Recomendations For Best Oil and Drive Chain For a 850

This will probably open a can o worms but. . . What are your thoughts?
On the best engine oil and the best drive chain ?

use the search feature and you can read for hours and hours on those subjects

Hi, welcome. The search engine is your friend. Lot's of Valvoline VR-1 users. A guy named Andychain is the drive chain guru...

For oil, use an air cooled engine recommended type with lots of zinc. My preference is Redline brand. Use of current "modern" automotive oils can be detrimental to camshafts and other high stress moving parts in your Commando.

i use the IWIS chain from andychain only just adjusted it for the first time after about 600 miles

Just add some oil when it's low; pick something off the shelf in the proper viscosity range. I have a friend who rode from Mexico to Tierre del Fuego, to Barrow AK, and back to Mexico. His choice of oil was, "whatever they had in the hole in the wall grocery store." His Norton is still running perfectly and the ONLY concern he exhibits re oil is that there be some in the oil tank. You can make yourself crazy worrying about stuff that has no effect on anything except your sanity and pocketbook.

I have been using Valvoline VR1 20-.50 Racing oil lately...The bike seems to use a lot less of this than anything else I have tried....some other brands sold for more than twice as much. It is readily available at O'Rileys for one. It has a high Zinc content...............

For the chain I use gearbox oil, I just use a small paint brush to put it on and I am already up to 35,000 mile on my current chain and have only ajusted it a few time since and best to brush it on after you come home from a ride while chain is still warm, I also take my chain off every 6 months and give it a good clean.

As for motor oil I run a straight 50 grade as well I mix in some STP and have done so for as long as I can remember.

There are so many oils that you can use and every country has diffrent brands and everyone has their own brands they use so you will open a can of worms there.

Ashley

The request was for the "best" oil.

My answer would be Redline motorcycle-specific oil. I use 20W-50.

Norton all came with chain oiler from engine oil which if put on/off valve could lube on last leg of return home to flush warm chain with warm oil then wipe off mess as desired. Some get away with 530 sealed chain clearing ok.

Bugger I thought I would get away without posting.

I wont go through the crap about sealed chains or non sealed chains as you know my views.

I recommend iwis (M106SL) because it is simply the best and I like to sleep at night. It is
made by my good friends (not) in Germany and has excellent tolerances. Above all it has a
chromised pin for long life. This is usually found in automotive chains but iwis have it acroos
most of its range. All chain companies can do chromised pins but it is an "add on" and costs the
earth.

As for lube I use a fork lift lube from Chaintec. It is clear has PTFE (slippery stuff) and above all
goes on like water then stiffens to a wax like texture. It is cheap and comes in a large can. Little
and often is the key saying. As a rule put "motorcycle" in front of a product and the price doubles and the
size halves.

As for sealed chains DONT LUBE THEM, it will never get past the O rings to where it is needed. If
you really must do anything use a rag with diesel engine oil (loads of detergent).

I will now sit back and wait for the crap.

Andy

It is nice to that some of you actually use me/

andychain said:

As for lube I use a fork lift lube from Chaintec. It is clear has PTFE (slippery stuff) and above all
goes on like water then stiffens to a wax like texture. It is cheap and comes in a large can.

Click to expand...

Andy, where do you buy this lube? I can't find it for sale anywhere on t'internet, and ebay only lists their chainsaw oil. I'm in the UK.

Thanks

Ed

Me......£6

Next show is Bewdley Motorcycle Club on Stourbridge Road and kempton Park.

You can collect as post is expensive.

Andy

Or just google Chaintec

I installed a DID VX530 this year. This chain is much narrower than other 530 oring/xring chain and runs with no interference out of the box.

My past experiences with oring chains were negative having had a 520 conversion and robbing power from oring restriction.

This new 530 vx runs very free and offers the robustness of the 530 size and the usage of nice thick OEM sprockets.

Oil = Amsoil MCV

Pete but you aint got a chain man in USA

The best chain for a Norton. No question -the Gates polychain. I haven't lubed or adjusted it in around 30,000 miles.



And no -I don't have any for sale.....