chain questions

[400exrules]

I just put on a DID x-ring chain, and i went ridin the other day and i need to clean it. can i just use wd-40 and a water hose and a toothbrush maybe, to clean it, then rinse it with more water and then lube it with my PJ1 chain lube?
ive heard you should use kerosene but i dont have any. is it ok to use the toothbrush on it?

[spent21]

well, i'll tell you what i do. i'm not anal about chains. i only buy o-ring or x-ring since a standard chain will last NO time. i wash off the chain when washing the bike (nothing rigorus, just squirt it off with the hose), and i have some 50w gear lube that i lube it with. the o-rings keep the dirt and sand out which is why they last so much longer than standard chains. as long as you keep the o-rings soft, you're good to go. it's when the rubber deteriorates that they start to wear out.

i don't have the time nor inclination to spit shine a chain, since it's always going to get nasty.

however a toothbursh is not going to hurt it. you do want to stay away from anything that will deteriorate rubber. check the label.

[DAVE14]

doesnt the 50 w gear oil eat up the o rings I did that on cheap chains without o rings but not anymore

[KY Woods Rider]

Kerosene and a medium to stiff bristle toothbrush are probably the best.

It's a whole other topic and I'm sure a search would reveal several posts on it, but some people will tell you not to put WD-40 on an o-ring chain. I've been using WD-40 on o-ring chains (even as lube in dusty conditions) for at least the past 10yrs, and have never seen any indication that WD-40 hurts o-ring chains. So it's up to you whether you want to use it or not, but I don't personally think it hurts anything.

Just don't use a degreaser/contact type of cleaner, as most of them aren't very friendly to rubber.

What ever you choose to clean it with, when you're done with the toothbrush work, wipe the chain off with a dry rag, use the water hose to rinse off the chain, then ride the quad around for just a few minutes to dry off the chain and get it warmed up. When the chain is dried completely and preferably while it's still a bit warm, lube with your favorite chain lube.