How Often Must You Lube and Clean Your Motorcycle’s Chain

TVS Community

29 Jul 2021

The drive chain of a motorcycle, by means of two geared wheels called sprockets, is a critical part of the driveline that conveys the torque of the engine to the rear wheel. The drive chain of a motorcycle is under constant stress, and needs to be cleaned and lubed periodically for best performance. Not doing so can lead to a host of problems such as premature wear and tear, leading to expensive service bills. So, how often must you clean and lube a motorcycle's drive chain? Here are some answers. 1. When riding in dry weather, it's a good practice to clean and lube a motorcycle's chain once every 500 kilometers of riding. For cleaning, it's best that you use a brush and a high quality motorcycle chain degreaser. Once the degreasing is done, you can apply chain lube to the drive chain, ensuring that the lube is distributed evenly. 2. While riding in sandy conditions, clean the drive chain more frequently. A 300-350 kilometer interval for chain cleaning and lubing is recommmended under such circumstances. 3. While riding in weat weather, it's a good practice to clear and lube your motorcycle's drive chain once in 250 kilometers as wet weather causes 1. grime build up on the chain and 2. faster loss of chain lubrication. Safety warning. Always clean and lube a motorcycle chain with the engine shut off. It's best to have the motorcycle on the main stand and paddock stand while performing this simple yet critical maintenance procedure.