Undoubtedly, you need a perfect lubricant for your motorbike chain. In the market, you’re going to find two types of lubricant. The chain wax and chain lube and now the question arises, is chain wax better than lube? 

The chain wax and lube fall in the same category. Both are effective for lubricating and protecting your chain from dryness. However, both have different uses. You can use chain wax if you live in humid weather, on the other hand, you can use chain lube to deeply lubricate the motorbike chain. 

But what’re some conditions when to use chain lube, and what do you need to remember when applying chain lube?

Is Chain Wax Better than Lube: 

Chain wax and lube both come under the same category. But before understanding the primary difference between the two, you need to know why you should lubricate the chain. 

TV advertisements always tell us that you should lubricate your motorbike chain, so it never dries. But this is a half-truth. 

Motorcycle chains are of two different types: unsealed motorbike chains and sealed motorbike chains.

Unsealed chains or plain chains are no longer used in motorbikes. It’s because it needs a lot of lubrication to work fine and doesn’t last for years. 

Sealed chains or O-type, X- type rings chains, on the other hand, are already lubricated and don’t need any external lubrication to work fine. The best thing about sealed chains is that they last for years. 

So why do you need a lubricant for the chain? 

If your motorbike has a sealed chain, then you don’t need lubricant for the sake of smoothness. You need lubricant to make a wall around your motorbike chain so that it won’t corrode. 

And this is how big lubricant brands are creating FOMO and fooling you for the sake of chain smoothness.

So what should you choose, chain wax or chain lube, to prevent chain corrosion? 

You can choose anything to protect your motorcycle chain from corrosion but make sure it will last for months. 

Advantage and Disadvantage of Chain Lube: 

Chain lube can be a perfect choice, but I recommend checking the advantages and disadvantages of both before buying it for your motorbike. 

Advantage: 

Advantage of Chain Lube:

You can use chain lube anywhere and anytime.

Chain lube can penetrate anywhere in the motorbike chain.

Lubrication with chain lube isn’t time-consuming.

The most significant advantage of chain lube is that you can use chain lube anytime and anywhere.

Also, chain lube can penetrate hard reaching points, thanks to aerosol form and nozzle.  

You can lubricate your motorbike chain in minutes with chain lube, so don’t forget to count it in the advantage part. 

Disadvantage: 

Disadvantages of Chain Lube:

Chain lube can attract dust.

You’ve to wait at least for a couple of hours after lubrication.

Now let’s focus on the disadvantages. The most significant disadvantage of chain lube is that it is in wet form.

It means it can easily catch dust when riding, and this dust can make a grinding paste that would harm your motorbike chain permanently. 

Another disadvantage of using chain lube is that you can’t ride your motorbike for a couple of hours.

And you’ve to give some time so that the chain lube you’ve applied can dry evenly. Remember, good things come to those who wait! 

Advantage and Disadvantage of Chain Wax: 

Chain wax is a traditional alternative to chain lubes, but you should at least know the advantages and disadvantages of chain wax before using it. 

Advantage:

Advantage of Chain Wax:

Chain wax doesn’t attract dust.

Chain wax comes with great adhesive properties.

The chain wax can protect motorbike chains better than chain lube.

The most significant advantage of chain wax is that it is in wax form. It means it doesn’t catch dust when riding.

Chain wax also has excellent adhesive properties, making the chain wax used in high stress and high-temperature conditions. 

Additionally, the chain wax has better wall-making properties around the chain. It means it can protect the motorbike chain from humidity and corrosion better than the chain lube. 

Overall, it’s better to use chain wax if you live in humid weather. 

Disadvantage: 

Disadvantages of Chain Wax:

Chain wax lubrication is a time-consuming process.

You might have to apply chain wax more than one layer for better corrosion protection.

Application of chain wax is a messy process and can’t be done anywhere and anytime.

The most significant disadvantage of chain wax is that you can’t use chain wax anytime and anywhere. Also, unlike chain lube, the chain wax can’t penetrate into the hard reaching points.  

You can’t lubricate your motorbike chain in minutes with chain wax, so don’t forget to count it in the disadvantaged part. 

Additionally, sometimes riders have to apply more than one layer of wax to prevent the chain from corrosion, and it might cost you more. 

Steps for A Better Chain Maintenance: 

Bad chain health is nowadays the elephant in the room for riders.

If your regular chain maintenance includes washing the chain and lubing when it dries, then you should read these steps. 

Here’re the steps below that you need to follow for good chain maintenance.  

Steps for Chain Maintenance:
Observe Carefully.	Examine the chain closely for any damage.
	Try to rotate the rear wheel, in the ideal condition the rear tire should rotate freely or smoothly
	Closely examine the sprocket for any damage.
	Don’t forget to examine any rust or corrosion.
Chain Cleaning.	Always remember to clean the chain before lubricating it.
	Use a soft bristle brush or nylon brush if there’s any dirt between joints.
	Don’t use high-pressure jet sprays as it causes water buildup in between O, Z, and X rings.
Lubrication.	Lubricating the motorbike chain after riding, not before.
	Don’t go with cheap quality motorbike chain lubrication.
	Always get your motorcycle in the center stand so you can rotate the rear wheel easily.

Observe Carefully:

The first step for good chain maintenance is a close inspection which includes inspection of any damage or tear of the motorbike chain. 

• Examine the chain closely for any damage, or you can consult the motorbike manual. 
• Try to rotate the rear wheel; the rear tire should rotate freely or smoothly in the ideal condition. If you’re unable to turn the rear tire, then I recommend loosening the chain a bit. 

And if you don’t see the result afterward, then your motorbike might need a new chain.

• Closely examine the sprocket for any damage and make sure the teeth aren’t curved.
• Please don’t forget to inspect any rust or corrosion in the last step, as the corrosion might happen because of insufficient lubrication. 

Chain Cleaning: 

Chain cleaning is the second and most important part of good motorcycle chain maintenance. Cleaning the motorbike chain helps to get rid of dust, making dust paste when combined with lubricant. 

The ideal rule is to clean the chain every 500-800 miles. 

• Always remember to clean the chain before lubricating it. Please don’t use any stiff bristle brush for chain cleaning as it could harm your chain. 

Additionally, please don’t use any detergent and petroleum-based cleaner such as kerosene. 

• Use a soft bristle brush or nylon brush if there’s any dirt between joints. After cleaning, use clean water to remove any dust between the joints. 

• I recommend not using high-pressure jet sprays as it causes water buildup between O, Z, and X rings. Make sure your motorbike chain is dry before lubrication. 

Lubrication: 

You should lubricate your motorbike chain every 1000 miles, but you can also lubricate the chain every 500 miles if you do a lot of off-road riding. Here are a few things you should know before lubricating your motorbike chain. 

• I recommend lubricating the motorbike chain after riding, not before. The lubricating agent needs some time to evaporate and form gel-like material; it also helps the lube penetrate between the links. 

• I also recommend not choosing cheap quality motorbike chain lubrication. You can go with water-proof lubrication to extend the chain life in humid weather. 

• Always get your motorcycle in the center stand so you can rotate the rear wheel easily. Aim for spraying lubricant in between the chain, and spray until you cover three complete chain revolutions.

Also, read do motorbikes tires have tubes? Read Here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict: 

Is chain wax better than lube? The chain wax and lube fall in the same category. Both are effective for lubricating and protecting your chain from dryness. However, both have different uses.  

You can use chain wax if you live in humid weather to protect motorbike chains from corrosion effectively. On the other hand, you can use chain lube to deeply lubricate the motorbike chain. 

Chain lube would be better for your needs if you don’t live in humid weather and want to lubricate the motorbike chain without messing up your hands. 

Here are Some of My Favorite Riding Gears: 

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it helpful as you build your riding journey successfully. 

Here are some riding gears I use as a rider that I hope you’ll also find helpful.

These are affiliate links, so I’ll earn a commission if you decide to use any of them. But in all honesty, these are the same riding gears that I use and recommend to everyone, even my own family.

Motorbike Riding Pants:

For getting started, I like Scorpion EXO Covert Jeans for men (check the latest price on Amazon.com) and Indigo Protective Riding Jeans for women (check the latest price on Tobacco Motorwear).

These riding pants are comfortable so you can use these pants in summer, and these pants have a lot of space for using knee guards. 

Motorbike Riding Helmet:

Throughout my riding life, I used several helmets, and almost all helmets protect your head well. Still, I personally prefer YM- 929 Yema helmets as it comes with Bluetooth and aerodynamic ABS shells (check the latest price on Amazon.com).

And suppose you want an eye-appealing and yet effective helmet. In that case, you can go with Icon Airform Sacrosanct Helmet (check the latest price on Revzilla). 

Motorbike Riding Jacket:

Jackets are crucial to protect your upper body. Honestly, every rider has a dream to have an affordable yet best riding jacket. And that’s why I personally recommend the Alpinestars T faster motorbike jacket because of the protection and comfort it offers (check the latest price on Amazon.com). 

Motorbike Riding Gloves:

Almost all riding gloves perform well by protecting your hands from sunburn and cool nights. And if you’re a serious rider, then you should go with Alpinestars SMX-1 Air v2 Glove, which is lightweight and offers you excellent protection. (check the latest price on Revzilla).