To oil or not to oil? that is the question

 I have had motorcycles for 46 years. All chain drive. In the old days(pre o
ring chain) I oiled and cleaned the chain. Now with o ring chain. It seems
to be fine to just ride and do nothin but check tension once in a while. I
keep the bike in a garage so rusting is not a problem.
My suzuki dr200 factory manual sais not to oil the chain either. On the farm
back in the 50 and 60 before any fancy chain we got the most life out of the
chains and sprockets (running in the dirt and dust) when we ran them dry.
Also harvard physics dept did a study on bicycle chain drive and lubricant.
they were amazed that it made no difference to efficency or wear if you
oiled or not. so they said the only reason to oil would be to prevent rust.
I do not oil my mountain bike chain either. When I worked for a city radio
shop 22years I asked the cops about chain life on the kz1000 police bikes
and they got better life running dry.(o ring chain). I hear about
scottoilers and prooillers. So, what is your experience?

 

Isn't it just. You only have to do this once in your life to realise the "to
oil or not to oil" a chain (any chain) question is redundant.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 Great stuff,
 Yes, I thought it would need oil too. It amazed me that chains and
sprockets on farm machinery lasted longer run dry. I read on the pro oiller
home page how they compared their oiler to spray on oil but never to no oil.
Reading my suzuki dr200 factory maintence manual it sais not to use wd40 on
the chain at all(harmful). and it does not say to oil the chain at all.It
states that o ring chains do not need oil. Also it sais that if the chain
must be cleaned with something to use kerosene and to dry the chain off
after washing as much as possible. I will look for the bicycle chain study
and post a link if I can find it again.
Paul

lubricant.

 Even cam chains running in oil wear out, but last much longer than drive
chains. Early cars and trucks used drive chains, and bear grease was a
highly prized lube
--
Stupendous Man,
Defender of Freedom, Advocate of Liberty

 Paul Thomson wrote:

 In my opinion, an O ring chain still needs to be cleaned and
lubed, since the O rings only benefit the area between the
pins and the rollers. You still need lube between the rollers
and the sprockets, as well as on the side links. I used chain
wax when I had a bike with a chain.
 

--

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  Ever wonder who benefits from the 300 MILLION
 U.S. taxpayer dollars spent EACH DAY in Iraq?
 http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0223-08.htm
 http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type !

 "They are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. And
 there is no limit to the innocent lives they are willing to
 take... men with blind hatred and armed with lethal weapons
 who are capable of any atrocity... they respect no laws of
 warfare or morality."
  -bu$h describing his own war crimes in Iraq.
  http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm