Can I Use Bicycle Chain Lube On A Motorcycle Chain

It can be done in an emergency, especially for off-road motorcycle chains without oil seals (non-O-ring), but this is definitely not a long-term solution.

The reason is simple, there are specialisations. Motorcycle chain oil is usually thicker and more viscous. It is originally designed to cope with the high temperature and high-speed operation brought by the engine, while protecting the fragile O-ring; while bicycle chain oil is designed to adapt to low speed and direct contact between metals. Much thinner.

If you insist on mixing these two products, the result is: bicycle oil cannot be used on motorcycles at all, and acceleration is gone; while motorcycle oil is used on bicycles, it is simply a powerful vacuum cleaner., Will adhere too much dirt.

Therefore, the safest way is to use special funds: motorcycles use special motorcycle chain oil (especially for O-type/X-type oil seal chains), and bicycles use bicycle oil. Although there are some so-called “universal” chain oil on the market, from the perspective of professional maintenance, the effect is almost meaningful.

Why It Is Not Recommended To Use Motorcycle Oil On Bicycles

Too viscous: Motorcycle chain oil usually contains a heavy wax component, the purpose is to adhere to the high-speed rotating chain and protect the rubber seal.

Performance loss: This heavy oil is a disaster when used on bicycles. It will absorb a large amount of sand and dust, forming a similar to the “grinding paste” mixture. This not only accelerates wear, but also makes chain cleaning a nightmare.

Bicycle Oil Used On Motorcycles: It Works, But The Effect Is Very Poor

Temporary emergency: On a non-sealed (no oil seal) cross-country motorcycle chain, it can temporarily work to help you stay in the forest until you get home.

Very short life: due to poor heat resistance and anti-dumping, it cannot provide long-lasting protection like special motorcycle oil.

Insufficient protection for O-rings: Although it does not corrode the rubber, it does not provide the high-temperature protection and long-lasting moisture required to seal the chain.

Best Practice Is Separate Maintenance

I suggest keeping two tanks of oil in the garage: tank is highly permeable bicycle oil (dry or wet according to the weather), and the other is high-temperature resistant and high-adhesion motorcycle oil (usually wax-based or oil-sealed).

Clean first: No matter what kind of car you maintain, you must clean the chain before oiling. Wipe off old oil and sludge to prevent dirt accumulation.

Why Is Bicycle Oil Only “Barely Available” On Motorcycles?

Although technically speaking, in order to ride home or cope with a short distance, you can spray bicycle oil on the motorcycle chain, but you must be aware of its limitations. The core differences are in viscosity and durability.

The formula of bicycle oil is designed to be very thin, in order to penetrate into the precise cracks in the bicycle chain-after all, the bicycle relies on the output of human legs and the speed is low. But when you use this thin liquid on a motorcycle, it faces two hurdles:

Poor heat resistance: When the motorcycle is running at high speed, the friction of the chain will generate huge heat. Bicycle oil will decompose rapidly under such thermal conditions, causing metal parts to be directly exposed to the air and lose lubrication.

Insufficient adhesion: Bicycle oil has not considered thousands of revolutions per minute. When you twist the throttle to accelerate, the huge centrifugal force will instantly throw the thin bicycle oil clean. This is basically equivalent to no protection for long-distance riding.

For off-road vehicle chains without O-rings, it may not be a problem to use this once in a while, but for road cars or street cars, the lubrication provided by this is far from enough.

Protecting Expensive O-Rings

Modern street cars are basically equipped with O-type or X-type oil seal chains as standard. The rubber seals in these chains are crucial, locking the grease from the factory inside the pins and rollers while keeping the dirt out.

Motorcycle special oil: These oils have been chemically engineered to be safe for rubber and thick enough to wrap around the outside of O-rings to prevent them from drying and cracking at high temperatures.

Bicycle oils: Although they usually do not chemically attack rubber, they lack “retention”. They evaporate too quickly, or are easily washed away by rain, and cannot continuously moisturize the O-ring. I have seen too many cases of premature aging of the sealing ring due to improper lubrication, and finally had to spend a lot of money to replace the chain.

Why You Should Avoid Using Motorcycle Oil On Your Bicycle

On the other hand-using heavy motorcycle oil on the delicate bicycle chain-the impact on the riding experience is immediate.

Squeeze Your Stamina

Motorcycle oil is heavy and sticky. When it is applied to a bicycle chain, this viscosity will produce significant physical resistance. Motorcycles have dozens of hundreds of horsepower. But bicycles rely on your limited wattage. You will obviously feel that the pedaling becomes heavy and sluggish, like glue in the chain.

The “Grinding Paste” Effect

Because motorcycle oil was originally designed to hang on the chain at 120 kilometers per hour, it is very sticky. Used on a bicycle, it becomes a powerful pollutant magnet that will attract:

• Pavement gravel
• Sand
• Dust

When these things are mixed together, they turn the lubricating oil into “abrasive paste”, which quickly wears your dental plate and flywheel. Moreover, once this thick layer of sludge hardens, cleaning the bicycle chain becomes the disaster, often requiring heavy degreasing to clean.

Choose The Right Lubricant

In order to keep both cars in your garage alive longer, the best strategy is not to mix products across borders unless you have.

Select a dedicated product:

For bicycles: Choose thin, permeable oil. Rainy days choose “wet “, dusty environment choose “dry”, try to reduce ash absorption.

For motorcycles: use a high-adhesion, heat-resistant spray (usually wax-based) specially marked with O-ring/X-ring to ensure that it can withstand the centrifugal force at high speeds.

Strictly adhere to the “clean first” principle:

No matter which machine you are serving, never cover dirty old oil directly with new oil. Clean the chain thoroughly first to remove old oil and grit. After putting the oil on the roller, wipe off the excess oil-this is the most overlooked step for novices and the most valued step for veterans. The oil on the outside of the chain does not help lubrication, it only sucks soil. Be sure to dry the surface of the chain with a rag to prevent sludge accumulation.

Author: Mark Davis

With over 17 years of experience wrenching on both motocross bikes and road bicycles, I know how critical proper lubrication is for performance. I specialize in drivetrain maintenance and write practical guides to help riders choose the right products to extend the life of their chains and gears.