How do I clean the drivechain?

Note: You don't have to clean your chain every time you lube it. The chain should be cleaned when there is noticeable grit on it, it looks dirty, or you've been doing a lot of riding in the rain. In general, you can usually lube several times before it's necessary to clean.

All it takes is a spray can of WD40, (or, better yet, a can of it in liquid form) a spray can of O-ring chain lube, and a handful of old rags to clean your chain. The propellant in WD-40 is not good for O-Ring chains, so either spray the WD-40 on the rag, or buy a bottle of liquid WD-40, that you can apply directly to the rag.

Some people like to avoid WD-40 all together. They use kerosene or diesel fuel as a cleaner. There are no explosive fumes with kerosene. It must be atomized or soaked into a wick before it will burn. Kerosene soaked rags are a hazard and must be disposed of, but kerosene is MUCH safer than gasoline.

First, put the bike on the centerstand and make sure it's in neutral, the engine is not running, and the pipes are cool to the touch.

Then rotate the rear wheel by hand. Clean the exposed section of the chain as you go with your soaked rag. Try to avoid getting any WD-40 on the rear disc.

Once the chain has been soaked, keep rotating the rear wheel and wipe the chain down throughly and repeatedly with the old cotton rags, getting off all of the dirt that you can. You may use several clean rags in addition to the one with the cleaner on it. This is really messy, takes a while, and you should plan on tossing the rags when you get done. And washing your hands for about an hour. (Latex or nitrile gloves are an option here.)

Try not to catch your thumb between the chain and the rear sprocket more than once or twice as it really hurts! **#%!! Spinning the wheel so that the chain is moving away from the rear sprocket will prevent this from happening.

Once the chain is clean (sort of) and dry, spray on the chain lube; use a cardboard mask to keep the lube more or less where you want it.

Let bike stand for a few minutes (some people recommend overnight; read the directions) and then go ride.