How To Clean a Dirt Bike Chain

While cleaning your bike chain may not be the most exhilarating part of owning a motorcycle, it is essential to prevent wear and tear that could easily be avoided just by following a few simple cleaning steps. The amount of power running from your drive chain to the rear wheel is similar to that of a small car, so keeping your motorcycle chain clean is fundamental to ensure your bike can pursue maximum performance and avoid frequent adjustments.

Picture this; you’re riding along the highway, and you notice your rear wheel doesn’t harness the power it should, causing you to pull over. You notice your entire chain is covered in dirt, preventing your engine from transferring drive power to your rear wheel. In this instance, you would need to call a service for help. However, circumstances could be much worse, and if you were to lose momentum on a busy road, there’d be a high chance of being involved in an accident.

Of course, the above is something you will want to avoid. Therefore, an efficient chain cleaning routine is critical to prevent premature chain wear and tear. Below, we will take you through a step-by-step guide on how to clean motorcycle chains for your safety and bike’s longevity.

What You Need To Clean a Motorcycle Chain

The first step to pursuing a bike chain cleaning regime is to ensure you have all you need to clean your chain and remove dirt efficiently. Here is what you need;

• Old Cloths – Make sure you use clothes with only one purpose – to clean your bike chain. Once they’ve been used to wipe a chain, there’s a high chance they’ll be ready to be disposed of, so don’t use new or expensive clothes for this.
• Chain cleaner – A good quality chain cleaner is essential for removing dirt and thoroughly cleaning your chain. Some riders use a mix of water and soap, but a premade cleaner will ensure you have a strong enough solution to remove tough dirt.
• Brush – A brush will help you clean between the sprocket, chain, and plates with better precision, achieving deep cleaning that removes tough grit and dirt efficiently.
• Chain lubricant – Chain lube is essential for reducing friction and smoothing the chain’s movement against sprockets. Make sure the lubricant you use is motorcycle specific for the best results.
• Paddock stand or center stand – To simplify your cleaning process, a paddock or center stand will lift the rear tire in the air so you can access the bike’s chain more efficiently, spinning the wheel for a quicker approach.
• Gloves and glasses – Cleaning your chain can get messy, so you must wear gloves and glasses to protect yourself from grit and dirt irritating your skin or getting in your eyes.

Know Your Chain and Bike

Although many products are made for bikes in general, selecting products that are more specific to the type of chain and bike you have can be beneficial. For example, most modern bikes will feature a Z, X, or O ring chain. With these chains, internal lubrication is applied in the manufacturing process and sealed in to prolong the chain life.

Therefore, when cleaning and lubing your chain, you must ensure the products you use won’t disrupt the seal. To check if your products are suitable, they will disclose if they’re O, Z, or X ring tested on their product information.

Additionally, it’s essential to take note of the materials you’ll be cleaning. Whether your bike has aluminum rims or varnish, it’s good to at least understand which products can be used according to your bike.

Generally, a good rule of thumb is to use products from reputable brands, even though these products may come at a higher price point. Additionally, understanding the difference between water and solvent-based cleaner will greatly help you.

With solvent-based cleaners, you will likely spray the entire chain by the time it’s cleaned, whereas a water-based cleaner is sprayed onto the chain and attacks the dirt in a gel-like form that you then wash off to display a clean chain.

There are different types of lubricants that you can use, too. However, traditional grease-based lubes are generally the best to use as you can control the saturation level you apply to the chain, ensuring more of the chain is protected from dirt and corrosion. In contrast, dry-based lubricants don’t have the same level of saturation.

How to Clean Your Entire Chain

When you’ve got all you need to clean your chain, it’s time to get started! Many riders will have different techniques for cleaning their motorcycle chain, but we find the following process to work well and be easy for beginners to follow.

Step 1: Spray The Chain in Portions With Chain Cleaner and Scrub

To prevent the cleaner from drying before you reach a specific area, spray your chain in portions and scrub with the brush as you go. At this stage, you will need to take time cleaning the chain links, as old lube and chain wax will be sticky, with grit and dirt attached, resulting in some stubborn areas.

Although the dirt will be getting removed from your chain, it’ll still look pretty dirty as the gunk has nowhere to go just yet. Make sure you scrub each angle of the chain to dislodge as much of the build-up as possible until you’ve made your way around the entire chain. Having your bike on the rear stand will ensure you can spin the chain easily.

Step 2: Spray The Entire Chain With Cleaner

When you’ve made your way around the chain with your chain-cleaning device, you can respray the chain. This time, you will see the residue visibly come off your chain to display a clean, silver chain how it should look. Repeat scrubbing your chain and spraying to ensure you haven’t missed any marks.

Step 3: Spray With A Hose

Some riders will go in and spray the chain with their cleaner, drenching each part of it, but to save yourself from using up an excessive amount of chain cleaners, we recommend using a hose to wash away any leftover cleaner and gunk on the dirty chain.

Step 4: Dry Chain With a Clean Rag

It’s essential to try and get as much moisture out of your chain before applying the lubricant, and the best way to do this is by using a dry cloth and rolling the chain through it to remove any excess water. Be careful when doing this step to avoid getting your fingers caught in the surrounding links, as your wheel can spin freely as you roll the chain.

Step 5: Use The Clean Rag and Chain Cleaner to Remove Residue from surrounding areas

While you’ve got your rag at hand, now is a good time to wipe down the rear wheel and sprocket. Of course, many people will clean their entire bike when cleaning the chain, but if you’re just quickly giving your chain a clean, removing residue on surrounding areas will make your life easier.

Step 6: Coat Chain in Chain Lube

When it comes to chain lubing, you’ll need to thoroughly saturate it with the lubricant to ensure proper lubrication. Attaching a straw to your spray will help to achieve a streamlined, even coat across the entire chain.

First, start by placing the straw between the sprocket and chain, spinning the wheel a few times to saturate this area thoroughly. You should then repeat the process on the inner and outer chain plates to ensure every area of the chain has lubricant applied.

Step 7: Leave Lube to Settle

Of course, some riders may need more time for this step, but it’s best to give your bike chain time to take in the lube to work its magic and be ready for your next ride. As the lube dries, the solvents evaporate, allowing for better lubricant penetration than if you were to ride your bike immediately after application.

How Regularly Should You Clean Your Motorcycle Chain?

The amount of dirt your chain carries will depend on numerous variables such as weather, amount of use, and where you live. For example, if you live in the countryside in winter, your bike will probably get dirty and need regular cleaning and lube.

It’s recommended that riders clean their chain each time they ride in wet or adverse weather conditions, but you should at least be cleaning your chain at least once a month to prevent a build-up of dirt and residue that can lead to accidents and faulty parts.