Motorcycle Chain Maintenance - Chain Cleaning

Before I bought my first motorcycle I remember being a little hesitant about buying a bike with chain drive as I thought the maintenance would be too excessive. Being a newbie I went to one of my buddies who has had motorcycles since he was in his early teens. He laughed and told me he had never owned a bike with anything but, and that my concerns were groundless. He was absolutely right.

Chains are great for a few reasons. They are simple to maintain and cheap and easy to repair. They are light, much lighter than shafts, and introduce no changes to the handling of the motorcycle. Ever wonder why all the top sport bikes use chain? While belts and shafts are also excellent in their low maintenance and clean operation, they are either costlier or heavier.

What is required to maintain your chain? Ideally using a center stand or a paddock stand to get the rear wheel off the ground makes the job much easier. However, a long straight and level surface where you can move the motorcycle to get the chain to go one lap around the sprocket will also suffice in a pinch.