D.I.D Chain Maintenance

D.I.D Chain Maintenance

Clayton Solise |

1. Cleaning & Lubrication

D.I.D does not recommend maintaining any drive chain with kerosene.

Cleaning a sealed chain with kerosene would cause deformation of the seal ring and can oftentimes lead to rusting of a chain due to the removal of grease on the chain’s surface, which increases the risk of chain corruption and chain failure. It is highly likely that use of kerosene on a sealed drive chain will drastically decrease the chains performance.

For cleaning and lubricating, D.I.D recommends use of exclusive oils that state to be seal-ring safe to properly maintain any drive chain.


Clean the chain by wiping with a soft cloth dampened with an O-Ring/X-Ring® safe cleaner and dry completely every 300miles (500kms) to prevent surface rust and ensures maximum performance. To protect X-Ring®, never use steam, thinner or such volatile solvents as gasoline or benzene, and a wire bush as well. Lube the chain every other use with an O-Ring/X-Ring safe lubricant.


2. Replacement Time
Recommended max stretch of sealed chains are 1% and non-sealed chains are 2% of the overall length of the chain. (Sealed = .75” of 120L chain. Non-Sealed = 1.5” of 120L chain.) Rust, stiffness, or missing X-Rings may cause the chain to break prematurely. If you find any of these circumstances, excessive elongation, or abnormal noise during use, please replace the chain and sprockets at the same time.

3. Battery Liquid/Corrosive Materials
Whenever battery (acid) liquid comes in contact with a chain, the entire chain must be replaced. This may compromise the chain’s integrity. Be sure to clean the chain after contact with corrosive materials like rock salt.


4. Replacing Sprockets
Replace them promptly with new ones when the wear approaches the maximum permissible limit, or if they sustain any damage that might affect safe riding. For questions regarding replacement of sprockets, contact your dealer’s service department.


5. The condition and quality of the entire chain system affects the performance and life of the sprockets. Check your chain for wear and adjustment, as well as sprocket alignment when replacing sprockets. A deteriorated chain system may cause extreme sprocket wear and reduced life. DO NOT change chain size and type, or sprocket tooth number and size as required by the manufacturer of your motorcycle for street legal use.

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