Metal rubbing sound/Chain cleaner

[nicki.v]

My bike has a metal on metal kind of sound from the front tire area when I'm driving occasionally. It doesn't always happen and it can happen at various speeds. When braking there is more of a sound so I'm not sure if the brake needs to be adjusted?

It just rolled over 1000km so my husband and I will be doing the servicing soon. How do I clean and lubricate the chain? I've never owned a bike before now and neither has my husband.

[alantf]

The rubbing sound seems to suggest that the brake pads have worn down, so that the metal backing plate is rubbing on the brake disc. I would suggest that you check the pads before you do any more riding, because, if that is the problem, your braking will be impaired and you stand a chance of damaging the brake disc.

[5th_bike]

Ditto on the brake pads.

How do I clean and lubricate the chain?
The manual says to clean it with kerosene and then oil it with motor oil.
I use a paint brush, dip it in some kerosene, and have a paint tray under the chain to catch the drips. Then I use paper towels to get most of the kerosene off.
Then, let it dry for a few hours and apply some oil. Too much oil will fling off when you ride.

[Water Warrior 2]

With only 1000 km on the bike it might be rust or corrosion on the disc. Lack of use will do that. Practice a few hard stops going in a straight line with the front brake. You can wear off or burn off some deposits while practicing front brake control.
When my Vstrom sat for a while both front discs would make noise and pulsate through the lever until a few hard slow downs to clean things up. Oddly enough, the rear disc brake never acted up.

[nicki.v]

Thank you! I will check the brakes and stop at our local store to pick up supplies for the chain maintenance.

[alantf]

WW.....she doesn't say that the bike has only 1000 miles on it - just that she has done 1000 miles. If it was bought second hand we don't know what the total mileage is.

nicki ..... How many miles does it show on the odometer. If you let us know, we can let you know what needs to be done as regards servicing. :tup:

[nicki.v]

I bought it with only 950 Km on it and now it has a little over 1000 Km (600 miles) on it. It is second hand and a 2009.

[alantf]

yes, that does seem rather low mileage for the pads to wear out. I live on a very hilly island, and my pads last between 2000 and 4000 km. I'd still do a check on the pads and disc though. You never know what the previous owner was like, and we don't want any accidents or damage. You can use a torch (flashlamp) to give you a rough check of the pads, by shining it from the front of the caliper, into it. If they seem ok, then follow WW's advice, and see if that clears the noise. I get the noise (but more from the rear brake) if the bike has been standing for any length of time, but it soon goes away after a couple of applications of the brakes. If it comes back, later, while you're riding, I'd still suspect worn pads.

[Water Warrior 2]

Alantf. Years ago when dirt riding we would often loose rear brake effectiveness and develop some noise. The brake shoes were just dirty and the drum would be somewhat corroded from water crossings. Standing on the brake pedal was often a useless task for any reduction in motion.
Bought new brakes shoes and lightly sanded the drum to fix the problem.

Now, being a cheap bugger and hating to throw out next to new but ineffective brake shoes I tried an experiment. I lightly sand blasted the brake shoe lining. Talk about a magic trick. Absolutely perfect. All the slippery coating was removed from the lining and I always had spare clean brake shoes handy. This might work for the GZ as well. Any glazing on the lining will be removed. Sand the drum with emery cloth and put the bike back together.