chain noise

[80GS750]

i can hear my chain going around when im doing under 40 mph... once i speed up the exhaust and engine are loud enough to over ride any other noises

is it normal to hear your chain? its not loud. dont get me wrong, but this is my first bike and all and i just want to be safe.. the chain sat for like 4 years or so... i know when i got it rolling at first it had a link that looked froze up....

its supposed to be a sealed chain, can i oil it somehow? maybe put a little bearing grease on it here and there?

i have it adjusted correctly, theres about 1/2 inch of play in it if you kick it with your foot....

any input is appreciated guys.. if this sounds like normal chain behavior then i will have one less thing to worry about..

im gonna replace it next spring probably.. just for good measure...

[Greg O.]

Yes it is normal to hear the chain. It probably has a 630 chain which is a pretty big chain, and is a little noisy. Some people replace them with a 530 or 520 chain and sprockets. I would check the chain and sprockets to for wear. When buying a new chain, buy new sprockets as well. The chain will last longer. Also don't' waist your money and buy a cheap chain. I did that once and it wore out in one year, 5000 miles. A good O ring chain will last 20,000 miles or better.

Greg O

[80GS750]

ive got 20k on the bike right now... and the sprockets look like they are fairly new... not any wear at all....

so maybe it got a new chain and sprockets before it was parked some time ago?


does anyone know how i would measure the chain to see if its stretched at all? how many links in so many inches?

[Billyboy]

Pull on the rearmost link on the rear sprocket. (Half way up and down). If you get a half inch, (and the chain tension is not too tight) the chain and sprockets are likely hooped.

[Greg O.]

I would get a can of wd40 and spray the heck out of the the chain. This will clean the grit off the chain, then let the wd 40 evaporate and apply a good chain lube. If you look on the sides of the rollers you will see the rubber o rings if indeed it is an o ring chain. I am pretty sure original equipment was o ring chain, at least that is what my owners manual says.

Greg O.

[80GS750]

sweet, i will get her lubed up good then, and get a good measurement to see if shes too worn out

[Roland]

Chain Noise

If your certain your chain is not worn or stretched then you're good to go just give it a good cleaning and a good lubrication and you're good to go.

If the bike has set for that long and you have had stuck link then at a minimum you should remove the chain and soak it in a good degreaser followed by a good lube job.

I was in the same boat when I picked up my bike which had been garaged for just over 6 years. I road it for a few hundred miles and didn't like the stiffness of the chain.

I used half a gallon of gas in a 5 gallon bucket to rinse the old dried grease and dirt out. I was quite amazed how much sandy grit came off by just sloshing the chain back and forth in the bucket of gas. Many people use diesel or kerosene as a cleaner and as they are thicker and less penetrating and are the recommended methods for regular cleaning. One item to never use for cleaning and lubricating though is WD-40. This is a big no-no. I will explain at the end.

The recommended chain cleaning is to do it about every 2 to 3 fuel fill ups followed by a good lubrication. This is because the chain is exposed to the same road grime that is on the underside of your fender. Just take a look under your front fender to see what I am referring to.

I admit I probably don't clean mine as often as I should and as such it is now time for me to replace it now that I have put about 4k on it.

Here is a whole slew of lubricants to choose from

I like the waxy lubes myself. I think it quiets the chain noise a little more than the rest.

Now for the WD-40 it is a no-no as it was designed as a penetrating oil and as such it penetrates the smaller crevices and breaks down the petroleum portion of the lube. While this sounds like a good thing the negatives are that it doesn't evaporate away like the other degreasers and as such some will remain behind and break down the petroleum of your freshly applied lubricant. Secondly it does a poor job at cleaning as it leaves a lot of the minute gritty grime behind which acts like a fine sand paper on the bearing shafts and cogs. Finally WD-40 is hell on rubber Check out the very bottom of this article BikeWorld Reviewsthe section labeled UPDATE: WD-40 and Motorcycle Chains written by an aircraft mechanic. Check out the picture of the bearing and raceway at the bottom of the article.

[81gs750bagger]

luge it with chain lube the old 630 chains don't have orings

[Roland]

Chain Cleaning and lube

I forgot one very important safety tip.

For god sake and your own do not let any of the degreaser or lubricant get on your tire surfaces or brakes.Sorry I have to put that safety tip in there.

When I do mine, I remove it from the bike and do it off the bike. Although this may take a bit more time, it allows me to do a much more thorough and in my opinion a better job.

[80GS750]

ok, thanks for the info! ill get her cleaned up and lubed good, she really has a lot of crap on it right now... i bet once she is cleaned and lubed she wont be quite as noisy....

[jimcor]

Don't use gasoline as a chain cleaner, use kerosene. Not only is kerosene the recommended cleaner by most chain manufacturers it's way less dangerous than gasoline.

[chef1366]

I like chain wax for lubing the chain. You can also use it on your cables.

[zuzu]

Like your quote

Pull on the rearmost link on the rear sprocket. (Half way up and down). If you get a half inch, (and the chain tension is not too tight) the chain and sprockets are likely hooped.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

Good Info..

Zuzu

[chuckycheese]

luge it with chain lube the old 630 chains don't have orings

May so....but the 1980 models did. (D.I.D. 630V Vector Supreme sealed "O" ring) It's a really good chain!:-D