A mate with a Beemer 1200GS took pity on me having a chain on the V2 and gave me this carrier (one of many he's made)
Pretty much a universal (bike) fit and on the V2 with givi racks it sits neatly and securely out of harms way behind the right side pannier rack (left one has my custom made tool tube).
Pretty simple and works well. Comprised of a a bit of tin, some rolling and tweaking, two small welds and a rubber battery strap from a DR350. No excuse for a dry chain on the road.
Good one, Trackrider. Although that particular final drive failure didn't happen to me (other smaller things did:crying2 it came up often enough on the BMW forums that I lost confidence in my R1150GS for a trip to AK and got the Wee instead. To this day I don't think BMW has acknowledged that well-documented problem. Or ANY problem for that matter.
In Sept 2006 BMW revised the service recommendation for final drives to include final drive oil change at the 600-mi service (previously was considered lifetime lubricated).
We sell Scott oilers as well, but I believe most people prefer the incredibly easy installation and reliability of the TUTORO over the Scott.
There is no chance of a vacuum leak or electrical issue with the TUTORO since the TUTORO does not tie into any of these systems.
I haven't sold a single Scott oiler since bringing on TUTOROs.
Speaking of, call, email, or shoot us a contact form if you would like a great deal on either the electric or vacuum operated Scott Oilers. I would like to get them off the shelf. Contact Us - AdventureTech, LLC.
If you could connect a hose to that chain lube can and direct it to your chain then you could just hit the button once in a while, let the riding of the bike mix it for you, ride some bumpy roads first or something.
My Loobman chain oiler is working out great although I have my doubts about the nozzle on the end, I might consider putting a Tutoro nozzle on it at some point. An automated oiler is a great idea.
Now that I am married and older - and gave up my giant garage with a loft - I decided that I don't really want to do much chain maintenance. When I bought the Vee2, I also bought a Cameleon Chain Oiler. I am not advocating for this solution yet, as I am just wrapping up my break-in period. Time will tell and I will wait a bit before offering up a review.
I remember being on a multi-day ride with a national motorcycle magazine columnist when he asked me to balance his bike on the side stand so he could spin the back wheel & spray his chain. That was >15 years ago, but it set my mind on the idea that there has to be a better way.
I like that....... Hit a button and spray lube on the chain. Great thinking!
I liked my Lubeman, but the delivery system got eaten up between the chain and sprocket. I made a single feed nozzle that bolted to the left side swing arm spool spot. That worked pretty good when I remembered to "squeeze the bottle."
NTbill - I know what you mean, but it's good to have a tire repair kit when riding in groups. Otherwise your less prepared friends will suffer (and you along with them).
I'm imagining a chain lube can controlled by a push button on the handlebars. Some type of solenoid mounted so you could replace the can like a cartridge. Just hit the button at a slow speed for ten seconds or so every hundred miles.
I think that is over-complicating it. One of my forum friends over on wristtwisters has a system where he mounts his favorite can of lube to his soft bags in a smaller soft bag, then he runs some weedeater fuel line from the cut down tube off the can to a little bracket he made hold the red tubes his chain gaurd. His setup is on a 919 Hornet that he tours on. He has it accesible so that he just reaches back and gives a little push on the nozzle every so often to squirt directly on the chain. He just moved it to where it squirts up close to the front sprocket so that it doesn't get onto the tire. He's also done a lot of trips, Iron butts and such, and primarily uses wd-40 and has had good results with that alone. His handle on wristtwisters is Ken Phenix. I've been considering copying it for the Vee, just instead setting it up to use a chain wax lube. Some of you may or may not want to sign up (or may already subscriber there) but here is a link to his setup. It's something you could easily do with ship tools.
It's not at all clear to me why these gravity-feed oiling systems don't leave a nice puddle under your bike when left sitting for a few days.
It's also not clear to me why it's such an onerous task to shoot a little oil manually onto the chain at the end of a day's ride -- much the way people have been doing it since Messrs Harley and Davidson attached an engine to a bicycle. Maybe after I have another 45 years riding under my belt I'll understand these mysteries.:grin2:
I think for people who may be on a long ride doing several hundred miles a day (for an Iron Butt or Bun Burner) it's probably more important to keep moving so time on the stand doing chain maintenance makes it impossible to stick to the schedule and they want to oil on the go. I know in the past Ken's done several iron butt's so he definitely falls into that category. In my case there are weekends where I might ride south or north from my location 250 to 300 miles, then ride some more while I am there, and then ride back, and it just so happens this bike doesn't have a centerstand. I have a rear stand at home for doing stuff there, but really don't want to spend any more money on the Vee than necessary, so to me it costs a lot less to build a setup like Ken's than the cost of a centerstand just to be able to oil the chain while not at home.
I think for people who may be on a long ride doing several hundred miles a day (for an Iron Butt or Bun Burner) it's probably more important to keep moving so time on the stand doing chain maintenance makes it impossible to stick to the schedule and they want to oil on the go. I know in the past Ken's done several iron butt's so he definitely falls into that category. In my case there are weekends where I might ride south or north from my location 250 to 300 miles, then ride some more while I am there, and then ride back, and it just so happens this bike doesn't have a centerstand. I have a rear stand at home for doing stuff there, but really don't want to spend any more money on the Vee than necessary, so to me it costs a lot less to build a setup like Ken's than the cost of a centerstand just to be able to oil the chain while not at home.
Ummm.....if I recall correctly there is also a method which involves moving the bike ahead or back a few feet to expose different areas of the chain. This technique is commonly employed while trying to put the valve stem in a convenient position for checking air pressure as well.
OK, I'm being sarcastic. But a) few of us are Iron Butt riders; and b) there is virtue in simplicity. I have ridden to AK and the Yucatan (twice) without incident on chain-driven bikes by using my antiquated methods. The more gizmos the more potential for failure. The thing that would really put me off the Tutoro oiler is that it seems to require their proprietary oil of the proper viscosity to flow correctly. That ain't going to be easy to find in West Butthole, Yukon on the way to Anchorage.
I can't speak for Tutoros, but I have a Scottoiler vSystem and a Lube Tube (which is a pain in the ass to hide on a Glee) - full, it's good for a ridiculous range. I've done almost 15000 km since I last filled the whole system, and I've not even run the Lube Tube dry yet. And the chain's well lubricated. I have a small bottle of oil I took on my last 10 day trip expecting I might need to top up, no need.
Yeah it's true it's easy enough to roll the bike forward but to some it's enough of an annoyance to solve but not enough to spend money on a scottoiler. I personally wouldn't go so far as to get a scottoiler but then again I am on a budget in most regards and while I don't mind spending money where it is necessary I try to get the dollar value justified and if I can fix a setup like this for 10 or so dollars or if I have enough spare parts around to engineer this solution then I'm all about cleaning out stuff out of the junk drawer and resolving an annoyance. I figure a project like Ken's setup is pretty slick for someone who wants to ride and have it be a low buck solution for an annoyance that is also reliable (as in not having electronics or wiring or cause a potential vacuum leak while on the road). Everyone has their preference, most certainly.
Agree.
It's great to hear the different opinions and different purchased- as well as homemade (and innovative) setups. Wasn't my intention to start a "who has best or which is the best" type discussion, more just to flag an easy (or alternative) carrying option for those (like myself) who don't mind doing stuff manually (I have a centre stand tho) and get some satisfaction from home built. It's been great to follow the discussion and see what's happening out there.:smile2:
Bill.
NOPE - TUTORO dos not require a special oil. TUTORO sells some really good oil, but you can use 20wt, just not ATF.
Same with Scott.
Using or not using an auto chain oiler is a personal choice based on personal factors. If you know you don't need one I doubt anybody will talk you into one. I on the other hand can rarely find my wallet, keys, and cell phone without asking my significantly better half where they are and manually oiling a chain isn't as great a pleasure for me as for others.
ATF is pretty thin. I think it's around 7.5 weight. The orifice of most of the auto oilers is too large for that thin an oil so it comes out too quick. It'll probably work on the auto oilers that take speed/distance into account just fine but the "auto" oilers that use vacuum or inertia to lube the chain don't have enough adjustment for ATF.
They say that some ATFs are corrosive to brass (one of the metals used in the unit).
I forgot to answer the earlier question about why gravity feed oilers don't leave a pool of oil on the floor. Some do. :crying2: It depends on the mechanism for stopping flow. The Lubeman, as innovative as it is, can leave a pool of oil on the floor.
The Scott vSystem and TUTORO both have valves that close when the bike is not in use. The vSystem uses a vacuum operated valve that opens when the motor is running and closes when vacuum is not present.
The TUTORO uses a motion operated valve. When the bike is rumbling along the valve is periodically opened. When things are still (e.g., parked and engine off) the valve is closed.
One other important factor is the chosen diameter of the oil lines down to the feed nozzle. By carefully selecting the diameter capillary effect helps prevent dripping.
Not so much with the Lubeman or homemade primer bulb oilers. Once oil is started down the tube it's going to go down the tube regardless of the length of your ride.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
StromTrooper
1.7M posts
66.6K members
Since 2003
A forum community dedicated to all Suzuki Strom owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, purchasing, reviews, accessories, maintenance, and more!