Motorcycle mechanics: proper chain maintenance

To drive safely as many kilometers as possible, the secondary drive chain must be lubricated and retightened regularly. Lubrication is simple, applying the correct tension is easy as long as you follow a few rules.

Clean, oil

If the chain is saturated with dirt and abrasive dust (such as sand), clean it before lubricating. There are very practical products with a small tassel. This works with white spirit, but do not use any solvents, as some of them can damage the chain o-rings. On the outside of the chain, the rollers that mesh with the sprocket teeth do not receive the lubricant held by the O-rings. Rollers without lubrication = increased friction = very fast chain and sprocket wear + little power loss. The rain washes away the chain of clogged fat, but at the same time drives it away. Just grease it when the rain stops. The most practical, quickest and least dirty way to lubricate is by applying a special spray lubricant to the chain (photo B). The lubricant can be applied with a brush in a tube or can, a common practice in workshops. You can also lubricate the chain with oil, Honda recommends this in your owner's manuals. Use a thick SAE 80 or 90 oil.

Check tension

The chain travel is the distance that is determined by pulling it up as far as possible and then lowering it as far as possible. It should be about 3 cm. If the length is more than 5 cm, it must be tightened. This control is done on the center stand or side stand if your bike has classic rear suspension travel. But if your bike is a trail bike, sagging rear suspension very often results in chain tension. Check the chain tension while sitting on the motorcycle or when someone sits on it. The motorcycle is on a stand, suspension sag is impossible. If you're not sure if suspension slack is tightening the chain, check it at least once. On the other hand, wear is not always evenly distributed: elongation may be greater in some places than in others. Spin the rear wheel and you'll find that the chain feels right in some places and too loose in others. It's "out of order". Take the point at which the chain is most tight as a reference point to adjust this tension. Otherwise, it may be too tight...and break!

Change the voltage

This involves moving the rear wheel backward to tighten the chain. Loosen the axle of this wheel. Check the position marks for this axle on the swingarm, then very gradually apply each of the tensioning systems on each side of the wheel. For example, when adjusting a screw / nut, count half a turn by half a turn, and do the same on each side while checking the chain tension. In this way, the wheel moves backward while remaining in alignment with the motorcycle frame. After completing the adjustment, tighten the wheel axle very tightly. Example for CB 500: 9 μg with torque wrench. The absence of a center post is inconvenient for both lubricating the chain and checking its tension. Move the motorcycle in small steps alone to lubricate every visible part of the chain and check the tension. Have someone push the motorcycle while driving, or grab a car jack and place it firmly on the right rear of the motorcycle, under the frame, swingarm or exhaust pipe, and lift the rear wheel slightly off the ground. You can freely rotate the wheel by hand.

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