What chain & lube

[fredvance]

I am running a stock wheelbase Hayabusa, hopefully I will be running 200 to 210 this year, I am looking for suggestions for what chain to run, o ring or non o ring, and what lube to run.

[John Noonan]

Fred,

Get a 520 chain and sprockets, make sure the chain is not an o-ring chain.

Clean off the factory lube and re-lube it with the lightest weight oil you can find and service the chain right after each run.

When you lube the chain do it from the inside towards the outside to make sure to coat the rollers, pins and plates.

Others will have similar methods, some like to clean the chain in kerosene, WD-40, chain wax etc..

Run the 520 chain however..

PS, I have a fender for you as well.

J

[mtkawboy]

I know this doesnt apply to landracing but Ive seen big horsepower bikes pick up 10-15 HP on a dyno shootout with a spray job with WD40. Obviously {?} this wouldnt work for long durations, just thought Id mention it. I know John Noonan is no stranger to them

[Glen]

But, never borrow any oil from Joe Amo. but thats another story.

[John Noonan]

But, never borrow any oil from Joe Amo. but thats another story.

Glen,

You can borrow oil from Amo just don't ask for any Gatorade..

J

[fredvance]

Thanks John, that was everything I wanted to know.

I bet chain oil doesnt taste much like Gatorade!!

Let me know what I owe you for the fender and shipping.

          Fred

[1194]

WD-40 after every run................................................

[fredvance]

Makes sense to me, I used chain wax last year, my chain was history at the end of the week .

[Blue]

I am running a stock wheelbase Hayabusa, hopefully I will be running 200 to 210 this year, I am looking for suggestions for what chain to run, o ring or non o ring, and what lube to run.

JN has it right for all of the right reasons.  The lightest chain that can carry the torque will have the lowest weight, therefore the lowest HP loss from running round the sprockets and tensioning up as it tries to make a circle out of the straight pull.  Oiling every run keeps the salt out.  Last, o-rings have friction that non-o-ring chains don't and lighter oil, again, has the lowest power loss.

JM<HO, cleaning with kerosene sounds fine but I think we need an actual oil to prevent salt intrusion during a run.

[maj]

We had no end of probs with a middle of the range non o ring chain last year, adjusting every run , loosing clips even when siliconed on and wire tied...and stopping early as we figured it was getting dangerous, replaced it for WOS with a good non o ring and it was much better , a very liquid pressure pack oil helped too, the drying types don't seem to get into the links and pins properly
This year will be using a o ring chain, rivetted not clipped, lubed every run with a good quality oil and hopefully not having problems we don't need..

[sabat]

I'm sure I'm giving up power by using a 525 chain, and an o-ring one to boot, but it's held up very well for a year plus at Maxton and one trip to Bonneville. I expected to toss the chain after going to the salt, but surprisingly it is fine. EK ZVX2. I took good care of it at the race and since. I read a post from Kent recently that an o-ring chain was more likely than a non to survive at the salt.

[wobblywalrus]

We find that using a lighter penetrating chain lube often works better than using a thicker lube occasionally.  After each run while the chain is warm works best.  My preference is the old style chain lube that is thinner, penetrates better, and has less drag. 

I had a lot of problems with the new style chain sprays.  The new generation lubes are designed to stay where they are sprayed and it is hard to get full coverage of the chain.  A fellow showed me this trick.  He put a plastic bag on his hand and he cradled a section of the chain.  He sprayed the lube into the cradle and it pooled around the chain.  Lots of penetration and coverage.  He lubed the chain a few inches at a time until it was completely covered.  I use this method on my street bike chains in Oregon with the new style lubes because it is wet a lot, and it works good.  At Bonneville, however, I use the old style thinner viscosity lube.
   

[manta22]

This may be a dopey suggestion but I'm no bike guy--

Why not vacuum impregnate the chain with lube? Put the chain in a can, add your lube, put on a tight lid and connect a fitting to a vacuum source. The vacuum pulls all the air out of the nooks & crannies in the chain (bubbles) and when the vacuum is released the lube if forced into all parts of the chain by atmospheric pressure.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ