I've got a 2023 Honda CB500F that I parked for about 4 months during winter. Just pulled the cover off and noticed the chain has some surface rust spots and feels a bit stiff. Is this normal? Should I be worried about permanent damage, or can I just clean it up and re-lube it?
Not quite as normal as you might think - proper winterization should've prevented most of that rust. But the good news is surface rust on a chain is totally reversible; just hit it with some penetrating oil, work it back and forth a few times to break up the stiffness, then clean it thoroughly and apply a good chain lube, and you'll be back to normal.
Surface rust on a chain after winter storage is pretty common if you didn't coat it beforehand, but it's nothing to panic about - chains are designed to handle this stuff. You'll get most of it off with a degreaser and a brush, then just dry it thoroughly and hit it with a good chain lube. The stiffness should ease up once you work the lube in and ride it a bit; if it stays stiff after that, you might want to check for kinks or damage under the rust, but odds are you're fine.
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