The modern motorcycle chain is truly a thing of wonder. It certainly has not always been so. Those like me that have done a significant number of laps around the sun can attest to that fact. In 1975, when my mate Willem and I did an extended tour of Rhodesia (back then, Rhodesia was the World’s third largest producer of maize on the planet, behind the US and Canada, and the top tobacco producer bar none), Willem had no chain issues as he was riding a brand-spanking new Honda GL1000 Goldwing.
On this trip, I was on my Honda CB500 Four, which I had bored out to 605cc, gas-flowed the head and fitted a Yoshimura 4 into 1 exhaust. The big bore kit turned the little Honda into a 750 eater; however, the chain took serious strain with the big torque increase of the hopped-up motor. I fitted a new DID chain to negate chain issues on the trip and reduce the need for frequent chain adjustment.
To no avail. I ended up having to adjust the chain daily and on some long days, twice a day. This was due to two factors. Firstly, the advent of O and X-ring chains were still many years away, and secondly, gear oil was the best we had to lube our chains. The result was that the spinning sprocket would deposit the oil everywhere, but keeping it on the chain. Real bikers were distinguishable by their greasy ‘chain side’ pants leg. My, isn’t progress just peachy!
Today we only need to adjust our chains when they are giving notice that they are on their way out, and no one would know that we are bikers by scrutinising our pants! This is thanks to modern chain design and the superb chain lubes that we are blessed to have these days. Up at the top of the pile are the various chain lubes from French giant Motul. I am sure that Motul’s history of supporting motorcycle endurance racing has been a big contributing factor in the development of its quality chain care products.
Motul have no less than three chain lubes, each designed and engineered for a specific application. ‘Road‘ is for broad spectrum tar road travel, ‘Off Road‘ I suppose rather obviously is for those who like to venture off the beaten track, and then we have ‘Factory Line‘, for Road Racing. Before I get into the specific lubes and their application, I would like to chat about general chain maintenance dos and don’ts.
Number one in chain maintenance is to start your care regimen by cleaning the chain. By getting your chain properly clean before lubing it you are allowing the lube to have unimpeded access to all areas of the chain. It is vital that you clean your chain using a solvent that does not damage the O or X rings of your chain. These rings are seals on the sides of each individual chain link which trap bespoke grease inside every link. This has contributed massively to the reduction in overall chain wear enjoyed by modern-day bikers.
Motul makes a ‘Chain Clean’ spray which gets all the accumulated crud off your chain without harming the sealing rings. It is vital when choosing a lube that it too is 0-ring friendly. So, first up is applying the cleaning spray liberally to your chain. Leave it for 5 minutes and, if really dirty, scrub the chain lightly with a soft brush. I then rub the chain up with an old rag, leaving it clean and crud free. A clean chain just looks the business too!
Now we can get down to lubing the chain. This is always easiest achieved if the rear wheel can be rotated, which is why main stands rock! Race bikes and dirt bikes will ideally need a paddock stand. While the back wheel is rotated by engine or by hand, you apply the lube of your choice to the inside run of the chain. In other words, on the bottom run of the chain between the rear and front sprockets.
Centrifugal force then moves the lube through the link to the outside, completing the lubrication process. Spraying it on the chain where it goes around the back sprocket encourages the lube to fling off without totally penetrating the chain links. I have found that it is best to allow the lube to dry and settle before riding off. When touring, if I stop for a coffee and see that my chain needs lube, I lube the chain first, then have my coffee. By the time I ride off the lube is all cosy on the chain.
Motul’s Factory Line is designed for the extreme conditions of road racing. It is white in colour and contains solid additives that best meet the needs of racing motorcycle chains, limiting wear and rolling resistance for maximum performance. It has phenomenal adherence qualities which is a huge benefit to the chain of racing motorcycles. This does make it harder to get the overspray off your back rim. As the old saying goes, “no pain no gain”.
The colourless ‘Road’ lube is a broader spectrum. It does the lubricating thing, resists flinging off and inhibits rust and corrosion. More in line with the everyday requirements of road riders.
Last up is the ‘Off Road’. It is a funky greeny yellow in colour, more in keeping with the countryside where you ride, I suppose. It protects the chain in extreme wet and muddy conditions, also inhibiting rust. It is less ‘sticky’ so that it doesn’t attract dirt.
So, there you have it, Motul have a specific lube to meet your particular need. But, as they say in the Classics, “That is not all”. New, and common to all these products, is a rather clever spray nozzle. Previously, the cans came with a cap which you removed to expose a short, detachable spray nozzle, and a loose, longer pipe nozzle which could be substituted to reach more inaccessible areas.
Typically, the cap got mislaid, and the long pipe nozzle kept detaching and losing itself, leaving you frustrated and irritated. Well guys ‘n gals, that ship has sailed thankfully! Motul now has super funky nozzles on their cans which has a permanently attached long tube which can bend at 90 degrees, allowing it to fold up for storage.
The spray can be used with the long pipe folded in, mimicking the short old pipe, or folded out for the long pipe access. Storage is a cinch as the pipe lies flush with the side of the can when folded. No more caps or pipes to lose. Brilliant! Form and function in harmony.
For more information on the Motul products featured in this article, click on the links below…
