Ducati Monster Forum

As a new convert to two wheels I will have many stupid questions but I will lead off with;
how often should I lube my chain? km based or time based or rain/hail/shine based???
the owners manual isnt much help

Hey Darkhorse hows it going?

  Let me ask you how often do you clean your bike??







                                  Mmick

If it rains - just after  [thumbsup]

Dry conditions without dust - each 1,000/2,000 km, maybe.

Hi Darkhorse
Don't know about others but I do mine every 3rd tank full so 500-600 k's
Don't use petrol or WD40 to clean off the old lube they tend to dry out the O/X rings.
I use Kero to wipe off the old lube then while on the stand give it a generous coat top and bottom
then wipe off the excess .
Im using Ipone wax at the moment and highly recommend it no fling and non sticky.

Thanks for the responses.
So sounds like at least once per 1000 km and more often if it rains. Which means I'm due.
I am trying to avoid the rain (wimp) and so cleaning has been a wipe down only.
Next question is do people hand wash or do they get the pressure gun out??
Still loving this bike: had a chat this morning with a little old lady with a walking stick who was telling me how she rode a Harley across the USA. Not quite the demographic I'm after but anyway....

Careful with the pressure washer around bearings, airbox, chain and electricals. I only use it on really dirty parts of the engine cases. I like Windex surface cleaner, Mr Sheene, paint polish, Armourall for plastics, etc for various surfaces on the bike. For heavy dirt then there's the various Water car wash products and a clean sponge and Chamois. There are so many great and expensive products now like Plexus or Silkolene Pro Prep.

it all depends on riding conditions and the quality of the chain lube

when i was commuting i was using castrol chain lube and it was good for about 3-350k which was a weeks commute

i would do a weekly check taking about 15 mins

wd40 clean chain and relube, check tension , check tyre pressures and oil level and lights and a general eyeball
of the bike for anything abnormal

other brands of lube i have used have been better for near 1000k when travelling to Phillip island

so now starting to think its 1000km max.
I bought some teflon spray stuff (cant be bothered going to look after a bottle of red)
What are people using to lube up??

I just want to add to Koko's post.  If you are going to use Mr Sheen, which is pretty awesome stuff to use, don't get it on your seat or hand grips or you will slide right off

A lot of the vinyl/plastic treatments like Armourall are slippery. Never used anything on hand grips, ever. Cant stand a dull looking seat myself, so be careful like SB said. When I was single, it made my dates hold on tight! ;D

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm also finding that windex is great for cleaning the bugs off my visor.

I use chain wax rather than an oil, the wax when applied to a hot chain (i.e. just after a ride) sets and doesn't fling off, i use wd or cdc to clean my chain and i also spray it on my engine, keeps road grime and rain stain from setting on the alloy/paint.

I also tend to lube regularly, it's cheap, and better to do it more than not enough.

Leave the pressure washer in the shed, they're bad news for bikes, especially road bikes, yep, they're made to be ridden in the rain but a regular hose is fine with a bucket and sponge, decent quality car wash and chamois. As one of the other guys said, air boxes and bearings can get moisture forced in from a pressure washer but worse than that, electrical plugs/wiring can also be affected possibly leaving you stranded somewhere.

Mr Sheen and Windex are probably ok (dishwashing liquid is not! contains caustic soda) but i prefer quality automotive products, meguiars car wash,  final inspection, and wax, cleaner wax is excellent, all engineered for paint work, not furniture, just depends on how fussy you want to get i suppose.

good luck, ride safe.

paul.

Is the chain wax in a can. Or some kind of a wax stick

I agree with Loony888, leave the pressure washer in the shed, gentle hand washing is enough. I use the Shell Advance Chain Ultra lubricant once a week after a ride, a paddock stand is very handy when applying.  I also clean the wheels and check tyre pressures while I'm at it.

Chain wax in an aerosol, applied to a hot chain it sets waxy and doesn't fling off, maxima is good, so is torco, at least they're what i try to use

yep do as paul said and u wont go far except for windex is a no no on anything plastic based as for your seat meguirs vinvy and platic restorer is great and not slippery and cleans the grime of well and as for your chain  i wax mine after every ride and there will be lots saying thats bullshit but i never have to adjust my any where near as much about twice a year cheers bazz

Hey Darkhorse, there's a staggering array of "this is the best chain lube ever" opinions out there, and for for the most part they're all correct. Favoured brands and application intervals all born out of personal experience which is what you'll develop over time yourself. However, that said, I use Belray Super Clean chain lube. It's a wax style lube, applied to a warm chain for best results and states that it is categorically 'Non fling'. They're not lying. After 12 months and 5000km of using it at 500 km intervals there is not one drip, dag or speck of chain lube that has been found anywhere on my bike other than the chain. I haven't needed to adjust the chain tension in that time either, but in all fairness I shouldn't have after only 5000k's.
In terms of cleaning old chain lube off, Kerosene is the hot ticket, low odour if you want. Use a small paint brush to apply and aggitate the old lube off. Kerosene is a hydrocaron and if left long enough will just evaporate and leave next to no residue except maybe traces of the old chain lube. My tip for a great clean to remove the kerosene/chain lube residue is by using a simple laundry pre-wash spray like Preen or Friend and then just use a low pressure garden hose to get rid of the lot, trust me it'll be absolutely spotless and neither the kero or the pre-wash is harmful to painted or plated finishes. Follow up with a general soap and sponge wash to get rid of bugs and road grime and you should have a sparkling clean bike. I've been using this cleaning regimen for 30+ years and I'm fussy to the point of being OCD. Have fun.......... [thumbsup]

Don't forget to take your front sprocket gaurd of every so often.
Its amazing how much chain lube and dirt and crud build up there.
One of my track day friends had an off due to a big blob that had built up under there finally flung off
directly onto his rear wheel  :P
I did mine last week and was amazed how much had built up in six months.


I am adding this to the likely list of reasons a certain Tri colour owner crashed recently , as we all know
how filthy he let his bike get once he had Brian's concourse trophy in his hands  [cheeky]

Don't use Windex glass cleaner on plastic. Windex All Surfaces cleaner is the one to use on areas for a quick clean like wheel grime and wiping down tank, screen, etc. I don't use it on vinyl as a treatment, but it does clean well. Glass cleaner only for glass.
I've tried many chain lubes and only a few brands of waxes didn't fling off, some which were mentioned like Bel Ray which I now use. You gotta wipe off the excess after its absorbed into the links with most lubes to be sure. The one that flung off the most was Shell chain oil. I use it as an all purpose lube for hard to get spots, but not on the chain. It's not a wax, the wax version mentioned I'm sure is better.