Best motorcycle chain lube | 55 tested and why you DO need one!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- What's the best lubricant for my motorcycle chain? While some riders think it could be a scam, and that there's actually no need to use one, we've tested 54 products (and using nothing) for fling, stickiness, O-ring compatibility, ease of cleaning, corrosion protection, wear performance and extreme pressure. We've used a world-leading independent lab, and found out what the average road-rider should REALLY do to keep their chain lasting as long as possible.
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Chapter selection
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Why you DO need to use chain lube
03:09 What type of chain lube; oil, wax or dry?
04:18 Scottoilers and maintenance-free chains
06:26 How these tests were done
07:58 Best value motorcycle chain lube
08:24 Best chain lube for fling
09:02 Best lube for corrosion protection
10:10 Best looking chain lube
10:48 Lube least likely to attract grit
13:50 Best for O-ring safety
14:10 IP239 Four-ball anti-wear testing (LAB SCIENCE!)
16:59 IP239 Four-ball weld testing (extreme-pressure test)
18:52 Best motorcycle chain lube
23:29 Sign-off
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Thanks to Evotech Performance and B&C Express for their help in supplying materials for this test
evotech-performance.com/
www.bandcexpress.co.uk/
All the lubes on test:
• No chain lube
• 80W90 Gear oil EP
• BPC Cog Lube
• Bulldog BDX
• Castrol racing chain lube
• GS27 Dry lube
• GT85
• iPone Careline Xtreme chain lube
• Liqui Moly Chain Lube White
• Maxima Chain Wax
• Morris workshop Pro Chain Lubricant
• Motorex Chain Lube Adventure
• Motorex Racing Chain Lube
• Motorex Road Strong
• Motul C2 chain lube road
• Motul C4 Chain Lube factory line
• Motul C5 Chain Paste
• Muc Off all weather chain lube
• Muc Off wet weather chain lube
• Muc-Off dry weather chain lube
• Oregon Chainsaw oil
• PJ1 Blue
• Pro-GreenMX PTFE Chain Lube
• Profi dry lube
• Putoline Dry Tech
• Putoline DX11
• Putoline Tech Chain
• R&G Dry Chain Lube
• R&G Everyday chain lube
• R&G Wet chain lube
• Renthal chain lube
• Rock Oil chain lube
• S100 Dry Lube chain spray
• S100 white chain spray 2.0
• Scottoil
• Silicone spray
• Silkolene Pro Chain
• Silkolene Titanium dry lube
• Silkoline chain Lube
• Silverhook chain wax/lube
• SportsbikeShop chain lube
• Tech-Cote TC 100 Chain lube (waxy)
• Tech-Cote TC 110 Chain lube (oily)
• Tru-Tension Banaslip Chain Lube
• Tru-Tension Banaslip Chain Wax
• Valvoline Durablend 20W50 semi-synthetic motorcycle engine oil
• Valvoline white synthetic chain lube
• WD40 Chain lube
• WD40 Chain Wax
• White grease (as in spray can)
• Wurth chain wax
• Wurth high performance dry lube
• Wynns clear lube
• XCP Chain Lubricant
• Yamalube chain spray
#Best #Motorcycle #Lube
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Best 25 minutes I have spent this week. I can't even imagine the amount of effort that has gone in to this. Great work!
Thanks SO much! Have a great weekend, cheers, John
What did you do for the other 44 seconds.
@@mikehoskin1674 44 seconds?? bro you need to go back to school.....
@@gavshields83 You need to not respond to comments from a year ago where all context is lost and noone knows what the fuck you're talking about anymore.
Do 80w90 is The smartest choice, ast Fortnine concluded already
Glued to the screen for 24 mins, then remembered Ive got shaft drive... Fabulous test!!.
Ha - brilliant! Thanks very much, cheers, John
Same here! I did have chain before and never really experimented with chain lubes. Always used Motul C2.
And I have a belt drive.
45 years of riding and I have been using sae 80/90 for at least the last 30 years. The secret is teeny, tiny amounts, and not on every link. No fling, no sticky mess around the front sprocket and excellent chain life.
What about a 120 viscous?
How to apply
@@magnumllama400 i apply with a smnall paint brush. I find i can apply to the outside of the chain at the rear then spin by had for 5 min or so to coat the inners and sprockets. Really helps to have a centre stand.
I've found by pure accident ;) A denture brush is the prefect size and shape for oiling your chain :)
80/90 synthetic or mineral?
My grandfather used engine oil to lube the chain , my father is using engine oil, and now i am using engine oil for the chain ... 70 years of using engine oil and for what i have seen and heard , is the best and cheap.
What a huge amount of work, thanks for putting in that effort for us.
Thanks for watching! Cheers, John
I'm biased because I work for Bike Social, but anyway - this stuff is pure gold. John is meticulous and precise, entertaining and fact-tastic. I've bought stuff based on his reviews, and I'll be buying XCP Pro lube based on this. Bravo 👏
Thanks so much Si! Cheers, John
The FEC-king has spoken. I too shall be using XCP. Out of interest Simon, what do you use to clean the chain?
John - absolutely fantastic work, I'd consider this as industry standard testing.
А где IPONE смазка?
Fantastic effort! In my 52 years of riding, and longer for bikes, I've changed/lubed/cleaned more chains than I care to recall, but I'll say this - the best chain maintenance is the one you do - and regularly. Of course your location will determine how often and thorough you should be, but I've used Honda chain cleaner and Honda chain lube for the last 20 years or so.
The chain cleaner is also good for cleaning up after oil changes, etc. as well. Meant to not harm rubber, so it's safe for lots of things that need cleaning.
What some folks don't realize is that not doing so prematurely wears the chain and you'll spend more money replacing it. I can tell which buddies don't do it often as they chains get loose more quickly.
All this stuff is fun and only takes a few minutes. Thanks for the incredible effort on this.
Ride Safe 🙏🏼
Great post. Have been using gear oil for a long time and never had issues. I keep a paint brush in a jar of oil and give the chain a quick brush over after each ride - literally takes seconds and means don’t have to clean the chain very often.
I won’t be buying Motul C2 again ... well-overpriced garbage, according to these tests ...
In my owners handbook Honda recommend using 90 grade gear oil .Fancy chain lubes are there to con bikers that have more money than sense .
@Click Bait Stink or not ,it’s the best stuff for coating chains ,that’s why motorcycle manufactures & all good genuine workshop motorcycle manuals recommend it’s use on final drive chains .
@Click Bait really? Never noticed.
@Click Bait no
Truly amazing. Love these type of reviews. You don't get enough credit for the time and energy you put in John. Great stuff.
Thanks - that's really kind! Cheers, John
Great vid! Very informative and appreciate all the hard work. Ive personally been using the scottoiler for the past 3 years and 40k km in either very hot or very rainy Malaysian weather and my factory fitted chain is still in pretty good condition
Great test, thanks for taking the time on doing it. I've been using Maxima Chain Wax for years, mainly ride on the track with occasional weekend rides, never in the rain.
As a beginner, I used Maxima. But it seemed a bit expensive. I switched to 80-90w gear oil. Yes, it flings off easily. So I've learned to wipe off vigorously. And it's REALLY less expensive.
Yep. Gear oil for the smarter bunch.
Exactly
Did the opposite, used gear oil and and chain lubes, but the amount of time and resources do clean all the oil around the bike was not working for me... Now I use Maxima and love how clean it is all the time
Gear oil is the manufacturer's recommendation for chain. Always was, always will.
Excellent video, thanks for taking the time to produce it. I'll be 'sticking' with Wurth as I have for years, for road and track, really glad it made to to the finals. There's literally no mess but it's good to know it's doing its job after such a thorough test. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching! Cheers, John
The definitive chain lube guide, thanks for all of your work and efforts. It is much appreciated.
Thanks so much - that's really kind! Cheers, John
Awesome video Team, well done! Thanks for taking the time to produce it and sharing it with everyone!! 👍👍
Thanks very much! Cheers, John
Thanks for putting in so much effort 😀
Amazing video as always
Love your style of presentation
For years I used paraffin to clean my chain, and after drying, used hypoid EP90 gear oil. Cheap and lasted well and really kept the chain in tip top condition. No fancy chain lube needed, just an old fashioned oil can and oily rag to remove excess.
I always use a quality DID chain too
Why paraffin to clean and how?
@@magnumllama400it's safe on the o rings, cleans just as well or better than anything else, and is super cheap.
My last cb500x had done 56,000kms, chain and sprokets still in good condition. Just a quick wipe with an oiled rag and then reaply some left over oil. Takes 2 min and costs zero, never really understood why people fork out for expensive chain lube 😮
@@magnumllama400I know this is old but for future visitors who didn't watch the whole video, in the US we call it kerosene. (paraffin = kerosene)
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Been using Maxima on VFR750 since it came to Aus in mid 90s. (Still riding this bike.) Your results are consistent with my experience. I get in excess of 20000km out of a chain. Now using it on Duc V4S - will be interesting to see how it goes wear-wise with the much greater power. One thing I learned: the more frequent, the better. I used to lube every 500km but now I own the Duc I lube after every (most) fuel refills. Seems to help in avoiding stiff links.
Excellent job. Thanks for putting thought and considerable effort into producing this useful content.
Thank you for the very throughout review! The only absolutely minor consideration I would add is that stickiness will unavoidably also affect wear, as mineral crystals (such as quartz) that stick on the chain will have an abrasive effect. Yet thanks to you I know what i am going to use next! :)
The amount of work put into this is colossal!!! Thanks you for another straight to the point fact based video full of statistics to back it and clear graphs while remaining completely unbiased. best of all it’s BRITISH 🇬🇧🍻. Thank you!
Really useful, thanks! Regarding Scottoiler, I've had one on my Blackbird fir 21 years, done 67 thousand miles in all seasons, all weather's and have only just fitted my third chain. That's an average of over 33k per chain on what is a powerful, heavy bike. I'd say it more than paid for itself. Yes, it flings a bit if you forget to turn it down when the weather is warm; but once you get to know it, it's easily manageable.
So much helpful video, I was waiting for such test for a long time, thank you, great job!
Thank you for your dedication and perseverance. This is the most object driven test I've ever seen.
Wow! Just what I need. A lovely Pom with knowledge,and no irritating background racket.
My new Yamaha Grizzly "creaks" just before it stops. I was going mental thinking it was brakes sticking.This is the 4th quad I've owned,and never had this problem,but,we have had a horrid winter with non stop rain,and, heaps of disgusting MUD. Accidentally found your video,and, sat,open mouthed,and felt soooo dumb.
Brilliant,John,absolutely brilliant. Great detail! Thank you sooo much. 1st day of Spring {Southern Hem} for us. Clean up day....Come on Summer! Awrabest,Allison
Maxima chain wax always does well in these lab tests, but I find it’s only worth bothering with in the rainy season. It’s true it doesn’t attract much grime and doesn’t fling off, but it’s a right bugger to clean off and I find as soon as the wax starts drying it noticeably slows your chain’s roll.
For me the main reason I’d expect most people would know that a chain lube works would be that as soon as you live a chain your wheel spins faster lol, but I find that doesn’t happen so much with chain wax. Proponents say it melts at operating speed … I don’t find that when I get home with a hot bike.
It’s bloody good for winterising and faulting in the rain though.
Proper dedication to roll out such a huge test and video. Thank you
Thanks very much! All the best, John
I've been using Silkolene chain lube for years and was happy it performed well in the tests. Your test did highlight that it didn't do well in corrosion resistance which is a concern for me as, my bike lives outside under a cover and that I'm an all weather rider. I will be swapping to XCP chain lube when my current can of Silkolene runs out and was pleasantly surprised that it's actually not that expensive, roughly 50p more for 100ml less.
I have a Scottoiler on my 600 Fazer. Fitted to the bike from new. When i was working it was used as a daily rider covering 1000 miles a month in all weathers. My first chain (OE) lasted 54,000 miles. Its still on its second and showing 74,000+ now. Ive see a lot of negative comments about Scottoilers making a mess but this is usually because owners dont adjust them properly. You do get a bit of fling on the wheel ( no more than a light misting) but this is easy to clean off with some WD40 and a cloth. If you have oil on your tyre its adjusted wrong.
I've recently started using 80W90 after using a variety of other spray can style lubes. I made this change after removing the front sprocket cover as the gunk accumulation kept on flowing down the engine case and side stand. With the 80W90 I'll generously lather the chain with an old toothbrush, let it sit for a while and rotate the wheel. Then I remove any excess with an old oily towel, this leaves the faces of the chain 'dry' but they're slick to the touch. Yes the fling from the rollers is bad, but this is easily cleaned from the wheel after the first ride with some WD40 on a rag. What I find best about the 80W90 gear oil is that it very easy to clean, there is little need for special products to clean the chain. So for the weekend or evening rider, I feel that the basics may just be the best. And lets face it, the majority of us tuck our bikes up in the garage or shed where they get to dry out or will receive a good clean after a wet ride. With the general maintenance that a bike requires, there is very little opportunity for corrosion to take hold?
I totally approve lol
@@dirtygarageguy thanks Matt 🤘
Gear oil's cheap, you know it's going to offer good wear protection, and as you say - it's a doddle to tidy up. There is the fling issue, but if you're going to keep on top of cleaning the bike (or just wiping the wheel down) it shouldn't be a concern. Of course, getting thrown clear reduces its corrosion protection, but if you don't mind reapplying it regularly (it's not that much of a chore), it works. Cheers, John
No need for cleaning your chain when you use gear oil and just take the 5 minutes to apply, brush, and wipe. Chain looks great, rollers get the high pressure wear protection and it’s dirt cheap. Also while it does fling, it doesn’t make a sticky mess and wipes easy while offering some rust protection on the parts that got coated by it. ;).
Keep it simple. Gear oil!
PS. I use a small 1” wide paint brush to apply and scrub the chain which works well and is gentle on the seals.
Why use wd40 to clean? Shouldn't you use soap or alcohol?
Top work on an important topic. Logically & coherently presented. Much appreciated.
I had a Scottoiler with the magnum tank on my 600 Bandit and in the three years I had it with a new chain (fitted very soon after purchase) I think I had to adjust the chain a total of 5 times over a total distance of roughly 20.000 miles ridden. They work amazingly well!
I love tests like this, well done. After using 6 different aerosol chain lubes I found Wurth High Performance. Road grit doesn't stick and it's good on dry Summer roads, not as good in Winter which I suspect is why Wurth also produce a chain wax.
My favourite for the last 4 years is EP 90 gear oil which, contrary to your results, doesn't fling when used sparingly in the places it needs to be with as much residue wiped off as possible with a rag. I then use the oily rag to coat the outside links for rust protection. For cleaning....paraffin.
Great video!
I use 80W90 gear oil on semi auto lubricating system. It can make a bit mess if over applied, but after setup properly its for me the best option.
Thanks for all the hard work you put into this test and video, it is appreciated John 👍
Very welcome... thanks! John
Outstanding job!! As an Engineer Geek it made total sense and was just what I would look for in a comparison test. Keep it up!!
Thanks for this. I've used 80w90 gear oil to lubricate first an O-ring chain and more recently a high-quality non-ring chain on my CG125. For £5/litre that lasted me nearly 5yrs of daily commuting. Can't argue with that value, however good the others are.
Yeah gearoil is king
Sincere congratulations for such an epic effort! I use Wurth High Performance Dry for many years. No problem with wear or rust (then again I live in Greece where there is not a lot of humidity). The best thing about it is that it does not fling at all!!
Thanks very much! Cheers, John
Thank you so much for doing this, your enthusiasm and knowledge makes all these type of presentations both interesting and enjoyable to watch.
Thanks - that's really kind! Cheers, John
Mega video John , excellent work from you and all the contributors. Love it !
Thanks very much! Cheers, John
Heh, I think I will stick with my Scottoiler system then. One refill bottle lasts thousands of miles, and also reduces the chain adjustments to almost zero. Thanks for your hard work and the amount of effort you put in to these tests, John!
I like the Scott Oilers but have gone through two new bottles due to seals in the past 3 years,. My original lasted 8 years,.?,.?
@Matt Perry Thanks very much! Cheers, John
I also use a Scottoiler and agree with what you say.
Agree. I have a Toturo auto oiler on my V-Strom 1050XT and the chain almost never needs adjusting.
Have you tried a Tutoro oiler? Cheap, simple and effective.@@seankirk333
Outstanding work, thank you. Personally, I paint gear gear oil onto my chain with a one inch paintbrush, after cleaning it off with kerosene and drying it. For me, it's the best balance of protection vs. effort, and I get an up-close inspection of the chain as a bonus.
Used Motul Factory Line chain lube for a long time. Got tired of all the pasty stuff clogged on the chain and on the wheel so I switched to gear oil a few months ago. Very happy with it so far.
What a brilliant, brilliant video! Can't thank you enough! Very hard work. I really appreciate it and I think everyone else who has seen this video does so. Fantastic work!
Thanks so much - that's really kind! Cheers, John
Thanks for the hard work that you put in making this video and all these tests. After a lot of consideration I will be staying with the shaft drive. Altough chain drive has its advantages, shaft drive is much more convenient and hassle free. And before anyone says anything, they have become really reliable and problem free in the last years. If only they could make an enclosed chain drive that would be perfect
Actually they CAN make enclosed chain drives, a lot of British bikes used to have them in the 1950s and early 1960s (especially 'workhorse' models) but they didn't always fit well so many owners would take them off and fit a chain guard for more of a 'sporty' look, so many in fact that basically the manufacturers just stopped fitting them..
However, I can guarantee that if they're a good design and fitted properly they really do work, I had a MZ ETZ 250 that I bought brand new in 1989, I rode it to work all year round and in all weathers for five years or so, the chain enclosure on it was actually very effective, it was a brilliant design that sealed up perfectly so no water or grit ever got in. I never cleaned the chain, I lubed it about once a year and I probably adjusted it only two or three times, although that may have been due to the lack of power it was transmitting to the back wheel !! - When I did eventually sell the MZ it still had the factory fitted chain and sprockets (which, being East German, probably weren't the best in the first place..) and they were still in perfectly serviceable condition.. Why ADV manufacturers have never looked into an updated version of that MZ system I don't know..
Couldn’t agree more I often wonder why bike manufacturers don’t fit enclosed chain guards on more budget commuter style bikes, probably because of looks and extra expense as it’s a lot cheaper to just stick a useless piece of plastic over the top of the chain, I owned 3 Honda cg 125s in the 1970s and 80s and used them as a all year round commuter and workhorse they were fitted with a totally enclosed chain cover and I hardly ever had to touch the chain apart from removing the grommet ever now and again to spray the chain which never got any road crud on it and you certainly never had to worry about any oil splatter practically maintenance free…job sorted 👍
Still using Wurth Dry lube. Quick and easy to apply. No fling. Chain appears to last.
I've been using the Wurth dry lube for a couple of years now. I find it lubricates well and doesn't make any mess on the rear wheel. What I have found is that over winter though it's not good for corrosion resistance. So I think I'm going to use it in the warmer months and use a better corrosion resistant lube when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Invaluable info. Great job John.
An extremely informative video, John. Many thanks. I use a Scottoiler E system and it works a treat with virtually no fling (set on the default 60 second per drop sequence) and a well lubed and clean chain. Expensive but so good.
Brilliant, thanks! Cheers, John
What lube in it?
Great effort, interesting outcome.
I've been applying gear oil first with a sewing machine oiler, then overspray with Wurth chain wax for the last 30 years, my chains have always lasted beyond 15k without any issues what-so-ever. I tend not to run them much more than that, but my chosen method works well for me.
I do the same, gear oil then spray (I use maxima) in my head it seems like it'd "seal" the oil to the chain
Your chains would have lasted 15k if you'd just keep them clean and adjusted.
For someone who rides in the Scottish Highlands all the time, where grit and salt remain on the roads well into the summer months, this is such a helpful test. I've been using XCP Professional for 3yrs now and haven't tried other lubes - so it's good to see XCP gets a decent rating. No matter how much attention I give to a chain, they always end up looking shabby after 500 miles. The EOM fasteners take a real beating too, despite a frequent ACF-50 treatment. I'm gradually replacing them with pro-bolt titanium fasteners.
10/10 for effort and dedication, John. Thank you.
Don't forget to give XCP Rust Blocker or XCP Rust Blocker CLEAR COAT a go ;-) Check out John's previous work th-cam.com/video/wBgF07I7TQM/w-d-xo.html
@@xcpprofessional9548 I use XCP Rust Blocker on the underside of the pickup and the tow bar, which are both areas that suffer badly from rust. Not sure I'd use it on the bike, because it's very thick. I'll give your clear coat product a try though. Thanks.
@@officialslowey Pop in and see us the next time you're passing Dunbar!
compliments for enduring this heavy workload! very informative!
Great video. Paraffine for cleaning + gear oil for lubbing = good and cheap. Only downside (maybe) is you have to do it more frequent. I personally do it once every week or two depending on how much i ride and the weather. CBR125R
Paraffin to clean how and where do you get it?
Turns out, paraffin (kerosine) is actually a bad plan. Fortnine tested it - it seeps past the O-rings and can therefore dilute the grease present in the sealed chain.
I used to do it too, i did not expect it to make it past the O-rings even if it doesn't attack the material itself. But i'm gonna go for actual chain cleaner now.
Brilliant John!
I'll be sticking to gear oil, works well for me, easy to wipe down any fling and a litre lasts ages.
Great video. Thanks so much! I’ve used Maxima Chain Wax for years, and was pleased to see that it’s a viable option to continue using!
This is the type of content that our community needs! Props to you sir! I started with Motul C4, moved to Motorex Racing, but after this test I'll try the Maxima as fling is what I hate the most! Aside from that, I clean and lubricate my chain in 150-250km intervals and I have no complain from Motul or Motorex, aside from the fling, which, in my golden rims just don't look good.
Thanks so much! Cheers, John
Nice work, and a much better O ring penetration test than F9, I'll be continuing to use paraffin to clean my chain. I tried a bunch of these (through a summer) and found Wurth Dry Lube to work the best on my 400mile per week commute. Sadly it was awful in the winter, too sticky after repeated rain riding and the resulting grinding paste did for my DID in no time. In the end I resorted to the Tutoro Chain Oiler, and I'm so glad I did. So much easier to fit than a Scotoiler and no fussy controls cluttering your bars either, would highly recommend to any high mileage bikers. But for the weather averse weekend warriors it's probably overkill, just stick to an application of gear oil and a quick wipe when you get home!
Brilliant, thanks! All the best, John
Can"t imagine having a chain now. Had them on my first few fun bikes, but doing 400 km's a week these days ( 250 miles home-work-home) I have a Honda with a Shaft-drive. Seeing videos like this make me wonder: would I really do the maintance once to twice a week?? Every saturday a half hour chain cleaning/lubing while I have a million other things to do in the weekend. But its hard to find a decent (and reasonable priced) bike today with a shaft drive.
Tried a lot of lubes but ultimately went back to SAE 90 gear oil. The trick is not to overapply.
same here, used all sorts of sprays, went back to SAE 80W90 gear oil. As you said, tiny amounts, wipe good and there really is hardly any fling on rim or whatnot. Gear oil is cheap and it's been the best i tried out.
@@MissMan666hello, question 80/90 syntethic or mineral?
I find the constantly great results of S100 in practically any test you make really impressive. That is why I really trust them for their complete lineup. Great test. Unbelievable effort. These reviews are the reason I keep my subscription going. Thank you so much.
Thanks very much! Cheers, John
Greetings from Pennsylvania Sir, and fabulous video. I have a multitude of street bikes that I ride regularly. Six are belt drive and my 1050XT and 650XT V-stroms are chain, of course. Have only ever used either straight 90W gear lube in small judicious quantities, or Maxima chain wax. The gear lube trick works surprisingly well for 500 miles or so and very easy to clean off the slop when washing the bike. The Maxima has always seemed to have been the best. Glad to see that you think the Maxima is great stuff. Makes me feel like all my chain maintenance efforts have been worth it.
Wait a second! You do this on your free time?! I thought this was your day job. Outstanding!
As for the lubricants, since I use Motorex Adventure in the Summer, and Racing, in the Winter, and they performed pretty well, I'll stick (see what I did here?) with them.
Not all of it - I've been working on this video for a few days this week, and bulk parts of the test were done in 'office hours', but these kinds of things are so involved I have to fit them around the 'normal' work or they take over, and I don't want the people I work with thinking all I do is play around in the shed! Cheers, John
@@bennettsbikesocial [Edited] I understand. Once again, thank you very much!
I’ve been using Maxima Chain Wax in Australia and my chain always looks great! And their SC1 product is my favourite for keeping rest of the bike looking new 👍
Me too with the Maxima Chain Wax. Need to let it set before riding, but it works really well.
After watching this interesting video, I'm going back to Maxima Chain Wax. I was relieved it scored well, because it is one of the few brands in the video that is widely available at motorcycle shops here in the US (not including generic stuff like gear oil of course).
I use exactly the same. I also highly regard the SC1 spray for keeping plastic like new.
i dont know how to feel about maxima chain wax personally as it still gets quite dirty only its a pain in the ass to clean off plus the rollers get a bit sticky and don't readily roll lol which doesn't quite feel right. Resists water though
Excellent video! Thanks for taking time to do all of this work!
Thanks very much for watching! Cheers, John
Amazingly thorough test. Very helpful & I think it's fair to say you've definitely done a proper job!
Thanks very much! Have a great weekend, cheers, John
@@bennettsbikesocial Cheers, likewise.
I recently switched to paraffin and gear oil. I don't mind doing it weekly as the price is so cheap, I dislike the goo build up with branded chain lube.
I did that change too. I clean my chain quite often anyway and I find the gear oil easier to wash off than other dedicated chain lubes
Isn’t there too buildup with gear oil? I feel like that would fling all over your bike
Not sure if anyone noted this, but the weakness of MOST gear oils? They SCHSTINK! The smell in the garage can be a bit much. Sulfur EP has an aroma. For me I favor a more sticky lube winter/wet and a non-tacky lube summer months. Cool that you tested so many, OTOH missed several from the USA side of the pond.
Great test. I use ATF MB236.2 just because I had a bottle of it laying around. It's used in the Mercedes 5spd manual gearbox 717.4. ATF fluid has usually also some components that keep rubber pliable. In my book the best of both worlds, a gear oil with the benefit of ATF.
Excellent video, thanks for the huge amount of work you put in to this! I've had Scottoilers on previous bikes and have tried all sorts of spray lubes. Scottoilers are OK, but I find them temperamental and fiddly to adjust - too much fling or too dry a chain. Just when you think you've sussed it, a change in seasons affects the flow rate and you have to start all over again! I also don't like messing about with my bikes vacuum system, especially on a new bike under warranty. I've just fitted a Loobman oiler on my new Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro. It works a treat, was cheap to buy and easy to fit. UK made too. It uses engine oil and is manually operated. I open the valve for 10 seconds every timd I fuel my bike (about 230 miles). The chain is always slightly wet with lube, but my rear wheel never gets too messy. It works really well.
Thanks very much. Sorry I didn't mention this one, but it sounds a good way of getting some lube on for each ride. Cheers, John
Scottoiler: My v-strom 1000 chain went 25K (all weathers) before I got bored and replaced it anyway, who knows how much longer it might have gone ;-) I prefer the total loss systems, as any chain lube is better than no chain lube.
Ha! I love the idea of getting bored with the chain! Nice one... cheers, John
@@bennettsbikesocial well, it was lockdown ;-)
My bike’s manufacturer recommends I oil my chain every 200 miles. This was very helpful and some of the results were very unexpected.
Cheers! John
I am new to the biking world and have just come to this vid from FortNine - I thought those vids were detailed - WOW! You have clearly put so much time and effort into this. I love data and knowing the science behind the why, this is amazing thank you so much for this!
Thanks! We don't sell any products, or have any vested interest in how they do, so we're completely independent. Cheers, John
Enjoyed all your work. Thanks keep up the good work. Very few people are so through.
I commend you for the effort you put into this. I’d love to see tests that actually use chains put through a variety of conditions but that would be 100X more work and more expense that you invested. I used to use gear oil, but got tired of the mess. I am now trying plain old WD40 based mainly on the results a fellow KLR650 owner obtained in real world use. Unfortunately, the link I had to his results is no longer valid and I can’t find his results, but he go something like 30,000 miles on a chain cleared and “lubed” only with WD-40. I put lube in quotes as WD-40 is not really a lubricant. Thankfully, my street bike, a K1200LT has no chain to maintain. 😁
For the money he wasted on the WD-40, he could've just cleaned the chain with diesel fuel and replaced it sooner.
I'll be using 80/90 gear lube. It performed the best on the tests that matter to me. I use it sparingly on a brush and see very little fling of. I don't care much about sand and corrosion resistance because I live in a dry US state. If I rode off road or rode my bike through the surf I'd feel differently. I think each user has to evaluate their local riding conditions and weigh the results accordingly.
Exactly! The 'group' tests and reviews I do are all intended to help people choose what's best for them. All the best, John
Just to say I signed up to bike social just off the back of these TH-cam videos and exclusively used all the content to up my knowledge in the biker world. Never rode a bike in my life and decided to do a CBT and buy a new bike. It's amazing and the learning curve is incredible. What a great video!
That's fantastic, thanks so much! Enjoy yourself, and keep in touch! Cheers, John
What a GREAT video.....Awesome job and thank you so much for your time and effort! "Hay" from CANADA!
--Maxima Chain Wax user for years...
Top notch video... Thanks a lot for very valuable information! I used a handful of the products tested here, and my favorites are Wurth Dry Lube and XCP chain lube and for winter Wurth Wax or WD40 Chain Wax. However XCP flings a lot, Dry lube looks insufficient and Wax looks a bit messy on the chain.... 🤔 so I take there are No perfect one! 😒 🤣
XCP doesn't fling a lot - you just don't need to put too much on. It certainly flings a hell of a lot less than gear oil! Cheers, John
@@bennettsbikesocial That's what I'll try to do from now on, thanks for your advice John.
I’ve always used Maxima and paraffin. I’ve tried Motul (very smooth and nice gear changes, hates rain) and SDoc (meh!) along with a few others, I always go back to Maxima.
Same with me, works great!
My chains last forever, I have a motorcycle from 2005, done 145,000 miles (230,000 klm) and I have changed chain three times. Using the bike all year with all weather and go from UK to Italy every year for the last 11 eleven years. So it involves city riding, motorway riding, country roads, dry, wet, hot and cold, everything. I apply gear oil with a brush, I don't mind the mess it causes. I used spray for a while, what I don't like about these is that they are not visible, I don't know if the chain is still lubricated after rain.
Because here is the secret fellas, after every rain riding you need to apply gear oil, it washes off with rain. It is pain in the ass but man up and just do it after every rain either you like it or not. It's common in my travels that it rains, I stop to lube the chain, after two hours I get into rain again and have to stop to lube again with the brush. You need the stop anyway for stretching... It involves some swearing but it is what it is. The main enemy is WEATHER. Components inside the engine like cam chain, oil pump chain never need replacement, because they are protected from weather constantly lubed.
Recently I started to use the Motul paste when travelling, with high speed on motorway is better to use something pastey like this as it doesn't fling easily. Thus using gear oil in the city (most of the time) and the paste on motorway. I use the brush of the paste tube so I don't have to carry an extra brush ;-) Gear oil in a mini 100ml container that closes securely and also in a zip bag, you just need a few drops on the brush.
However I admit I am getting fed up (and older) with applying oil after every rain so I am about to make my own auto lube system inspired by Scottoiler.
I knew nothing about quality of chain lubes , until now, thank you brilliant content, keep the testing coming, 5⭐️.
I used the MAxima chain wax based on another review I saw a while ago. My chain rusted quite a bit in as little as a week. Maybe I had a bad batch. I now use S100 or gear oil, whatever I happen to have.
Sidenote; Most expensive lube I ever used was Castrol chain lube for O rings. My chain and sprockets where brown from rust after 2 days. Never again.
In Ryan's video the Maxima fails quite badly in the splatter and grit test (meaning it flings like crazy and sand sticks to it like the proverbial sh** on Velcro). How can your test yield such different results?
good question
I have found maxima to be the only chain lube not the fling itself everywhere
Maybe Ryan didn't let it sit for some time. That would explain the fling and grit stickiness.
Thank you! As another geek, I appreciate the thoroughness of your work. I suspect I'll be watching this a few times, as I find myself doing with most of these videos.
Thanks for watching to the end! Cheers, John
Great effort - I really appreciate this information and the time it took you. Your videos are consistently informative and entertaining…keep up the great work and ride safe!
Thanks very much - that's really good of you! Cheers, John
Car Wow brought me here....huge bike fan myself 🤟🥵
Thanks Leonard, good to see you! How did you enjoy Hicky on the M1000RR vs the F1 car?
@@bennettsbikesocial The m1000rr was awesome.... it would've caught up to the F1 car had the distance been longer 😌
Thanks for the highly objective tests, I have been using Tutoro Chain Oiler system, and once the fine tuning is done, it seems very easy. It leaves the chain slightly shiny all the time. (RE 650 Interceptor}, and it has worked well in the rain as well. No electronic or vacuum controls either. The oil seems the same viscosity as Scott Oiler lube. Before that I was using CRC-Tac 2,and before that ROCOL Chain Spray, both appeared very tacky like honey. No sure of penetration.
Another endorsement for Tutoro. My OE DID chain, Suzuki SV650, is still going strong at 24,000 miles and has only been adjusted a handful of times. As you say, the system is far simpler to install than a Scottoiler as it runs independently of batteries or any other bike parts, triggered by suspension movement which means it stops running when the bike is stationary and doesn't need to be switched on and off. It is also half the price of a Scottoiler.
I have so many different nearly empty cans of lube it’s stupid. Thanks to your efforts I’m going XCP chain lube. I use their product for rust protection already so at least it’ll streamline my can range 😀. Good work well done 👍🏻
Well done, you put so much effort into this
Thanks! Cheers, John
"The hydrogen free, tetrohedral amorphous carbon coating" - tell the truth John - How many takes? Thanks for the video as always.
Ha... actually just one for that (I did script it before). It was the very final line at the end that I kept messing up! Cheers, John
That chain seems good value to me.
This is epic work! Thank you very much 🙏
After years of trying out lubes, here's my 'cake and eat it' formula. Gear oil is the cheapest and best solution for a number of reasons. However, it flings like crazy and makes cleaning a pain. Muc-off all weather chain lube is terrible, ends up behaving like glue and stiffening the chain up, then frequently needs re-applying, and on and so forth, therefore using more of their product and bringing in revenue for them. Also it does fling eventually and boy have you got a mess to clean up then!! So, all you do is mix gear oil and Muc-off all weather together, to make the perfect lube, let it gas off for 24hr or more, then it is applied from an oil can, drop by drop. I then use a small paintbrush to lightly coat the outer plates. Wipe off any surplus and... Job done. This lasts a very long time and cleaning is easy with a cleaner of your choice (i use GT85).
I have experimented with different ratios but i am finding 50:50 has worked well for me.
Amazing effort!! Thanks for doing all the hard work to make our lives easier! Greetings from South Africa.
Thanks very much! All the best, John
Great video! Thanks for your fine work!
John, thank you for such extensive effort in this testing. Having bought a Tracer 9 gt with your reviews being the clincher I’ve use the Yamalube products but..fling, dust attraction and still some signs of corrosion I’m not happy. So I will try one of the test results products instead. 😊
I switched from gear oil to Maxima thanks to this thorough test. I found the gear oil lacking in the corrosion protection as I don't always take care of the chain after each ride. With Maxima I've had no corrosion appear and my behaviour has been consistent as far as I can tell. Price is the only negative, but easier to apply, better corrosion protection, less dirt sticking to the chain are my findings and what I prioritize.
Thanks again for your contribution!!
Brilliant job - Well done and appreciate all the work you put in to put this together.
Thanks for watching! Cheers, John
Thanks for all your effort John. Well worth the wait. Geekiness saluted!
You watched to the end! Thanks! Have a great weekend, cheers, John
It seems that my choice from the early 1980s when I was dispatch riding of a Scottoiler filled with EP90 gear oil and adjusted to just about keep the chain shiny was a pretty good one.
I arrived at it by trial and error, as I was initially going through a chain a week (average, depending on weather) with a range of spray lubes, and ending up, once I had the above setup, at about 6 weeks on each chain (8 chains for the final year), in all cases using a set of sprockets twice, deburring and turning them over between chains (to wear the other side of each tooth). I can't think of anything harder on all maintenance than dispatch riding in all weathers for road motorcycling, and an added bonus with the Scottoiler was that I never had to clean the chain, and only lightly wipe off the fling from other parts - and it did wipe off easily, without any solvent. I just used to turn it up a touch in wet weather and back down again in the dry. As I always did that, I can't say for sure if it made a difference. That was on the old vacuum version. I have no experience with the later electronic one.
Chains were always replaced on the adjuster mark - not sure what percentage of elongation that was, but it was about 5mm of adjustment from the day after fitting (1st day always moved a bit as the initial grease got squeezed around) - 2 notches of the alignment marks on the swingarm ends. Earlier than some would do it, but when you don't know from one weekend (when you get a chance to do maintenance) to the next if the intervening week will bring 5k miles, a good precaution. I was averaging 1,600 miles a week, but there was wide variation in that.
Oh, and the final figure was on a plain chain, the initial figure was on an o-ring chain, which was another saving. Yeah, I may have got twice the distance out of o-ring chain, but the additional cost did not justify it from a business perspective - I always did maintenance at weekends anyway, and a chain swap is no biggie when you are going over the bike anyway. That was a couple of years (92 weeks on the Z650) of experience of just about the harshest road use a chain can realistically be put through, and this testing does largely bear out my experience. That was all (after the first 6 weeks, when I wore out a CB400N) on one Z650, which then got stolen with 148 thousand miles on it - I bet they thought it was only 48k, but it wasn't in bad condition, as I had kept up with maintenance, although the paintwork was a bit scruffy and it had started to need one top-up between oil changes. But sooner or later the threads which you need to use repeatedly for maintenance will wear out, and not all can be helicoiled. So they probably got what they deserved - the police reckoned it was taken to order, as the job was fast and thorough, and it was alarmed. Only a cut right through link in two pieces from the (very) heavy chain was left at the scene. If anyone knows someone who got hold of a suspiciously cheap Z650 about that time, give them a kick in the nuts for me, please. And don't forget the steel toecaps, and don't get caught.
I actually couldn't get hold of a replacement Z650 for a while even after the insurance paid out (too late for my job - an interim cheap CX650 died far too fast and left me bikeless, and no, it wasn't the infamous cam chain problem, as the 650 had all the modifications to cure that - it just ended up drinking oil through every available orifice - piston wear, valve seals, and probably a number of other areas, and when I looked into it EVERYTHING had excessive wear and play) so I ended up assembling another Z650 from breakers yard parts, which went on to give another long service life in much less strenuous conditions of commuting and leisure use. So that was using oils in the intended way (constant replenishment) instead of a single application as in this set of tests. Of course, I had full records (for tax) back then, so could be pretty sure of accuracy, but those are long gone now, the victim of some house move or another.
Were my physical condition ever to be good enough for me to ride again I'd kill for another Z650, and would certainly fit a Scottoiler. Sadly, that is a distant hope.
Outstanding review..fantastic!! Well done indeed for taking on such a monumental task and giving such un-biased advice!
Thanks very much! All the best, John
Excellent video👌🏽 Thanks a lot for this content helps us riders make the right choices for our beloved machines😌
A lot of hard work and superbly done John....thank you.
Thanks very much! Cheers, John