A guide to cleaning your motorcycle chain including tips and the best cleaners

Looking after your motorcycle chain is a really important chore, after all it is the part of your bike that runs the power to your rear wheel unless you own a belt or shaft-driven motorcycle. So chain cleaners and chain lubrication should be a part of motorcycle care routine, the same way that cleaning your bike is essential to keeping it not only looking good but working properly as well.

But there are more reasons to keep your chain clean than just looking good. The dirtier it is, with more and more foreign material and road grime stuck to it, the higher the wear – to not only the chain itself but both drive sprockets as well.

Jump to:

• Why do I need to clean my chain?
• What is a chain cleaner and how to use it
• What to look for in a chain cleaner
• The best chain cleaners that we have tried
• Frequently asked questions
• How we test chain cleaners

Why do I need to clean my chain?

In the very worst-case scenario, the chain can break, leaving you stranded at the roadside or even causing an accident or injury. It’s not particularly common but I have had it happen to me before, whether due to my slack cleaning schedule or some other reason, it’s a real pain when you are left with a bike with no drive needing to either get recovered or push it home.

If a chain wears and the tension becomes too loose, then it’s possible it can get jump off and end up stuck around a wheel sprocket, which is not a good situation to find yourself in.

So, keep the chain clean. Ideally, clean it once a month if you’re using the bike frequently. This will get rid of all the old lubricant and the grubbiness that inevitably sticks to it, leaving you with a nice clean surface to apply a coat of new lubrication. This simple care routine will help to lengthen the lifespan of your chain, sprocket and motorcycle in general.

What is a chain cleaner and how do you use it?

A chain cleaner – as is suggested in the name – is a product that is designed to clean the drive chain on your motorcycle. It is a high powered degreaser that is formulated to break through the grime and old lube that builds up from regular use. Each manufacturer will have it’s own instructions on the can or bottle but they usually require you to apply fairly liberally while spinning the rear wheel to access the entire length of the chain.

The easiest way to do this is to pop the bike onto it’s centre stand, if it has one, or raise the rear wheel using a paddock stand. This allows you to spin the rear wheel freely to run the chain round , allowing you to easily clean the entire length. It’s probably a good idea to protect the ground underneath your bike with some old cardboard, or something similar, to catch the wet dirty excess that will run off the chain during cleaning.

Let’s have your top chain cleaning tips. Find our guide to the best chain cleaners we’ve used recently at the link: https://t.co/SQmGRtYT7X pic.twitter.com/hkXnI2BhIX

— Motor Cycle News (@MCNnews) September 27, 2024

Some cleaners will then require you to use a chain cleaning brush or a cloth to wipe off excess cleaning fluid and the loosened grime, others may instruct you to rinse with water.

A chain brush is specifically designed with bristles in three directions to allow you to clean around the chain in one movement, making life a little easier. In terms of what cloth to use, a microfibre is perfect as you don’t want to leave lint or paper towel pieces behind when wiping the chain.

What to look for in a chain cleaner

In reality most chain cleaners are pretty similar, there probably isn’t going to be one that is head and shoulders above the rest. It’s going to come down to any brand loyalty that you may have, which type of application you like, be it aerosol spray or a hand pump spray and how much you are willing to spend.

Some will be more environmentally friendly than others, although most are not due to the strength of chemicals required. Others also stand out from the crowd by applying a scent to the product.

Coupled with this is whether they are solvent or water-based – if the latter, they can be rinsed off easily but the former may need multiple applications of the same product to achieve a good result – expensive and potentially harmful.

Also, the way in which they work is important; some are designed to be sprayed on and left while others require additional agitation. In fact, even the spray-on versions can benefit from some physical help on particularly dirty chains.

The best chain cleaners that we have tried

These chain cleaners have been tested by MCN staff on our fleet and personal bikes. They have been rated on their quality and value to determine how well they clean the chain and whether they are good value for the price.

Other chain cleaners we are still to test

Some other chain cleaners that may be worth considering, that we have not yet had a chance to test, but we intend to soon.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to use chain cleaner or can I use petrol?

Never be tempted to clean a chain with anything other than proper chain cleaner; something harsher, like petrol, can eat into the seals that ensure oil is maintained within each link and protects from within and you can actually make things much worse. Just use a product designed for the task and you’ll be fine.

I don’t have a paddock stand or centre stand, how do I clean my chain?

Using a paddock stand or lift of some sort is definitely easier and can be useful for several other motorbike related chores but you can clean and maintain your chain without one. The simplest way to do it alone is to clean the chain in sections, rolling the bike forward a short distance each time to access more of the chain, until you have done a full chain rotation. Similarly if you have a helper to hand, one person can roll the bike while the other follows with the clearer and a cloth or brush.

How often should I be cleaning my chain?

Ideally, you should clean and re lubricate your motorcycle chain every week to keep it in tip top condition. If you don’t ride your bike very often then this could potentially be stretched out a little, but don’ leave your chain dirty for long as it will affect the health of your chain and your motorcycle.

How MCN tests products

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.

Each of our writers has an in-depth understanding of the needs of today’s biker… because they are one.

That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on. To make it onto this list, these chain cleaners must have been used for thousands of miles by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, clean the chain effectively as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests their chain cleaners for a variety of things, both subjective and objective, and these are no exception. Factors assessed include how easy they are to apply, how much scrubbing they require, how they smell, and if they are environmentally friendly.

We’ve used each of the tested chain cleaners in this page while we’ve been covering miles on test bikes in all the appropriate conditions for the product.

If you can’t see a review against a chain cleaner on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These items will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

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Our scores explained

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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