Chain soaker
FZ 1S suffers treacly fox turd issues…
NO MATTER HOW old I get, I still seem capable of schoolboy errors. This time it’s to do with the FZ-1’S chain, which I have managed to trash. Knowing I would be leaving the FZ standing for a couple of months while I rack up miles on the CB1000R+, I sprayed the chain in lube, plugged in the Optimate and headed off to play in the sunshine. What I forgot was that my last ride was wet, and although there was no surface rust on the chain, water was corroding the rollers beneath the lube. Two months later, most links are locked solid. Cock. Maybe if I get the chain off and soak it, it’ll heal. But first, the sprocket nut – if you take the chain off first it’s a pig to undo. Removing the sprocket cover reveals where the chain lube I’ve been spraying over four years has ended up. A mass of black gunge as big as my fist clings to the frame like a treacly fox turd. After scooping out the deposit and undoing the nut, I grind off a couple of chain rivets (fire extinguisher at the ready after ‘The Dremel Inferno’ of 2016) and off comes the chain. An overnight soak in paraffin does nothing so I hunt for a replacement. Why are all chains gold these days? I have no desire to wear a sequined pink bandana, and I do not wish to adorn the FZ-1 with the motorcycling equivalent. Finally I find a plain DID O-ring chain, with sprockets, for £90. After all that, I think I’ll get an automatic oiler. Any recommendations?