o ring chain

Anyone run an o or x ring chain without adding lube for the side plates?

Chain lube makes a mess of the rear wheel rim and surrounding area so I thought I might try running the chain dry, other than the lube that is sealed in. Even if it shortens the life of the chain some, it might be worth it. This would be one of the gold anodized chains, should keep the rust away.

Glen

Glen, the problem with your theory is that is forgets the very important fact that if you do not lube your chain,

then you are also not lubing your sprockets, and so you will have zero cushion, metal on metal every time a chain

link touches both the front and rear sprocket teeth and their valleys.

Ok, so don't put lube directly on your chain, but then at least slowly spin the rear wheel and shoot chain lube

directly on the exposed sprocket teeth and valleys.

Personally, the cost of replacing chain and sprockets left dry to wear very quickly is much more of an inconvience

than wiping down your rear wheel every so often. It just takes a couple minutes, please don't run dry.

worntorn said:

Anyone run an o or x ring chain without adding lube for the side plates?

Chain lube makes a mess of the rear wheel rim and surrounding area so I thought I might try running the chain dry, other than the lube that is sealed in. Even if it shortens the life of the chain some, it might be worth it. This would be one of the gold anodized chains, should keep the rust away.

Glen

Click to expand...

Sure have. It doesn't bother the chain much but expect 2 to 3000 miles for sprocket life. Jim

It more ongoing mess from the lubed chain I would like to avoid. As you say, the time to lube the chain is insignificant.

Perhaps its time for a shaft drive :lol:

Glen

1. O-ring stands for Obsolete and it too wide and too stiff
2. Use X-ring as slightly narrower but way more free motion.
3. Unless boiling/flushing chain in solvent then in melted graphite grease or using the Norton chain oiler set to dribble a constant mess, then you are not lubing a chain effectively to matter.
3. I've done the experiment last decade, same results as desert riders, dry chain and sprockets last longer and less mess to clean up in gritty conditions.
5. Dry chain and sprockets last as long as half ass oiled for feel good sense chains.
6. There is no extra wear I can detect on dry run sprockets.
7. Rear chains don't need lube for heat or friction, they only benifit if enough to flush out the metal grit and external grits that abrades. Enclosed oil bath is great idea extending chain life but hard to do/expensive on rear chains
8. Chains don't turn or have internal motion enough to create an oil wedge so metal bares on metal no matter the amount of oil or grease surrounding the contacts.
9. Worn lose chains are what wears sprocket teeth, plus oily grit paste, because the loose linked chain don't ride deep in valleys but climbs up and bares on upper teeth as much as you can lift chain up by fingers at back of sprockets. Chain tension has NO Effect on this at all.
10. Spend your time riding and admiring the clean-ness for 10-12,000 mile intervals or spend good amounts of time cleaning and decorative oiling for similar intervals of plain chain cost change.
11. if some joy or self worth gained or just obcessive compulsive disorder to be doing some tedious cleaning ritual, have at it as much as you like, just don't rationalize in public its logical behavior.

Hobot, I was with you until #11 then went into a big "huh??"

Looks like there are diametrically opposed views on this subject.

I might have to give it a try and possibly sacrifice a set of sprockets. I have them in chromemoly, tend to be very long lasting.
But that is with lubing the chain daily.

Glen

11 bluntly translates as wasting time on a potentially damaging habit for emotional needs or misunderstood sense of duty.
A little oil especially the thinner stuff can drive grit into links to hasten erosion. Any oil holding grit in valleys acts as grinding paste as links slide in and out. Old timers whose only transport was a cycle kept 2 or more chains in various stages of flushing, greasing and using. The Real MaCoy came from a the name of black inventor that improved on the constant mess oilers before his. There is no middle ground on this issue, either flood with oil - seal with grease or run dry and clean as a bone. I am not mis leading you on sprocket and chain wear. For the OCD's my respects, but do keep in mind, best time to oil is fresh off a ride while still warm, or slacking with upkeep, hehehe. Count the links or might of skipped the weakest one don't ya know :shock:

hobot said:

11 bluntly translates as wasting time on a potentially damaging habit for emotional needs or misunderstood sense of duty.

Click to expand...

That could also apply to simply owning a Commando!

Different strokes for different folks. I'll keep lubing my chain (sometimes by boiling, sometimes spraylube), & I'll definitely keep cleaning it.

8)

Ian

Amen Nortoniggy on Commando owning blowing all economy logic out the window. I once was deluded on that mis-understanding same as common chain lube practice, ie: so little it don't make an obvious mess after 20 miles. You should feel good about yourself if boiling in grease often as needed and lavishing oil after rides, but realize if ya miss an interval you are wearing out faster than clean dry chain is. City folk can get away with common oil cleaning as not that much grit, but I'd rather ride and wipe paint and just switch out chain about as often as most common oilers do anyway. Real easy to tell, just try plucking chain out of valleys and when ya can, start thinking of the poor teeth life and next new chain. I feel guilty when links lift 1/3 out of valley and take it easy till re-newed. I'm all for flooding with drip oilers just not as much as I am lazy.

If you want to make a modern chain last you fit a Scottoiler...end of...it does the job the Norton felt dribbler was supposed to do but can be set to drop oil in the the place the oil is needed.....

If you don't like your bike to get messy....quit riding it.... :?

LOL! Norton at least got the chain oiler right, dripping enough oil to actually protect chain with its attendant mess yet its always presented as a great modification block the factory dripper to add an after market mess maker, just does not compute to me. Run em dry or flood em as in between is both messy and wear inducing. 520 X-ring may be the cats meow for lighter mess free drive chain but not no more to me as the sprocket teeth can dissolve in a chain or so I found. Might try a 530 x-ring as most can fit it w/o rubbing and the ones that rub don't for long as cuts a path in gear box that is comic only if viewed form underneath upward. I snagged a old spool of plain ole 530 chain cheap, its put out 3 bike chains and 4 zero turn mower chains so far and looks like at least another bike length left. When spool runs out will shop for another bulk buy. Nice to pull in after a run and only have to wipe dust off.