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Motorbike chain: cleaning, lubrication and tension
CalosGroup editorial team · Published on 3 November 2026
How often to clean and lubricate your motorbike chain, how to measure the slack and when to replace the chain, sprocket and front sprocket kit.
A clean, correctly tensioned chain lasts longer, wears the sprockets less and makes riding smoother. The check takes a quarter of an hour.
How often
- clean and lubricate every 500-1,000 km, and always after riding in the rain;
- check the tension at every clean.
When to replace it
The chain, rear sprocket and front sprocket are replaced together: a new chain on a worn sprocket ruins it within a few hundred kilometres. It is time for a new kit if the sprocket teeth are pointed or hooked, if the chain has stiff links that do not free up with cleaning, or if it pulls far away from the rear sprocket.
The correct slack and the measuring points are those in your motorbike's manual: values different from the manufacturer's can damage the transmission.
The steps
- Put the bike on the centre stand or a paddock stand, with the engine off and cold.
- Spray a chain-specific degreaser (not harsh solvents, which damage the o-rings) and brush each link with a soft brush, turning the wheel by hand.
- Dry with a clean cloth.
- Spray the lubricant on the inner side of the chain, where it touches the sprocket, while turning the wheel; let it soak in for a few minutes and wipe off the excess.
- Measure the slack in the middle of the lower run of the chain, pushing it up and down, and compare it with the value in the manual.
- If it needs adjusting, loosen the wheel spindle and turn both adjusters by the same amount, checking that the wheel stays aligned.
- Tighten the spindle to the specified torque and check the slack again.
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