Ive read the same thing on diff. oil for motorcycles…and ive friends that use it, and i have on occasion…it is a little messy. I imagine the centrifugal load is very high with these small kart tires compared to a 18" motorcycle tire. Im sure one of you engineers could do the quick math on the difference speed. Lol
It’s not so much the tires as the much smaller sprockets in karts versus bikes, they do go a bit hand in hand.
That’s why you want something tacky. The front driver is normally so small on TAG karts that the chain has to turn a very small radius very fast. It’s super hard to retain oil on the chain doing that.
I’m currently on a quest for new chain lube so keep the recommendations coming. We have been using bicycle chain wax over the last few years for a multitude of reasons but mainly for drip application with little mess, low drag properties of wax, and cleanup after the fact…this stuff easily wipes off of the frame, gears, everything. I’ve mainly been using Squirt but have testest others with some success as well
The problem is, even the e-bike one doesn’t stand up well to heat. There are instances where you can get a squeaky (not protected any longer) chain from a single run session. For whatever reason i can’t explain, certain tracks cause this more than others. I ruined 2 chains at Quaker that got squeaky / hot and just wouldn’t come back. One of them got hot enough to start binding.
As a result I got Bel-Ray chain clenaer as an alternative. It protected how I expected it to protect, but the application process was a massive mess, and cleanup of the lube from other surfaces was a pain in the rear. The most alarming trait was that due to it’s “sticky” nature, at tracks like Quaker where the surface was relatively dirty all the time, you’d come off the track from a single session and the chain looked like it was dropped in the sand on a beach or something and you still have the rest of the day to try to continue to lube a now dirty chain and hope that it doesn’t make things worse instead of better from all of the contaminants stuck to the chain.
I did order this to hopefully help with application mess, but I’m curious to try other lubes as well due to my concern with the amount of “stuff” that sticks to the chain with the bel-ray: Motorcycle Chain Lube Tool | 219 Chain – Oinker
As mentioned by someone else earier in thread, big fan of Motul C4.
Waxing them just does not sound fun at all.
I’ve been through a lot of chain lubes. My two favorites are the XPS stuff. Very tacky and a messy.
Or Motul Factory line. Thinner not as tacky seems better for a shifter versus tag chain and also messy.
It seems to me the more tacky and nastier the mess. The better the chain lube.
Might as well mention my cleaning method after every session. I grab an old Gatorade bottle poor a bit of gas in it. Drop the chain in. Shake the hell out of the bottle. It’s amazing how much crap comes off the chain and settles at the bottom. Chains come out looking brand new. Dap the rag in some of the gas and wipe the sprockets and chain guards. Cleans up with zero elbow grease.
We have had great luck with the Motul C4. C2 was fair. It works best if the chain is clean and applied immediately when you come off the track so it can tack up some before going out. If applied right before going out, it seems to be far less effective.
If its a dirty track I will sometimes simply spray the chain down with WD40 and slowly rotate through a rag, then hit with a water based cleaner and wipe through the rag, then wipe dry through an unused part of the rag, then reapply. However, our best method is exactly what Clayton describes, water bottle or gatorade bottle with a touch of gasoline in it and shake the chain inside. I don’t use gasoline for o-ring chains…only non o-ring since I don’t know what the o-ring material is and what the resistance to gas would be. I used the WD40 and water based cleaner on O-ring chains. Don’t want to make them swell or crack. I guess I should get a proper chain lube cleaning solution… ![]()
I’m a fan of Justice Bros. Thick enough to not fling off doesn’t seem to collect too much dirt.
I always clean the chain in either ultrasonic with simple green HD at home. Folgers can or Gatorade bottle with gas at the track.
Like to follow up with a soak down of WD40 and let sit overnight. Wipe it down and spray with Justice when put on the kart.
Not sure why but I love the smell of it too. ![]()
Used the gasoline method for o-ring chains as well. Never had any issues. It’s only in there long enough to get the junk off it.
I’ve been using Dupont Chain Saver, for the second year, and haven’t had any chain issues all season. It is super clean, I’ve been fast (not sure how much my chain lube plays into it), and a can will last a while, at least for my LO206 usage. I don’t remember it being expensive, purchased it on Amazon.
Motul also sells a nice chain cleaning soln in spray can that works well for between-run cleanings. Probably still want the deeper clean between race days or after major off-track excursions, but the spray works nice and fast between sessions.
So I forgot to order another can of the Motul C4 spray for Friday.
It will not be here in time.
I did find the C5 paste. Can I mix the two on the track?
I have been using Blendzall chain lube for quite some time and it’s good. The only downside is that it leaves a mess compared to other brands
