. If you do not have a center stand, you can just roll the bike around as you clean its chain part by part.
Spray the cleaner on the chain to soak it
After placing the bike in the right position, it is now time to start the cleaning process. Take your cleaner and spray it on the chain to soak it. Make sure the chain is soaked to effectively remove all dirt and debris. Besides, chain cleaners are cheap so you do not have to worry about the cleaner at the expense of your bike.
Scrub the chain using a brush
Take the chain brush and start scrubbing. As you scrub, you will see the build-up of grime and dirt coming off freely from the chain. Continue scrubbing until you cover every part of the chain. If using a toothbrush, don’t use it anymore on your mouth. Scrub until the chain is clean.
Leave the bike chain to dry
Since the chain is already clean, you now need to leave it to dry before oiling it up. If the chain is wet, the lube may not stick well. You can leave the chain for about an hour to dry, but if you are in a hurry to use the bike, you can ride it for a few minutes. The heat generated when riding in the drying process. However, driving isn’t really necessary, take a towel and wipe off the chain until it is dry.
It’s time for the lube
Now that the chain is clean and dry, it’s time to lube it up. Take the best lube to apply it to the chain. As you do so, rotate the tire to move the chain and repeat the same process to cover the entire chain. Once you are done, wipe the excess lube and hit the road if you wish.
To keep your bike chain in the right condition, you should clean and lube the chain after every 300 to 600 miles. While this seems often, it is a simple process that takes less than fifteen minutes and it is worth the effort. Depending on where you ride, it is good to develop a habit of doing this regularly to keep the chain in the right condition. As long as the chain is good, you will ride safe out there!
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