Red dust on my chain...What is it?

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  • jimfj
    Forum Mentor
    • Oct 2007
    • 453
    • Kansas City

    #1

    Red dust on my chain...What is it?

    77 550

    New chain (o ring) and new sprockets, 1000 miles ago.

    This may be a stupid question,

    After cleaning and lubing my chain, then riding 50-60 miles there appears a redish dust on the chain and the side stand where it comes up and under the front sprocket. There is no caked mud or crap under the drive sprocket cover and i have scraped and cleaned the area around the front sprocket. This is baffling me. Any clues as to what this mysterious red dust of doom is????? This has occured about 3 times. Basically cleaned and lubed the chain every 333 miles, +/- 2.5789 miles
    GS Score Card
    4-400 Series GS's
    3-500 Series
    1-600 Series
    1-700 Series
    4-800 Series
    1-1000 Series
    2-1100 series 1982 GS1100G In stable now
    sigpic
  • hampshirehog
    Forum LongTimer
    Past Site Supporter
    • Oct 2007
    • 12675
    • Hampshire. UK

    #2
    Sounds like rust, If you want to know where it's come from pop off the sprocket cover. Nothing to worry about.
    79 GS1000S
    79 GS1000S (another one)
    80 GSX750
    80 GS550
    80 CB650 cafe racer
    75 PC50 - the one with OHV and pedals...
    75 TS100 - being ridden (suicidally) by my father

    Comment

    • Steve
      GS Whisperer
      • Jun 2005
      • 35925
      • southwest oHIo

      #3
      Originally posted by jimfj
      Basically cleaned and lubed the chain every 333 miles, +/- 2.5789 miles
      You are neglecting your chain.

      It is supposed to be cleaned and lubed every 325 miles.

      .
      sigpic
      mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
      hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
      #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
      #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
      Family Portrait
      Siblings and Spouses
      Mom's first ride
      Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
      (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

      Comment

      • tkent02
        Forum LongTimer
        Past Site Supporter
        • Jan 2006
        • 35571
        • Near South Park

        #4
        Originally posted by Steve
        You are neglecting your chain.

        It is supposed to be cleaned and lubed every 325 miles.

        .
        What would you know about chains?
        http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...tatesMap-1.jpg

        Life is too short to ride an L.

        Comment

        • Steve
          GS Whisperer
          • Jun 2005
          • 35925
          • southwest oHIo

          #5
          Originally posted by tkent02
          What would you know about chains?
          I know that mine are lubed with engine oil and automatically tensioned.

          .
          sigpic
          mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
          hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
          #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
          #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
          Family Portrait
          Siblings and Spouses
          Mom's first ride
          Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
          (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

          Comment

          • jimfj
            Forum Mentor
            • Oct 2007
            • 453
            • Kansas City

            #6
            for the life of me I can't think of where the rust is coming from? I cleaned the bejesus out of the area under the sprocket cover. Not that I couldn't have missed something but oh well.

            I thought maybe the super grease in the O rings was red and coming out or something. I am too used to the worry free shafties.

            Bottom line it is kind of annoying.
            GS Score Card
            4-400 Series GS's
            3-500 Series
            1-600 Series
            1-700 Series
            4-800 Series
            1-1000 Series
            2-1100 series 1982 GS1100G In stable now
            sigpic

            Comment

            • chuck hahn
              Forum LongTimer
              Past Site Supporter
              • May 2009
              • 25918
              • Norman, Oklahoma

              #7
              The rust is coming from the pins that run thru the rollers and from the insides of the rollers themselves..many thing its an Oring chain and they done get lubed ever. Thats total bull crap. Youve got a seriuosly rusted and compromised chain.. plain and simple.
              MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
              1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

              NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


              I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.

              Comment

              • Guest

                #8
                I had the same red dust problem once as well, turned out it was the chain. Pull your chain and check the orings, links etc if any orings are missing or links binding toss the chain. If so, would be a good time to convert to a 530 chain and sprockets if you haven't done so already.

                Comment

                • 7981GS

                  #9
                  Originally posted by tkent02
                  What would you know about chains?
                  Good one Tom!!!
                  That one almost got me to...

                  Eric

                  Comment

                  • Steve
                    GS Whisperer
                    • Jun 2005
                    • 35925
                    • southwest oHIo

                    #10
                    Originally posted by tkent02
                    What would you know about chains?
                    Originally posted by Steve
                    I know that mine are lubed with engine oil and automatically tensioned.
                    Originally posted by 7981GS
                    Good one Tom!!!
                    That one almost got me to...

                    Eric
                    Keep laughing, guys, I have eight bikes at home, SEVEN of them have chains.

                    ONE of them even drives the rear wheel.

                    .
                    sigpic
                    mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
                    hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
                    #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
                    #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
                    Family Portrait
                    Siblings and Spouses
                    Mom's first ride
                    Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
                    (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

                    Comment

                    • 7981GS

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Steve
                      Keep laughing, guys, I have eight bikes at home, SEVEN of them have chains.

                      ONE of them even drives the rear wheel.

                      .
                      Do Hoveround's count?

                      Eric

                      Comment

                      • JEEPRUSTY

                        #12
                        Originally posted by jimfj
                        77 550

                        New chain (o ring) and new sprockets, 1000 miles ago.

                        This may be a stupid question,

                        After cleaning and lubing my chain, then riding 50-60 miles there appears a redish dust on the chain and the side stand where it comes up and under the front sprocket. There is no caked mud or crap under the drive sprocket cover and i have scraped and cleaned the area around the front sprocket. This is baffling me. Any clues as to what this mysterious red dust of doom is????? This has occured about 3 times. Basically cleaned and lubed the chain every 333 miles, +/- 2.5789 miles

                        Sounds like nice road dust
                        what colour is the soil up there in Kansas
                        In PEI the earth is a oxide red

                        I am a lazy man and I was you I would simply wet a washcloth with oil and slowly spin the wheel whilst gripping the chain with the oily rag.

                        Comment

                        • Steve
                          GS Whisperer
                          • Jun 2005
                          • 35925
                          • southwest oHIo

                          #13
                          Originally posted by 7981GS
                          Do Hoveround's count?

                          Eric
                          Nope. They have more than two wheels.

                          .
                          sigpic
                          mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
                          hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
                          #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
                          #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
                          Family Portrait
                          Siblings and Spouses
                          Mom's first ride
                          Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
                          (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

                          Comment

                          • bwringer
                            Forum LongTimer
                            Bard Award Winner
                            GSResource Superstar
                            Past Site Supporter
                            Super Site Supporter
                            • Oct 2003
                            • 17066
                            • Indianapolis

                            #14
                            Your chain's roached -- the red dust is rust from inside the chain.

                            Time to call Z1 Enterprises for a new chain and sprockets.
                            1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                            2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                            2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
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                            Comment

                            • Steel Toed Tank

                              #15
                              Isn't this a new chain with only 1000 miles on it?

                              Did it sit for years or something?

                              Comment

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