A long motorcycle tour puts your bike through far more than a typical Sunday ride.
Rain, dust, gravel and hundreds of miles day after day all take their toll, especially on your chain.
During our tour of Norway, we quickly realised that the maintenance routine we followed at home wasn’t enough when riding every day in changing conditions.
A few minutes of care each evening gave us confidence that the bike would be ready for the next day’s adventure.
How do you maintain a motorcycle chain during a long tour?
Quick Tips
- Check your chain regularly, especially after riding in heavy rain.
- Clean away grit before applying fresh lubricant.
- Carry a small can of chain lube if you’re touring for several days.
- A lightweight trail jack can make maintenance much easier when travelling solo.
- Don’t wait until your chain starts making noise.
Why Touring Is Harder on Your Chain
Your chain is constantly exposed to whatever the road throws at it.
Over a long tour, that often means:
- Heavy rain washing lubricant away.
- Dust and gravel sticking to the chain.
- Long days carrying luggage over changing terrain.
None of these are unusual on an adventure tour.
The key is simply recognising that your bike may need a little more attention than it does at home.
MotoKind Field Note
We found it much easier to spend five minutes checking the bike each evening than worrying about it halfway through the next day’s ride.
It soon became part of the touring routine.
A Trail Jack Is Worth Packing
One of the most useful pieces of equipment we carried wasn’t expensive or complicated.
It was a lightweight trail jack.
Many touring and adventure bikes don’t have a centre stand, which makes cleaning and lubricating the chain much harder when travelling alone.
A trail jack allows you to lift the rear wheel just enough to rotate it while the bike remains stable on its side stand.
If you’re touring solo, it’s a surprisingly useful addition to your toolkit.
After Heavy Rain
Rain can wash away chain lubricant much faster than many riders expect.
If you’ve spent the day riding through persistent wet weather, it’s worth checking the chain once you’ve stopped for the evening.
Applying fresh lubricant while the chain is still slightly warm can help it work into the rollers before the next day’s ride.
After Gravel Roads
One mistake that’s easy to make is spraying more lubricant onto a dirty chain.
If grit has built up, it’s better to wipe the chain clean first.
Otherwise you’re simply trapping abrasive dirt against the moving parts.
A small rag or compact chain brush takes very little room in your luggage and makes the job much easier.
Make It Part of Your Evening Routine
Long tours are much easier when small maintenance jobs become habits rather than emergencies.
At the end of each riding day we gradually settled into a simple routine:
- Check the tyres.
- Check the chain.
- Clean the visor.
- Plug in electronics to charge.
- Look over the route for tomorrow.
None of it took long, but it meant each morning started with confidence rather than uncertainty.
Help Improve This Guide
Have you found a chain lubricant that coped particularly well with long-distance touring?
Perhaps you’ve discovered a compact trail jack that’s easy to pack, or picked up a useful maintenance tip while travelling.
Share your experience with MotoKind and help us build trusted knowledge that makes touring easier for the next rider.
Continue Your Norway Tour
- Motorcycle Ferry Crossings: A Rider’s Guide to Stress-Free Sea Travel
- Hytte or Tent? What We Learned About Motorcycle Camping in Norway
- Fuel Stops in Norway: What Every Motorcycle Rider Should Know
- Riding Through Norway’s Mountain Tunnels
- Don’t Make the Same Mistake We Did: Keeping Your Riding Gear Safe in Norway
- Looking After Your Chain on a Long Motorcycle Tour