Motorcyclist USA — September-October 2017

MOTORCYCLISTONLINE.COM | 97

JULIA LAPALME

� ASK MY COWORKERS or any of my

racing buddies about my chain-

husbandry habits and they’ll say they’re

borderline obsessive. I’m the guy who

wipes down and lubes his links between

races, and I’ve hollered over at riders in

traffi c to let them know that their drive-

trains need love. In a nutshell, I’m nuts

about chain maintenance.

And I have a kindred spirit in Basile

Andrews, owner of Tirox and the creator

of the 360° chain brush. “I saw a lot of

dirty chains out there,” Andrews says,

“and I knew what products were already

available for cleaning chains, and I knew

I could do better.” And he has. I’ve tried

nearly every cleaning product and method

out there, and aside from a submersion in

gasoline (not recommended for O-ring

chains), nothing does a more thorough job

than the Tirox 360° brush.

As the brush’s name suggests, it hits

the chain from all angles, so it reaches

between the side plates, in among the

rollers, and all around the O-rings. It’s

basically just a row of stiff nylon bristles,

crimped in a steel spine and twisted into

a spiral that encircles your chain two and

a half times. The brush’s fl exible nature

means the same tool works on 400-,

500-, and 600-series chains.

Using the 360° bush is easier than

any other brush contraption out

there, with no assembly or special

positioning required. Just douse your

chain in kerosene or degreaser, spin

the brush on like a corkscrew, run it

along the links, and rinse with a hose.

I like to wipe the chain down with a

clean rag and then take the bike for a

quick ride to dry off all the water, and

then it’s ready to receive your chain

lube of choice. Andrews has also devel-

oped his own chain cleaner and lube

(he says he was dissatisfied with other

products), and his cleaner comes with

a 360° brush stored in the cap.

Why does a clean chain matter?

Well, it looks better, for one, but it

also yields less friction, better fuel

mileage, quieter operation, and longer

life. And for clean-chain evangelists

like Andrews and me, there’s even

more to it than that. “It’s like getting

that overdue haircut or cleaning your

garage. It just feels good, like you have

corrected a wrong.” I couldn’t have

said it better myself. —Ari Henning

MC TESTED

TIROX 360° CHAIN BRUSH

Three hundred sixty degrees of clean

A+

So simple and effective, it’s amazing that

nobody thought of it before.

$13

tiroxproducts.com

WHAT ARE YOU CARRYING?

LAUNCH 7 7900GRYBLK

READY WHEN YOU NEED IT

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Comply with all local laws and regulations

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MCY1017_TEST.indd 97 7/24/17 3:37 PM