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Loved all my shaft drives, never had a problem with any of them. No crawling around to do a chain lube in the rain after a long days ride in a hotel parking lot. Much cooler technology too.
As a closeted WD40 cleaner, no regular luber guy, I read these threads waiting for evidence that the way I'm doing it wrong will cause a lessening of the 25k miles useful life of the chain/sprockets - haven't found that yet.
...... but the fact is irrefutable that WD-40 does NOT leave a lubricating film of sufficient mechanical strength on a chain .....
WD-40 rinses dirt and water away (which WOULD serve to help the O-rings), but leaves no lubricating film.
I'm not sure that there's no refuting that statement ... but I'd go along with "WD40 is not sold as a chain lubricant, and being only about 5% lubricant by weight, is not ideal as the sole lubricant for a chain".I disagree with that. Again, it may not be optimal for a chain, but WD40 is NOT 100% solvent, and does in fact leave a lubricating film behind (which I've used for many many purposes over the years) when the solvent evaporates ..... Lannis
Has anyone had any experience with the Tutoro chain oiler? Its operation is automatic, but mechanical instead of electrical or vacuum-driven. I'm considering buying one.Moto
Absolutely, when a shaft drive works and lasts like you'd hope, they can be cheaper and less trouble than a chain.But if you scan back JUST this WG list over the years and review the litany of issues that have happened to people (which I listed in my post as "changing rear drive oil, transmission seals, U-joint issues, carrier-bearing issues, spline-greasing issues, rear-drive seal issues", none of which happen to a chain), the average of the comparison comes way way down ....Lannis
I installed the Tutoro oiler on my RX3. The oiler is pretty simple, relies on vibration to open a valve and let oil drip. Be advised that they use a really thick oil...think chain saw oil. I think that's a bad idea because that thick stuff will trap grit. Nevertheless, I bought the unit because it's inexpensive (hey, I'm a Guzzi guy!) and I'm running a good quality O-ring chain. In the past I ran a ProOiler on my Ducati and Triumph. IMHO it's a much better system but also twice the cost. I used ATF and could easily go 20K miles before I saw much wear on the sprockets.www.pro-oiler.net...Peter Y.
in the expectation of using hydraulic mineral oil rather than their proprietary one.Moto
I think you will find that thinner oil will give you excessive flow. Try it, nothing to lose. The vibration valving is not like a petcock. There is some flow adjustment but they designed this with really thick oil in mind.
... and does in fact leave a lubricating film behind (which I've used for many many purposes over the years) when the solvent evaporates ..... Lannis
Yeah, I use it as a lubricant, too, but note that my statement said "... does not leave a lubricating film of sufficient mechanical strength on a chain..."Should be re-phrased as "...of sufficient mechanical strength for use on a motorcycle or bicycle chain." (Gonna catch hell now from the bicycle crowd. I won't engage.)
Yeah well on the last Honda I had the rear sprocket EXplod on a freeway onramp after about 5,000 miles (new chain & new rear sprocket 5,000 miles earlier). I've only put about 30,000 miles on chain drive motorcycles and I won't go back from shafty.
This is getting to the crux of it - to my understanding, all that is required for an x chain is to keep the outer surface reasonably clean and water repellent so that the already existing lubricant inside the chain remains intact and functional.
If the chain drive system is superior why does all vehicles not have that system, just bigger to handle the weight, Simple answer .....
Wow, I never heard a story like that..... WD-40 for chain lube?
Nope, the right lube,Jacwal densilube chainring ---- It was the super-duper-newfangled Nylon (I think) chainring--- made by the same people who gave you this fairing:I guess the little Honda 400F had to much torque for it.
Yes, thank goodness, there is a simple answer, and that is that the usual transverse crankshaft motorcycle already has the crankshaft lined up for a chain drive and thus no need for power-wasting bevel gears, that there is only one rear wheel to drive and thus no need for a differential, and that lightness and simplicity is much more important in a motorcycle than it is in a car, which is already porky due to the creature-comfort items aboard.There really are good reasons for them (ask a race-bike or dirt-bike designer); it's not just "personal preference", although (as we see) some folks manage to turn chain-vs-shaft into a sort of cult schism .... Lannis
A race bike or dirt bike is not even in the same conversation as pleasure, Touring or sport touring bike. In that application if someone wants a greasy noisy chain that must be adjusted and replaced by all means go for it, Personally I simply can't see anyone wanting a chain in that application. As I said it's a personal preference. I'll stick to my shaft driven 1400.
You asked why, if chains are so great, don't ALL vehicles have that system. I was explaining why some do and some don't, instead of all of them using the same system.And they ARE in the same conversation (we're having it right now!). If lightness and simplicity and ease of maintenance are good things for racing and off-road, then they are, to a certain degree, good for road bikes - they're not completely "out of the picture" obviously because some of the nicest and most expensive sport-touring and touring bikes have chains ...Lannis
This is true, but there's more to it than that, and I encourage you to click on the link to the Scottoiler website I posted a few posts back and read. The O-rings are in constant shearing contact with the side plates, at high frequency, beyond the physical lubricating properties of WD-40.However, I will concede that we all do "what works for us", me included, and I get irritated when my wife tells me to load the dishwasher "her" way because "my" way is wrong.I just like to understand and discuss mechanical things down to the contact surfaces. Friction/tire pressure/contact patch size is another topic that can NEVER come to a consensus.