[Billy B.]

 Hey Gang.
   I was thinking about how many varied discussions we have on this site. I do not think I have seen more than a few posts about the drive chains.
I would be interested in how you care for your chain in the environment that it is exposed to. Myself I live on a dirt road that goes to tar and chip and finally to a paved road about a mile or more from my home. It is a lot different situation from where I used to live. Chains take a beating out here. I think I spend more time cleaning and lubricating my chain than I do washing and waxing the rest of my bike. I try not to use any of the tacky residual lubricants. These work good in town but tend to accelerate wear in my situation. A good washing and a wipe with medium weight oil while still warm followed by another wipe to remove any excess is what I have found to work best for me on this and my other motorcycles.
   Let me hear how you service your final drive. What kind of service life do you Road Rangers get out of a stock chain? These are an odd size compared to the standard 428. 520, 530 chains on the market. I think that the pitch looks a lot like the farm chain that we used on bailing machines and such.  Let me hear from you.

[Chasfield]

Enough grease mixed with 80/90 transmission oil gets out of my four speed gearbox and onto the final drive chain via the gearbox output sprocket with out me doing anything. I just wipe the excess off once in a while.

[Foggy_Auggie]

I use the commercial product "Chainwax".  Comes in a spray can.

This was originally formulated for dirt bikes so it doesn't attract and hold dirt and dust very much.

With the bike on the center stand, engine idling and in first gear,  I spray on the inside of the moving chain aimed down close to the trailing arm pivot and engine case. 

This is done right before a ride to heat up the chain or right after a ride on a heated chain.  This allows the Chainwax to flow into the rollers at a lower viscosity caused by heat.

Chainwax when cold is cross between wheel bearing grease and Cosmolene.  But softens up at operating temperatures.

I only apply Chainwax about twice a year.

[cochi]

Hi Bill, I have an 03 Classic. My chain is oiled by a duck bill breather. I purchased the crank case ventilation kit from CMW. Most of the oil that was coming out of the crank case now goes back into the oil tank. Part of the kit is the duck bill breather. I have the breather positioned over the drive chain. The little amount of oil that does not return to the oil tank gets delivered to the chain. It's more of an oil mist rather than a drip. So far it's kept the chain lubed nicely without making a mess on the rear wheel . I've not had to adjust the chain in almost 1000 miles. I clean he chain by using a little kerosene on a rag and spinning the wheel by  hand. However, this is not the best method to use. I am about to order a little chain cleaning gizmo sold through CMW . It attaches to the swingarm and the chain runs through the device. There is solvent in a small reservoir along with little brushes. It's supposed to clean the chain rollers really well. I think the unit costs about $30.00.  I will let you know how well it works when I get mine. cochi

[Chuck D]

This is probably overkill, but once a week I roll her into the washbay here at work ( I work at a maintenance facility for heavy trucks). I work the second shift so I pretty much have the place to myself. First I lube all of the cables, Then I spray the hell out of the chain (slowly rotating the rear wheel) with WD-40; pulls any dirt right off with it as it drips. While I'm at it I spray down the hub, chain guard, brake linkage and anywhere else that grimy crud tends to accumulate. A good wipe down with clean cotton cloth. Next a thorough soaking of the chain ( inside of the bottom run) with Bel-Ray ( we have this stuff here by the case) chain lubricant. Run the chain through more cotton cloth 'till the outside is dry to the touch. Next, the bike gets a nice hot bath with Zep auto soap and a toilet brush. Gas tank, engine cases, fins, rims, everything. Rinse and I'm done. And the best part is, no cleanup. It all goes down the floor drain ( which is connected to an oil separator). Again sounds like overkill, but it only takes about a half hour (quality time ).

[PhilJ]

Billy B.

I use the cheapest ATF I can find. I put it in an Elmer's glue bottle and carry it with me on trips. I lube about every other fill up. Every fill up if it looks dry. ATF does not attract grit. After using the squirt bottle I put a little on a rag and spin the wheel backwards by hand. The rag helps force oil into the rollers and spinning the wheel backwards keeps my hand from being pulled into the sprocket. I've never used any thing else on my RE and only adjusted the chain once at approx. 1K miles. The chain is still set as it was at 1K miles and I now have 5K miles. I used this on an BMW F650 GS, which got a lot of dirt road use, and got 30K miles out of that chain.
When the ATF does come off onto the rear wheel (only if you don't get it wiped down enough) it dries into a grey powdery spots, which wipe off easily. I don't understand that because the chain still looks wet. Doesn't seem to dry on the chain.  

[Jon]

In the old days before o-ring chains, Bullet era, the trick was to have two chains.

Clean the chain in a kerosine bath boil it in a tin of linklyfe and let the excess
drain off while still hot. Lynklife is still available. Do this with both chains. Fit
one chain to the bike store the other in a biscuit tin or something. When you service the bike hook the clean lubed spare onto the end of the dirty chain and pull the fresh
one one.Repeat the cleaning and boiling process and store the spare ready for the next service.

Note that using the domestic stove for this process can be dangerous especially
if the wife catches you.

[cyrusb]

What size is the drive chain? I thought it was a 530, but now you got me thinking. As far as maintenance I use chain wax. Have you noticed it does not need to be adjusted much? One of the benefits of 22 hp. For me, 1 adjustment,3000 miles. Also in your owners manual it states 1 inch of deflection, top run, on centerstand. It's more like 2 inches to be safe. There is a huge difference in chain tightness between suspension relaxed and suspension compressed due to the distance between the output shaft and the swingarm pivot. That geometry is unique to old britbikes and Harley's, where the clutch and output shaft are coaxial.

[PhilJ]

If the bike is on the center stand and in neutral why would there be a difference between top run and bottom run of chain?

[cyrusb]

I don't belive there is, thats just what the manual says. I do the bottom run.

[Foggy_Auggie]

If the bike is on the center stand and in neutral why would there be a difference between top run and bottom run of chain?

The inside of the rollers (bottom run) contacts the sprockets and helps spread the lubricant better on the initial chain rotation.  At least in my experience.

I've used most commercial chain lubes that's been around for decades.  I've settled on Chainwax because it doesn't sling all over the back rim nor tosses the speckled racing stripe on the back of the riding jacket.

BTW - My chain hasn't needed adjustment since the 300 mile service.  I'm at 3000 miles.

[sqf]

I've used most commercial chain lubes that's been around for decades.  I've settled on Chainwax because it doesn't sling all over the back rim nor tosses the speckled racing stripe on the back of the riding jacket.

Oh my, I never thought of that!  I guess my method of spraying the chain with white lithium grease has caused  those!

[Billy B.]

  Sounds like we all have it under control. No fear of dry squeaky rollers around here. I remember my friends dad and uncle talking about Lynklife, Apparently they have used the family stove before. Jon you are not alone in that. I have used axle grease in a pan on a hotplate in the back yard. Poor people have poor ways. It worked okay at the time. You gotta mow and rake a lot of yards to pay for an O Ring chain.
 I have wondered about Chainwax. No one around here carries it. Sounds like it might be worthy of the retro technology movement.
I am familiar with the 530 chain. That is the size used on my Iron Sportster. The Chain on my Bullet is no ticably smaller 5/8ths inch. Perhaps that is why CMW catalogs chains for specific models, Bullet. Electra and so on. The price is right and everybody can use an extra drive chain. A spare master link is good to have too. The stock chain is top shelf. Much better than I had expected to be truthful. I like it when I am wrong like that. This motorcycle never ceases to amaze me. I love it.
It would be nice to know if the size is com patable with any other motorcycle or implement chain size on the open market. Anyone out there got any ideas or input on this. I am not that technical on the whole chain pitch roller thingy. Sorry to use those highly technical terms on you.

[t120rbullet]

 I am familiar with the 530 chain. That is the size used on my Iron Sportster. The Chain on my Bullet is no ticably smaller 5/8ths inch.

The 530 chain on your Sporty is heavy duty or O-Ring chain and is wider than the 530 standard chain on the Enfield. The 530H (heavy-duty or o-ring) chain won't fit on the Enfield .
The 530 standard chain on your Enfield will fit on your Sporty in a pinch.
I think the difference between the models on the Enfields is the length because the Electra has a 18 tooth countershaft sprocket and the Iron ones have a 17 (350s have a 16) but as far as I know they are all 530 standard  chains.
Tsubaki QR series 530 chain is a well made chain and fits the Enfield.

[edthetermite]

I was interested in how many links or pins are on the Bullet 530 chain. Don't really want to count mine,

Ed