Chain Maintenance Classic Harley Motorcycles Discuss Chain Maintenance in the Motorcycles forums; I know mopst of the new Harleys have belt drives, but what about the machines with drive chains? I m curious how much the newer chains need in maintenance. I ...

[BaggerDad]

I know mopst of the new Harleys have belt drives, but what about the machines with drive chains? I m curious how much the newer chains need in maintenance.

I know they stretch over time and need to be lubed, but curious how often and what's involved. I'm trying to learn about these old bikes in the hope of buying or building one some day.

Stretch depends on the chain, the quality of materials and construction.
How you ride has a strong effect too, ride hard, wear faster.

Lube and cleaning depends on environmental situations.
Wet roads, need to lube more often. Dusty dirt roads, need to clean more often.

Nice, clean, dry, well maintained roads, lube every 3 days of city driving.
If you live out in the beautiful contryside and put on a few hundred miles each putt, lube when you get home.
Are you are on a road trip, lube every day.

Lube costs less that a new chain and sprockets, which, by the way should always be changed as a 3 piece set.

Lube a dirty chain and you get sticky dirt.

Oh yeah, lube immediately when you are done for the day, while the chain is still hot.
The heat helps the lube flow into the nooks and crannies.
Most lubes need time to "set up" and thicken so they will not fling off as you ride.
The rest of the night is a good long time for the lube to do so.
If you lube-n-go in the morning, you are wasting your lube as it WILL fling off and leave the chain virtually dry.

[evoKENevo]

Chains don't actually "stretch" persay. For most part it's the "wear & tear" on the O.D. of the link pins and the I.D. of the rollers (increased clearances) multiplied by say 200 pins & rollers on a 100 link chain that tend to "lengthen" the chain. This is why it's SO important to lube the chain (between the links) while hot ( and clean as possible) allowing the lube to "flow" into THOSE areas..then "gel" in there (so to speak) as the chain,etc,cools and/or air gets to it over night.

Even then,once "gelled" the lube is subject to being "flung" off towards the chains outer edge (to some extent) as you ride. So,best to lube from the inner edge..and,allow that to work FOR you..noting you want the lube to be ON as well as IN the rollers..lubing sprocket teeth too.

[Scallywag]

Back in "the day" we would pull the chain off the bike, melt a tube of grease in an old pot and cook the chain for 15 minutes or so. After the mess cooled off you would pull out the chain, wipe it off and reinstall it. Always seemed to work better than the spray or pour on lubes we had back then (1960-70's). I've been riding belt and shaft drive bikes for so long I'd all but forgotten how much fun chain drive was? Not.