Is chain maintenance part of your routine motorcycle service interval? If not, it certainly should be. The chain is essential to your bike’s performance and your safety in the saddle. What should you know about chain maintenance? What type of chain does your motorcycle have, and how do you know when it’s time to clean, lubricate, adjust, or replace it? As your motorcycle service partner, we’re here with those answers.
What Does a Chain Do?
The drivetrain is a complex system with many components, but none more important than the chain. The engine sends power through the gearbox to the front sprocket of the drivetrain. With the chain connecting the front and rear sprocket, the front sprocket pulls the chain and causes the rear sprocket to turn. This movement causes the wheel connected to the rear sprocket to rotate, propelling your bike forward.
Chain Types
For decades, most motorcycles relied on unsealed or standard roller chains because they’re more affordable to manufacture. The unsealed chain is like what you see on a bicycle, with simple metal links and plain bearings. Straightforward by design and easy on the budget, the chain does its job, but it’s prone to excessive wear and tear. Because of this, an unsealed chain requires frequent adjustments, cleaning, lubrication, and replacement.
Fortunately, most modern motorcycles have sealed chains. Introduced in the late 1970s, sealed chains revolutionized the motorcycle landscape by reducing the time spent on chain maintenance. As the name suggests, this type of chain has rubber seals between the plates and links. The design keeps dirt and water out while sealing grease inside to keep the chain lubricated and extend its longevity.
The rising popularity of sealed chains has inspired new and better alternatives. Riders looking for a chain suited for all-around performance and durability often turn to X-ring chains. Designed for extreme conditions, from rough terrain to heavier bikes like touring or adventure motorcycles, an X-ring ring chain has a tighter seal that offers several benefits. The unique design effectively distributes the grease, lubricating the chain more evenly and reducing wear and tear. The only caveat to this type of chain is that they’re usually more expensive, a cost often recouped by the chain’s longer lifespan and heightened performance.
Chain Impact
The chain plays an essential role in your bike’s performance, but what else does it impact? Why is making chain maintenance part of your motorcycle service interval schedule critical? The chain plays a role in your bike’s fuel efficiency and the engine’s torque and horsepower. For example, a heavy chain or improperly lubricated chain must work harder. This increased effort forces the engine to burn more fuel, causing your bike’s fuel economy to diminish. Likewise, a chain that doesn’t have the right amount of tension and is too loose directly impacts the engine’s output, leading to power and torque loss.
Chain Maintenance: From Inspecting to Replacing
Chain maintenance should be part of your motorcycle service schedule because of its critical role in your safety and your bike’s performance. But what does chain maintenance entail? It starts with a straightforward visual inspection and stretches to cleaning, lubricating, adjusting, and replacing as needed.
Inspecting
Before donning your helmet and climbing in the saddle, start every ride by inspecting the chain. This visual inspection is straightforward, requires no special tools, and can proactively impact your safety. Check the chain’s position, noting if it’s getting loose. Also, look for obvious issues that can affect the chain's performance, like damage, rust, and grime. Ensure the chain is straight and no links are binding up at unusual angles. These issues signify it’s time to clean, lubricate, adjust, or even replace the chain entirely.
Cleaning
Whether your motorcycle has a sealed or unsealed chain, it’s essential to keep the chain as clean as possible. Riding exposes the chain to the elements, but regular cleaning can extend the chain’s longevity and mitigate the potential for performance issues. Fortunately, cleaning the chain is easy, especially if your bike has a center stand. This position makes it possible to spin the bike’s rear wheel and the chain, letting you scrub and clean the entire chain without the backbreaking work of using a kickstand and maneuvering your bike in various positions until the chain is fully cleaned.
Lubricating
If your bike has a center stand, it will certainly come in handy again when the chain is dry and ready for lubricant. With the bike on the center stand, rotate the rear tire and spray the lubricant slowly, ensuring every part of the chain is coated before wiping away any excess. This final wipe-down is often missed or treated as an afterthought, but it’s essential and can reduce the amount of dirt and dust absorbed by the excess lube around the chain.
Adjusting
Extending the life of your chain and optimizing its performance typically requires getting up close and personal with this part of your bike. Your pre-ride inspection should include evaluating the tension in the chain and its wiggle room or how much it moves from side to side. Is it too loose or too tight?
Adjusting the chain is straightforward, with riders either turning to our technicians or tackling the project themselves. In either instance, the chain should be fully inspected, especially the master link where the ends of the chain come together. Before any adjustment, inspect this link for damage and assess the sprockets. Adjusting is straightforward if you don’t see any signs of damage or sharp teeth on the fins. The ideal drive chain slack is outlined in your bike’s owner’s manual, along with the steps to make the necessary adjustments.
Replacing
Motorcycle chains and sprockets aren’t designed to last forever, even if cleaned, lubricated, and adjusted frequently. Eventually, these components wear out and need to be replaced. They’re designed for extreme wear and tear, so replacing these components isn’t an indication of poor motorcycle maintenance but a routine part of riding.
Fortunately, replacing the chain and sprockets is straightforward. Your owner’s manual outlines the manufacturer’s recommendations on replacement, but the job is even easier when you turn to experts like our service technicians. We can replace the chain or offer insight and tips if you prefer to tackle the job yourself. You can also rely on our parts department to have replacement parts on hand and ready for installation.
Getting the Most from Every Ride
It’s easy to be blinded by the excitement of the next ride and climb in the saddle without giving a second thought to a pre-ride checklist. However, we encourage our riders to pause and evaluate essential components like the chain. Your bike’s chain is critical to its performance but, more importantly, to your safety behind the handlebars. Why not take a second to inspect it before every ride?
As your service partner, we’re here to remind you about the chain maintenance and the significant value of creating a motorcycle service interval. We want you to get the most from every ride, whether your daily commute or an epic adventure across state lines. Either way, every adventure starts with an astute awareness of your bike’s condition, especially critical components like the chain.
