Looking after the links!

[snowy]

Appreciate that it's nowt to do with GTR business, but thoughts on final drive chain maintenance please? 
Bought the baby BM as a commuter as GTR's a tad on the big side for M6 filtering, so it's back to chain maintainance!
Plethera of products out there to cause confusion!
Ordinary oil, chain saw oil, gels, "dry" waxes, Teflon included lubricants, which is best and do any of them rot the "O" rings?
Then there's "to fit oiler or not?" - never liked the idea of the vacuum driven Scottoilers etc, but electric ones out there now, is it worth the expense, or just once a week cover chain it in lubricants as listed above?
Commute is 40 miles each way, so working on about 1000 miles a month if I leave the car at home.
After last 3 bikes all being shafties any opinions on the best way to get longevity from chain final drive?

[O.C.]

modern bike chains and modern chain lubricants have come a long way, so concerns about your chain life shouldn't be great unless you are covering high numbers of miles or you are off road for lengthy periods, so any quality product will do the job for you....Personally I wouldn't use bike mounted chain oilers

What I would say though is that you should ensure that you clean your chain thoroughly before applying lubrication    

[flatfour]

I have a Versys 1000 now (7,200 miles and 14 months old) and, as with the Ducati ST that I owned a few years ago, was told that a modern chain will probably only need adjusting around three times in its life. This being when nearly new, at mid - life and when it is near to the end of its life and needs replacing.

This seems to have worked out for the Versys. The chain was adjusted at first service and still has around the prescribed 1" of free movement now. The bike is in for service tomorrow and I cannot see that the chain will be adjusted or that it will need to be in the foreseeable future. This is in complete contrast to my 1970's Honda 4's, where the regime is adjustment every 500 miles or so.

In all cases I use Putoline chain spray, it stays on the chain, which itself always looks well oiled. I lubricate the chain every 500 miles or so when it is hot (this helps the spray to adhere) and personally avoid any of the "dry" lubricants that always seem to leave the chain looking very second - hand a few miles after application.

Hope this helps.

[viper]

good question this . From a scientific point of view any product that completely stays on the chain such as a wax will trap all the dirt and grit and eventually turn into a grinding paste.
scotoiler is the only product that cleans as it lubricates as the "Fling off " oil hopefully takes the dirt with it , unfortunately these products are messy and if you turn it down so low that there is no fling off then the dirt is staying on your chain .

any protection is better than none .

[shaggs147]

I wouldn't use waxes as they don't seem to penetrate down to the chain pins to me. I work for a mechanical handling company and just used to use the chain lube from work. It did tend to fling off a bit, so just used to give the chain a good soaking and let the excess drip off over night.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[snowy]

Folk, thanks for replies!
Faltfour - really hope that chains are that well made and effective nowadays, as you say both manufacture and lubricants have come on some what from the 70's / 80's!
Viper / Shaggs, like the reasoning in a lighter oil rather than a wax, ok, might suffer a bit of fling and wheel mess, but rather that than prematurely changing chain and sprockets!
Did fit a PD oiler years ago to me big Varadero and VFR800, think that's gonna be the preferred route, light oil (sure they recommend hypoid gear oil!) continually fed by electric pump that shuts off with ignition - way to go me thinks! 
Should have gone for an F800ST and had a belt - lot less hassle, just me and the "GS" thing it's in the blood! 
Just hope the baby BM's don't suffer the build quality issues of the big ones'!

[nightrider]

Got my ktm1050 last November ,now done 4500m I have not had to ajust the chain once ,looked at it the other day thinking that it must need doing but no it's bang on right , I usually oil it after a ride when it's nice and hot ,