Chain Maintenance for Real Riders: How to Clean, Lube, & Adjust for Smoother Power

Summary:

Motorcyclists whose bikes use chain drives should clean and lubricate the chain once every 600 to 1000 kilometers. This helps prevent premature wear-and-tear from corrosion, and makes it easier for the chain to efficiently deliver power to the bike. To clean your chain, use a rag and chain cleaner to remove the old lubricant, then rotate the rear wheel to move the chain while spraying new lubricant into the grooves. After drying, use a chain tensioner to ensure the chain is set correctly before riding.

If you ride a motorcycle with a belt or shaft drive, then congratulations: you won’t have to follow any of the steps in this guide. You will eventually have to pay to replace those systems when they wear out completely, but that’s another story.

For the rest of us poor shmucks riding chain-driven bikes, proper chain maintenance is a must. And we don’t mean occasionally spraying a little WD-40 on your chain whenever you remember that it exists (for the love of all you consider holy, please do not do that).

Below, Luimoto’s experienced riders have put together the ultimate guide to cleaning, lubricating, and adjusting the tension in your motorcycle chain. We’ll also show you some ways to upgrade your bike so that it holds out better against environmental wear-and-tear overall.

Why You Can’t Skip Chain Maintenance

Let’s just get this out of the way in case anyone reading still thinks cleaning and lubing their bike’s chain is optional: it isn’t.

When your chain is properly lubricated and adjusted for tension, the motor smoothly and predictably delivers power to your bike’s wheels. That means better fuel economy, safer riding, and less noise.

When you skip chain maintenance, you get the opposite:

• A grinding or clanking noise as you ride. This is what happens when the chain’s lubricant is no longer sufficient to reduce the friction created while riding.

• Corrosion of the chain links. Dirt and grime get caught in old lubricant, causing the links to rust.

• Motor stress and poor fuel economy. The friction and drag created by a poorly lubricated chain force the motor to work overtime. That means you burn more expensive fuel to travel shorter distances, and strain your bike’s expensive engine.

• Safety issues. Have you ever had your chain snap while riding? It’s terrifying. We’d like to save you from that fate, which is why we wrote this guide.

Convinced? We hope so. Now that we’ve put why to bed, let’s show you how.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Motorcycle Chain Maintenance

Here’s everything you’ll need for the job, and everything you’ll need to do with it.

Recommended Tools

For cleaning and lubricating your chain, you’ll want:

• A rear paddock stand

• Rag

• Chain cleaner

• Chain lubricant

• Chain brush

For adjusting your chain’s tension, you have a few options:

• Simple tools: A torque wrench and socket set should be enough to get the job done.

• Specialty tools: Several companies produce specific tools to adjust motorcycle chain tension. These range from just over $10 to around $50 online.

Setting Up Your Bike for Chain Maintenance

Before you touch the chain, you need to get the bike mounted properly. Yes, it’s technically possible to work on your chain without a stand, but it’s much more labour- and time-intensive.

Why does the stand help? A stand lets you rotate the rear wheel to move the chain as you clean and spray it in sections. Doing this without one requires you to push the bike around on the floor every time you want to make a new section visible, which is a real pain.

So just get yourself a rear paddock stand (you don’t need the front stand for this) and a spool kit that fits your model so you can mount the bike without stressing the frame. You will thank us, we promise.

Then follow these steps:

• Put the bike on the stand so the rear wheel is off the ground and you can rotate it by hand.

• Set the bike in neutral so you can rotate the rear wheel by hand. You won’t want to spin it like a roulette wheel. Just use slow, controlled turns so you don’t miss sections.

• If you were just out riding, let the chain cool off before you start. If it’s hot, solvent flashes off faster (and hot lube can run thin and be flung off during the process).

• Put cardboard or a drip tray under the lower chain run. Chain lube will, predictably, make the floor of your garage very slippery if you spill.

Cleaning the Chain

Now it’s time to remove the old lubricant from your chain, along with any dirt and grime it’s collected since it was applied.

• Start with the inside of the chain (the side that contacts the sprockets). That’s where most of the old lube should be, along with most of the dirt that it has attracted.

• Spray chain cleaner onto the visible section of the chain’s lower portion. Don’t soak the whole drivetrain like you’re pressure-washing a truck; work in sections so the cleaner can do its job before it runs off.

• Use your chain brush to scrub the side plates and around the rollers. Rotate the wheel a few inches at a time and keep brushing until the heavy grime breaks up.

• Pay extra attention to the area where the chain meets the rear sprocket. Old lube and road grit like to pack in around this area.

• Wipe the chain down with your rag until it feels mostly clean to the touch. If your rag comes away black and greasy after one pass, do a second light spray and scrub (don’t just keep adding cleaner forever).

Lubricating the Chain

Once your chain cleaner has dried completely, it’s time to apply new lube. This will reduce friction and protect the chain components as you ride.

• Use a motorcycle-specific chain lube. Avoid WD-40, which is intended as a solvent and can damage your chain’s O-rings by drying them out.

• Just like you did with the cleaners, spray lube on the inside of the chain’s lower run while you rotate the wheel slowly. Aim at the area where the rollers meet the side plates. Centrifugal force will help the lube move outward as the chain spins in use.

• Use short bursts. You want a thin, even film, not a dripping mess that ends up on your wheel and tire.

• Let the lube set before riding. Most lubes need at least 10–20 minutes to tack up. If you lube and immediately rip down the street, you’ll throw half of it onto the swingarm.

• After it sets, wipe off any obvious excess on the outside of the chain. Too much lube just collects dust and turns into gross paste again.

Adjusting the Chain Tension

Chain tension isn’t complicated. All you need to do is have the right amount of slack and proper alignment so that the wheel rotates consistently. Here’s how to do it:

Find Your Bike’s Recommended Slack Spec

This is usually in your owner’s manual or on a sticker near the swingarm. Don’t guess.

Different bikes need different amounts of slack. Too much and you stress the chain; too little and you overwork your engine. Both are unsafe.

Measure the Slack

• Push the lower run of the chain up and down between the sprockets without moving the upper portion.

• Use a ruler placed against the swingarm to measure how much the chain can move at its tightest point. Make sure it matches the specs in your manual.

• Chains wear unevenly, so check slack in several spots by rotating the wheel and re-checking. You’ll want to set the tension based on the tightest spot, not the loosest one.

Make the Adjustments

• Loosen the rear axle nut just enough that the wheel can move when you turn the adjusters. Don’t back it off like you’re removing the wheel completely.

• Use your socket wrench or adjusting tool to turn the chain adjuster bolts in equal amounts on both sides to move the wheel back (tighten chain) or forward (loosen chain). Small turns make a big difference, so go slow.

• Use the swingarm’s alignment marks as a starting point, but don’t treat them as gospel. If you want to be precise, measure from the swingarm pivot to the axle on both sides.

• Once the slack is correct and alignment is straight, torque the axle nut to spec with a torque wrench. Be precise: too loose can slip, too tight can damage hardware.

• Re-check slack after torquing to make sure the new tension matches your manual. Tightening the axle again can slightly change adjustment, so confirm your results before you call it done.

Common Mistakes

Most chain problems are caused by bad habits, not bad products. Avoid these typical errors:

• Using WD-40 as chain lube (it’s not)

• Lubing a dirty chain, which seals in grit like sandpaper

• Applying lube to the outside of the chain only (it looks nice, but does less)

• Setting tension based on one random spot instead of finding the tight spot

• Over-tightening the chain because “tighter feels better” (it doesn’t, and your countershaft bearing won’t thank you)

• Ignoring alignment and relying only on swingarm marks

• Riding immediately after lubing and flinging half of your new lube onto your bike’s wheel and tire

When to Replace Your Motorcycle Chain Entirely

Chains don’t last forever. There’s a point where continuing to clean and lube an old chain is just delaying the inevitable.

If the chain is worn out, it won’t hold adjustment, and it won’t deliver smooth power no matter how much you baby it. A worn chain also eats sprockets, so pushing your luck usually costs you more in the long run.

If you’re seeing any of the following, it’s time to replace the chain (and usually the sprockets as a set):

• You’re adjusting tension constantly and it still develops loose spots after short rides

• The chain has tight spots you can feel while rotating the wheel by hand

• You can pull the chain away from the rear sprocket far enough to expose tooth gap (excessive stretch)

• O-rings look cracked, missing, or the chain is kinked and won’t free up after cleaning

• Rear sprocket teeth look hooked or shark-finned (a sign the drivetrain is worn together)

Other Ways to Help Protect Your Bike from the Elements

Chain care will help protect your bike’s drivetrain, but you should spare some thought to the rest of your motorcycle as well. The elements wreak havoc on chrome, fairings, and seat foam as well as your chain and lubricant.

We’ve got lots of other articles on motorcycle maintenance (and you can read those at the links below), but we’ll stick to what we know best here: motorcycle seats. We designed our aftermarket rider and passenger seat covers to use marine-grade vinyl that holds up better against environmental hazards than the vast majority of OEM materials and keeps your saddle in shape no matter where you ride.

• Shop Rider Seat Covers

• Shop Passenger Seat Covers

Weather protectors add another layer of protection to your seat area. You can find those here:

• Accessories & Apparel

Further Reading on Motorcycle Maintenance

These guides can show you everything from seasonal maintenance to essential comfort upgrades:

• How to Winterize Your Motorcycle

• What to Know Before Using Suede Waterproofing Spray

• How to Make a Motorcycle Seat More Comfortable

A Clean Chain Gives You a Better Ride

When your chain is clean, properly lubed, and set to the right slack, every ride feels better. You get smoother power delivery, less drivetrain lash, and fewer weird noises that make you wonder what’s about to fail.

Stick to a simple schedule, use the right products, and follow the steps above. Your chain will reward you every time you roll on the throttle, we promise. And while you’re at it, find some great-looking upgrades for your seat and tank below:

Shop the Luimoto collection.