I got the Scottoiler vSystem V-Strom edition. Mounted the reservoir with some zip-ties to the battery box on the right side of the bike. There's just enough space between the frame and the fairing for adjustments and refill. I've got it set to the lowest setting, which is enough, and requires me to do about one additional fill between the 6000-km services.
With the oiler behind the fairing it's a very unobtrusive system. In fact, you'd have to look really hard at the bike to see that it's got an oiler installed anyway. My bike is used for commuting a lot, and gets parked in a lot of places that are not totally secure from prying eyes, petty vandalism and so forth. Think city center Amsterdam.
I've used Scott manual systems for years. Never had to remove the reseveiour to refill it simply remove the rubber fill plug and use a condiment squeeze bottle with a pointed nozzle to top it up with ATF.
600 miles might also be over oiling the chain. The small reseveiour should last 1000+/- miles.
Nice job, it just clicked, Scott(land) Oiler. Very cool. I see the controller in your pics, but I'm not seeing the oiler or feed tube. Nice upgrades btw - sharp looking. I'm hoping to reach the magical 50k mile chain life with my oiler. I keep forgetting to look at the chain once in awhile.
I sold Scott Oilers for a while. Never had a customer have a problem with one other than the need to replace the consumables (feed nozzles). I like everything about the Esystem except the size of the controller/display. But that is just a personal taste thing. If the display had been smaller I would probably have one on my Vee2 now. If it doesn't bother you, it might be the best choice out there for people touring and willing to do the installation.
It's difficult to determine whether or not the automatic oilers are even needed if you have an 'O' ring chain. All chains need lubrication and knowing how your 'O' ring chain is assembled and works may help in knowing what areas are critical. But no matter whether or not you have an automatic oiler or do it manually your chain needs regular cleaning and lubrication even if its an 'O' ring chain. Lots of conflicting advice here and on the net but I found this video helpful and I found one chain manufacturer who supplied photos of a breakdown of their chain 'O' ring parts.
PS The main friction point on the 'O' ring chain is on the rollers mainly where the roller contacts the sprockets. Proper lube oil does make the 'O' ring happy but it shouldn't be the focus of lubrication. The end plates need lube so they won't rust up. Cleaning is where I think the focus should be on and care should be taken not to use cleaners or abrasive brushes that may harm the 'O' rings. Go ahead and spend money on an automatic oiler system but you still have to do the recommended maintenance whether you lube manually or automatically. Lubing the chain is the fastest and easiest part of chain maintenance. Dirt and water are the enemy and oilers and lube do not eliminate this enemy. My two bits, over and out.
PS The main friction point on the 'O' ring chain is on the rollers mainly where the roller contacts the sprockets. Proper lube oil does make the 'O' ring happy but it shouldn't be the focus of lubrication. The end plates need lube so they won't rust up. Cleaning is where I think the focus should be on and care should be taken not to use cleaners or abrasive brushes that may harm the 'O' rings. Go ahead and spend money on an automatic oiler system but you still have to do the recommended maintenance whether you lube manually or automatically. Lubing the chain is the fastest and easiest part of chain maintenance. Dirt and water are the enemy and oilers and lube do not eliminate this enemy. My two bits, over and out.
If you buy decent chains, rust shouldn't be an issue. The couple $10 bucks for the gold chains vs the natural ones are worth it since the plating adds a lot more corrosion resistance.
I used to buy into the "don't bother lubing the chain" line. Maybe that works if you only ride in a hermetically sealed environment where there's never any rain or sand.
I just got back from a cross-country trip where I neglected to lube following rain out of California (first in a long time, turned road into a soapy slip-n-slide) at which point my chain had around 17k miles. After 500 miles through the desert it stretched quite a bit and started showing the red dust of death, so I got some messy Napa brand lube in Las Vegas and kept applying it on the way home to Pennsylvania. It was at the limit of adjustment but didn't kink or throw o-rings, and looked clean. Went another thousand miles before I changed it last weekend.
I'm convinced as others have said, the main benefit of oiling is to get the dirt to fling off. And yes, you should be directing oil into the rollers as well. Leave it dirty and dry at your peril.
Whether or not you need to oil seems to be another hot topic .
Since I've added the oiler I like the feeling of reasurance of a smooth running chain when its raining , conditions are dry & dusty and when I'm far from home - I know , i'm from New Zealand , how can you be far from home compared to you in America or Aussie !!
PerazziMx14 I'm sure your right about over oiling the chain . I have run the oiler at a drop every 120 seconds but have settled at 90 .
I run a single nozzle - I like its simplicity compared to 2 and it seems to work .
Another feature of the Scottoiler main control unit is a red LED light goes on every time a drop is dispensed good to know its working .
Right, that's another time saver with an oiler, not having to clean the chain. The exception for me is when I spend hours on dusty gravel, I do wipe it down with extra oil so that I get more fling.
Right, that's another time saver with an oiler, not having to clean the chain. The exception for me is when I spend hours on dusty gravel, I do wipe it down with extra oil so that I get more fling.
..
"After 500 miles through the desert it stretched quite a bit and started showing the red dust of death...I'm convinced as others have said, the main benefit of oiling is to get the dirt to fling off. And yes, you should be directing oil into the rollers as well. Leave it dirty and dry at your peril."
All of the 'O' ring chain manufacturers recommend lubing your chain to keep the 'O' rings fresh and the chain from corroding. Manufacturers also state that chains do not "stretch" but "elongate". "Over time, the repeated pulling on the chain and overly tight chain adjustments causes the chain's subcomponents to physically elongate, and the distance between any two roller surfaces increases." The chain elongates but the sprocket teeth don't causing damage to the sprocket teeth. I hope you changed your sprockets when you changed your chain.
Personally I'd avoid over-lubing your chain. Over-coating your chain with lube could turn it into a giant revolving grime magnet. Perhaps that is why so much dirt is being "flung" from chains where there is so much oil being applied. If you ride in extreme conditions in dirt, mud and water, then perhaps an automatic oiler may be beneficial but I can't see how at every fill up spraying or applying a bit of lube on your chain is so onerous. Automatic oilers should not be used to defer cleaning your chain on a regular basis.
A great explanation on how your chain works and where lubrication is effective on 'O' ring chains and how some lubes work and other's work less than others: "spoiler alert" heavy gear oil 75w+ seems to win over the expensive sprays. But the chain shouldn't be swimming in the oil.
"After 500 miles through the desert it stretched quite a bit and started showing the red dust of death...I'm convinced as others have said, the main benefit of oiling is to get the dirt to fling off. And yes, you should be directing oil into the rollers as well. Leave it dirty and dry at your peril."
All of the 'O' ring chain manufacturers recommend lubing your chain to keep the 'O' rings fresh and the chain from corroding. Manufacturers also state that chains do not "stretch" but "elongate". "Over time, the repeated pulling on the chain and overly tight chain adjustments causes the chain's subcomponents to physically elongate, and the distance between any two roller surfaces increases." The chain elongates but the sprocket teeth don't causing damage to the sprocket teeth. I hope you changed your sprockets when you changed your chain.
Personally I'd avoid over-lubing your chain. Over-coating your chain with lube could turn it into a giant revolving grime magnet. Perhaps that is why so much dirt is being "flung" from chains where there is so much oil being applied. If you ride in extreme conditions in dirt, mud and water, then perhaps an automatic oiler may be beneficial but I can't see how at every fill up spraying or applying a bit of lube on your chain is so onerous. Automatic oilers should not be used to defer cleaning your chain on a regular basis.
A great explanation on how your chain works and where lubrication is effective on 'O' ring chains and how some lubes work and other's work less than others: "spoiler alert" heavy gear oil 75w+ seems to win over the expensive sprays. But the chain shouldn't be swimming in the oil.
I understand that the metal isn't elastic, but I also don't think it really matters how you refer to the process. Speaking of semantics, if oiling causes the dirt to fall off, isn't it effectively cleaning it? The video didn't go into "swimming" in oil, and I kind of wish it had. It would be interesting to know the dirt flinging properties of each oil type. Personally I can't think of any possible reason why oiling more would hurt the chain even though it makes the rest of the bike and the environment dirtier.
My chain was almost spotless when I replaced it. The front sprocket had surprisingly little wear, and I could probably have reused the rear sprocket, but put a new one on anyway. This was my 9th set on this bike.
It may sound lazy but with a 700+ mile goal for a day it's a pain to get a spray can out at every gas stop. I'd rather have it consistent, not worry about it on long stretches, and get to my destination 15 minutes earlier. I'll definitely be putting together an oiling solution if I can find the time. I should have done it long ago.
Time will tell on the vstrom since it has so little power, but on my other liter bikes 30k is about the limit before the chains are stretched out of spec. For the $170 for chain and sprockets and cleaning with wd40 every 1000 miles or so vs oiling every tank of fuel and having goo all over the back half of the bike the 30k is fine.
V-Toms 50,000+ mile chains are just that. Many chains on the DL 650 and DL 1000 V Stroms he has owned. He keeps records of mileage. So, he has facts about how long they last.
He is quite open about how he gets to these mileages. Written above in a previous thread.
I cannot argue for ANY method posted here that says you have to clean the chain. Or that you don't need to oil a chain. Or that you can put too much oil on a chain.
If you look at your chain and it does not show any evidence of lube on the rollers, or shows rust, it simply isn't being lubricated properly.
I understand the appeal of an automatic chain oiler and would get one if what I did wasn't so simple and easy. It literally takes me about 15 to 20 seconds total time to lube my chain. And even when doing 1,000 Mike day it isn't a big deal. Here's what I do:
I pull up to the gas pump in neutral and put my bike on the centerstand. I take off my left glove and get my can of lube from my tank bag. I get down by the chain and rotate the rear wheel with my (gloved) right hand while I spray the chain. I start on the left side of the chain and spray pretty much on the links as the lube travels to the roller area and between the links. I do the same on the right side of the chain.
(When done I record my mileage travelled, gas the bike and then record the cost and amount of fuel used. )
I can attest to the brilliant madness to Tom's methods.
Let's rewind... Eric (that's me) is meticulously cleaning and lubing his change on a sunny day in the driveway. My neighbour is backing out of his laneway headed out for a ride on his shaft driven RT... he grins at me... and yells "wouldn't you rather be ridin'...??"... and drives off. That moment lays imprinted on my brain...
Fast forward a few years of living with that shame and I run into Tom lined up to catch the ferry off Newfoundland. We chat for a while as he patiently answers all my newb questions. He tells me he *never* cleans his chain, and just lubes with HHS2000 every fill up and after every rain and gets 50k+ miles (that's 80,000+ kms) on his chains.
Shame neutralized!!
I immediately hunt out HHS2000, and start Tom's chain regiment. My chain has never looked so good, nor has it cost me more than a few extra seconds at fuel stops.
20-30 seconds is indeed it. From pulling the lube can out, to putting it back.
The major value add in this process is the constant look at, and evaluation of, your chain. Quick slack check, identification of stiff links, health of sprocket teeth, physical damage, etc.
My dealer over tightened my chain on delivery. Getting to know your chain, and how to monitor and properly adjust, is important.
All that being said, no doubt a properly adjusted chain, with a properly installed oiler, will give you similar or better results.
I had 30,000 miles on my original chain (Tutoro Oiler) and only changed it because I wanted the 16 tooth sprocket on the front. Ran into a guy the other day who thought he was doing great getting 18,000 out of chain and sprockets.[emoji849]
Tom's only downfall to his method, is that he cruds up around his clutch slave so much.....now THAT has caused him problems, but yup his chains last like crazy.
If Tom's method creates a lot of crud around the clutch slave, running an oiler can only possibly be worse, I'd think.
One of the nice things about using one of the drier lubes, like DuPont Chainsaver, is that it flings very little. But even with that you will get some build up after a while.
And yes, I did appreciate not having to mess with a chain at all while touring on my RT.
I never got much use from dry chains no matter how pricey. An oiler has consistently tripled my chain life. No kinks, much longer sprocket life too. From what I've seen on the road most don't touch the chain till it starts failing. How many actually check the counter sprocket or clean the clutch push rod down there?
Recently, I was behind a guy with a loose rusty chain, he snapped it at 45 mph in a left hand turn lane in heavy afternoon traffic.
I run an auto oiler because I have better things to do than clean or replace chains. I don't ride many miles per year anymore, so oiling a chain for rust prevention is important. My DL1000 x ring chain is going on 5 years, still like new. I was replacing chains every 2 to 3 years due to rust using chain wax. I did switch to a 530 chain with an oiler and haven't needed to adjust it yet except for two tire changes. Oilers work great IMO.
For a while I went down the Chain Oiler route. Sure the mileage of the chains increased, but not by as much as I expected. I eventually settled on the Tutoro as the best oiler and it was used on one bike that I owned for a while (NC700X). The chain lasted on that for about 18,000kms and was replaced. Then I sold the bike.
Some time ago I read V Tom's posts on chain maintenance. I concurred with much of what he said about cleaning as in not doing it. However he mentioned his regime of lubing with Wurth HHS2000 and how much that regime increased the mileage he was getting from his chains. Nothing to lose so I got myself some HHS 2000 and lubed as per Tom's suggestions. I am now a total convert.
I have a somewhat similar bike to my former NC700X and that is an X-Adv. Same motor with a little more hp. That bike now has 28,000 kms on the original chain and still going strong. That is already a full 10,000kms more than I achieved on the other bike. The need to adjust the chain has simply ceased for the time being. My other bikes including my Strom, are all getting the same treatment with the same results.
Nuff said.
Well aware of the front sprocket Tom. It is worn somewhat but I have seen much worse. That sprocket will decide when the chain is eventually changed on this particular bike because it is an absolute pain to take off a large amount of Bodywork to get at it so the lot will be changed together. The current mileage however is excellent even at 28,000kms because the chain is base quality as most OEM's are on lower powered Hondas. The Strom chain by comparison is much better quality.
Using my "tried and true" chain lube method, my last chain (on my ZRX that I just sold) had 31,000 Miles with no stretching/kinking/etc. Still going strong!!! My Method: Lube the chain and clean it at the same time. Apply lube to a terry cloth and wipe down the chain. It cleans and lubes at the same time. Frequency: Every other tank fill-up. I NEVER used any solvents to 'clean' the chain.
:thumbup:
Every other fillup? So you do this at the gas station or don't ride the bike more than a few miles a day? My commute is 130 miles a day, on a weekend fun day 3-400 miles per day is the norm. I thought cleaning the thing off every 1K miles or so was a pain
As a counterpoint, the original chain on my ZRX 1100 was still going fine when I sold the bike with ~45,000 km on it.
It got cleaned fairly regularly, with things including WD40 and Simple Green, and a soft brush (toothbrush). Lubed with a variety of things including PJ1 blue, Motul, and some chain and cable lube spray I had laying around.
So the secret to long chain life is...?
It didn't get ridden in rain very often, though, and always garaged.
ATF is great for dissolving rust, especially if you can submerge whatever the part is.
Doubt it would cling well enough to not get thrown all over in an oiler situation. The other issue would be how easily it incorporates water
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