Scottoiler opinions wanted

[centaurus]

I have been thinking about a scottoiler system for my busa for a while now but there are some questions the reviews on the net haven't been able to answer. I am looking for opinions from people who OWN or HAVE OWNED a scottoiler for long periods.

One of the main reasons for a system like this is the difficulty of oiling the chain on multi day rides, when I don't have a paddock stand to lift the rear wheel and I don't trust any improvisations on such a heavy bike.

Due to the ammount of ks I put on my bike (500-1000kms every week, not including weekends) a v-system is out of the question (If I go for a long ride I would need to top-up mid-ride).

My riding environments vary greatly: city crawl (sometimes a few days in a row), boring m-way, or aggressive back roads fun. That's why I am worried the vacuum-based kits might not do the job and I might end up with a dry chain half the time and a oil-soaked rear wheel the rest of the time. Does the e-system solve this issue? I would hate to pay such a high amount of money just for the privilege of a temperature and G-force gauge.

Also, I've been reading some reports of oil connectors/hoses coming off or getting jammed/stuck. Are these known/frequent issues, or they are only due to improper installation?

As I said, I'm looking for input from people who have owned/own one of these systems for a decent amount of time, as to how practical and worthwhile are they.

[CookMySock]

I am worried the vacuum-based kits might not do the job and I might end up with a dry chain half the time and a oil-soaked rear wheel the rest of the time.Overall it doesn't matter. The chain stays somewhere between a soft-sheen oil coating, and a nice shiney wet one, which is a far cry from any chain lubed from a spray can.

Get one. You won't regret it. I'd never be without mine.

Steve

[p.dath]

I have one of the older style units (aka vacuum based rather than electronic) fitted to my bike. I don't use it any more.

The problem I have is if I leave the sitting for 4 hours or so the oil starts dripping onto the ground. To begin with you don't notice it much. But if you keep parking it in the same place (aka your garage) you notice an oily stain/mess forming.

No matter how much I adjusted it I could not prevent it from happening. I believe the issue is because the oil is so thin, and eventually drips off the chain. I guess I would describe the issue as being that the oil doesn't "cling" enough to the chain. This is not an issue with applying too much oil to the chain.

[86GSXR]

I've had them for 3 years now and I don't know how I managed before that tbh. Yep, they do dirty up the chain side of your rim to some extent but that's nothing compared to the hassle they remove. They need the occasional adjustment during temperature changes, that takes about 5 seconds. Never had any connectors come loose and even if they did they won't spill. Haven't got any experience with the new model but give Kerry www.tripleforensics.co.nz an email. He's an agent and had the first of the new ones arrive earlier this year. He should have some good feedback on them by now, just tell him you ride a Triumph and you'll be right lol. Also, get the dual nossle, far superior to the single.


I have one of the older style units (aka vacuum based rather than electronic) fitted to my bike. I don't use it any more.

The problem I have is if I leave the sitting for 4 hours or so the oil starts dripping onto the ground. To begin with you don't notice it much. But if you keep parking it in the same place (aka your garage) you notice an oily stain/mess forming.

No matter how much I adjusted it I could not prevent it from happening. I believe the issue is because the oil is so thin, and eventually drips off the chain. I guess I would describe the issue as being that the oil doesn't "cling" enough to the chain. This is not an issue with applying too much oil to the chain.

Are you sure it isn't just oil buildup in the front sprocket? I've had that and it needs a clean now and then.

[geoffc]

Yeah I've had one for a while now. bit fiddly to refill but without it the VTR1000 would be harsh on the chain. Yes worth having. Cheers

[centaurus]

I have one of the older style units (aka vacuum based rather than electronic) fitted to my bike. I don't use it any more.

The problem I have is if I leave the sitting for 4 hours or so the oil starts dripping onto the ground. To begin with you don't notice it much. But if you keep parking it in the same place (aka your garage) you notice an oily stain/mess forming.

No matter how much I adjusted it I could not prevent it from happening. I believe the issue is because the oil is so thin, and eventually drips off the chain. I guess I would describe the issue as being that the oil doesn't "cling" enough to the chain. This is not an issue with applying too much oil to the chain.

Very interesting. I commute every day on it so this would definitely be an issue. Any comments on this from people that have own scottoilers and commute on their bikes? Is this a common thing?

[Hitcher]

Mrs H has one on her Bandit. Her chain and sprockets have lasted 80,000km but will be replaced at her next tyre change in about 4,000km time.

Compare that with my Shiver with no Scottoiler, just a lad with a stiff brush and a can of Spectro SX when I remember: chain and sprockets will be replaced at next tyre change which will be about 43,000km.

[jonbuoy]

I have one of the older style units (aka vacuum based rather than electronic) fitted to my bike. I don't use it any more.

The problem I have is if I leave the sitting for 4 hours or so the oil starts dripping onto the ground. To begin with you don't notice it much. But if you keep parking it in the same place (aka your garage) you notice an oily stain/mess forming.

No matter how much I adjusted it I could not prevent it from happening. I believe the issue is because the oil is so thin, and eventually drips off the chain. I guess I would describe the issue as being that the oil doesn't "cling" enough to the chain. This is not an issue with applying too much oil to the chain.

I had the same problem with mine from new - the valve isn´t closing properly due to swarf from the factory, they replaced mine under warranty. After that no problems at all, to adjust I would start off at the lowest setting and increase until you are happy, going the otherway is a bit messy and a little dangerous - ignore the factory drip test it was way too high for me. You only need enough so you can see the plates have a slight coating - the surface of the chain isn´t important. My z is my daily commuter when I´m home had the scotoiler since the bike was new- haven´t needed to adjust the chain yet.

[NordieBoy]

Been using them for 10 years or so.
2 Nordwests and the DR650 and I wouldn't have a chain driven bike without one now.

[greenman]

I had one firstly one my GPz900 and then I moved it over to a ZZR1100, they are fiddly to set up and I found that I had a hot day setting and a cold day setting. But they are money well spent, I found that I was no longer adjusting the chain. It just didn't seem to wear.
I also attending a tribology course, and that convinced me as well that continuous oiling is the way to go. The killer is the heat build up, and after I fitted the oiler the chain was cool (relatively) to touch after a ride, whereas before it was definitely hot.

[dogsnbikes]

I have one on the triumph(vacum model) with duel nozzel and I am getting just over a 1000ks before I have too refill the oil,

If you leave the dail in the prime position After filling up the oil,it will drop oil while your parked up,other than that its never dropped oil..

totally recommend it though and like 86 said contact Kerry your be blown away by the amount of K's he has got out of his chain and sprocket set,by using a scottoiler

[Dodgyiti]

They are so accurate I timed the drip at every 40 seconds, then forgot all about it for 20,000kms and then thought
I better check it. 40 seconds and then drip. Amazing.

[crash harry]

I've had them on two of my bikes - ZX9R and R1 - and I'm thoroughly sold. The vacuum operated ones are fine. As some others have said, you can set them a lot leaner than the factory suggest and you'll get about 1000km per refill, which ought to be acceptable.

I've never experienced the dripping that some are talking about, and I've had 2 units. The bike is parked in the same place every day so I would definitely notice. I would suggest that it's a defective unit.

The only downsides are that it makes a little bit of a mess on your rear wheel, but it cleans off easily because it's just oil. (Motomuck shifts it really well!)

There are a couple of competing brands that claim to have their own advantages, but IMHO the simplicity of the vacuum system is elegant and it works well.

[CookMySock]

If readers are on a budget, you can make an oiler out of plastic tubes and cable ties. It's squeeze-and-go instead of fully automatic, but the price is right and it beats the hell outa doing it manually.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/120921-Chain-oiler-from-scratch-for-nix

It's basically a copy of the loobman. http://www.chainoiler.co.uk/
I don't sell them - I just made some for my familys' bikes.

Steve

[Kwaka14]

Very interesting. I commute every day on it so this would definitely be an issue. Any comments on this from people that have own scottoilers and commute on their bikes? Is this a common thing?

I Had one on MY ZX12, commuted every day, did around 500 -1000km per week every week and once I had it set right no issues at all - and the chain and sprockets were mint when I sold the bike at 50,000km. I have a Busa now, and will be fitting one when I replace the next chain and sprockets (bought the bike second hand). Best thing since sliced bread - they also keep the chain clean as well as lubricated - so no mess.

[Frodo]

I had a Scottoiler on a BMW F650 then swapped it over to my Apriliia. I commute 400km per week and this saves a huge amount of hassle over the more than 80,000km I've had it. Two issues:
- oil spins off from the countershaft sprocket and this drips down on the ground. This is not due to the unit leaking, but due to me setting the unit so it provides a generous amount of oil when it rains a lot (and its been raining a lot). This is not a problem as I have a plastic lid on the ground in my garage to catch the drips. I guess if I set the oil rate lower it wouldn't drip. Note that even at generous rates, I get about 1000km per fill and get bugger all oil on my rear wheel.
- I had a new DID X-ring chain sh*t its X-rings, which I concluded was due to the Scottoil - I posted about this earlier. No problem with other chains though (currently have a Regina)

Overall, very happy

[p.dath]

Are you sure it isn't just oil buildup in the front sprocket? I've had that and it needs a clean now and then.

Positive, because I have no issue when lubing the chain manually. Only happens when I use the Scott Oiler.


Very interesting. I commute every day on it so this would definitely be an issue. Any comments on this from people that have own scottoilers and commute on their bikes? Is this a common thing?

I use my bike around 7 days out of 14. So I would call myself a regular rider.


I gave up using my Scott Oiler after I backed it all the way off to 1 drop every 2 minutes (manufacturer recommends one every 30s to 60s) and still had the issue. I spoke to some others I know and they told me they had exactly the same issue.
So I then had an unfixable problem.

[warewolf]

As I said, I'm looking for input from people who have owned/own one of these systems for a decent amount of time, as to how practical and worthwhile are they.Yes, they are practical & worthwhile. Had a Motrax electric luber for 90,000km and eventually got the shits with it spreading oil around and got a Scottie, did another 50,000km before selling the bike (auto-lubes for 11 years). Part of the Motrax problem was poor install by the dealer: no adjuster initially, and located right behind the engine.

For your high mileage, get the High Capacity Reservoir, should be good for 10,000ish km. This also gets the metering unit/oil well away from engine heat for more consistent flow. Went from <30,000km per chain/sprocket set, to 68,000km on one set, and on the next 64,000km and counting. That was just cheap JT/DID VM stuff. I would expect well over 100,000km from quality chain/sprockets, although I would replace the front at 1/2 to 2/3 the expected mileage of the set, as they wear out first then take the chain & rear with them.

Biggest issue I had was getting the damn thing to put oil on the chain not the tyre. Set mine so the nozzle slides against the side of the rear sprocket - that stopped the fling off. Nowadays you can just buy the twin dripper. At home I had a piece of cardboard that was parked under the chain to catch the odd drip - not a lot but adds up if you use the bike every day for years on end.

I can second most of the other comments. Problems would be rare, particularly measured against the big miles Scottie-equipped bikes tend to do.

[sAsLEX]

I have a custom made oiler from Pixie on the site, uses capillary and gravity action to draw oil out through a brush and on to the chain. There is a solenoid valve in the system which opens when the rear light comes on with the ignition to stop the dribbling problem of P.Dath.


Chain is always clean and nicely lubed and hardly needs adjusting.


Rear of the bike get a bit of spooge flung on it....... function over form I say.

[Gremlin]

yep, been great across several bikes. Get it professionally installed, did have a vacuum problem on KTM, because the ecu saw the loss to the scottoiler, but shop swapped to other cylinder.

[jonbuoy]

I get zero fling but I have mine set pretty low, I don´t see the point in the oil being on the surface of the chain at all, you wouldn´t oil your engine cases. Its needed inside on the bearings not outside. I get over 4,000 KM on one fill in dry weather. As long as I can see oil on the O rings and the links feel lubed I figure its enough oil. Scottoiler are happy for people to set there´s up nice and high so they can sell more oil.

[Gremlin]

oh yeah, on the standard tube, I probably get a little under 6000km to a tube. Depends how responsive I am to temperatures, as it affects the flow rate.

[george formby]

I have one on a TDM in the UK. the bike is ridden around town in all weathers & doe's the odd big mileage Euro jaunt. Had zero problems & excellent life span on chain & sprockets. I ended up using chain bar oil to save money which has very little fling when the oiler is adjusted properly. The garage doe's have the odd drip on the floor after the bike is parked up but an old margarine tub sorted that. Saves a fortune in wear & a lot of hassle too.

[kewwig]

I have the vacuum one on my GSF1250 bandit and it's really set and forget. I ride every day in rain etc and the chain's always got an oily sheen and I have never had to touch the chain to adjust it in a year or daily riding. Do it.

[Dschubba]

Have an electronic E System on my ZX14. A few teething problems which Scot Oiler sorted out, the early units weren't quite sensitive enough for the big smooth bikes.
New firmware has sensitivity adjustment.
I commute to work 40+40km most days.
On a ride reservoir lasted Wlg Invercargill and back to Temuka before needing a topup.
A bit of oil spray, but less mess and easier to clean than spray lube.
Can up the rate if you riding in the rain.
Easy to install
Chain seems well lubed
No center stand and most paddock stands dont fit the zx14 so much less hassle
Previous chain went 30000k with spray lube, interested to see how much this one does with the oiler

[oldrider]

Pro-oiler, the best most accurate easily adjusted chain oiler in the business! :yes:
http://www.pro-oiler.com/
Oil measured and pumped precisely onto your chain and sprockets where you want it rather than dripping all over your bike and the environment!

Failing that and for a purely road use bike I would install the model made by KB's own "Pixie". $ value IMHO.

[centaurus]

Pro-oiler, the best most accurate easily adjusted chain oiler in the business! :yes:
http://www.pro-oiler.com/
Oil measured and pumped precisely onto your chain and sprockets where you want it rather than dripping all over your bike and the environment!

Failing that and for a purely road use bike I would install the model made by KB's own "Pixie". $ value IMHO.

This pro-oiler setup looks very good. Do you know if anybody in NZ sells these?

[p.dath]

Pro-oiler, the best most accurate easily adjusted chain oiler in the business! :yes:
http://www.pro-oiler.com/
Oil measured and pumped precisely onto your chain and sprockets where you want it rather than dripping all over your bike and the environment!


They make some interesting claims. They say the O-Rings needs lubrication. I thought the lubricant for the O-Rings was sealed in, so they they didn't need any additional lubricant?

They say that the O-Rings experience degradation from UV light? How would UV light get into the O-Ring, and even if it did, would it really brake down the O-ring?

They talk about distributing oil to the outer plates using their dual nozzle delivery system. Since when did the outer plates need lubricant? Everything I've ever read suggested only the inner pins needed the lubrication.

[sAsLEX]

They make some interesting claims. They say the O-Rings needs lubrication. I thought the lubricant for the O-Rings was sealed in, so they they didn't need any additional lubricant?

They say that the O-Rings experience degradation from UV light? How would UV light get into the O-Ring, and even if it did, would it really brake down the O-ring?

They talk about distributing oil to the outer plates using their dual nozzle delivery system. Since when did the outer plates need lubricant? Everything I've ever read suggested only the inner pins needed the lubrication.

The system designed by Pixie uses a brush, spreads the oil nicely through the center and side plates of the chain.

[centaurus]

The system designed by Pixie uses a brush, spreads the oil nicely through the center and side plates of the chain.

Where can I find more info about the system designed by Pixie. I tried searching the forums for "Pixie oiler" but I couldn't find anything.

[centaurus]

The system designed by Pixie uses a brush, spreads the oil nicely through the center and side plates of the chain.

Where can I find more info about the system designed by Pixie. I tried searching the forums for "Pixie oiler" but I couldn't find anything.

[NZsarge]

Have an electronic E System on my ZX14. A few teething problems which Scot Oiler sorted out, the early units weren't quite sensitive enough for the big smooth bikes.
New firmware has sensitivity adjustment.
I commute to work 40+40km most days.
On a ride reservoir lasted Wlg Invercargill and back to Temuka before needing a topup.
A bit of oil spray, but less mess and easier to clean than spray lube.
Can up the rate if you riding in the rain.
Easy to install
Chain seems well lubed
No center stand and most paddock stands dont fit the zx14 so much less hassle
Previous chain went 30000k with spray lube, interested to see how much this one does with the oiler

Intersting, I to have a 14. Done 37000k now and the chain is still looking good but I was thinking about the E-system too, bloody expensive though.
Re: Paddock stand.
Have you tried screwing bobbins into the holes provided on the swing arm? This way you should'nt have any issues finding a paddock stand that'll work.

[PirateJafa]

Where can I find more info about the system designed by Pixie. I tried searching the forums for "Pixie oiler" but I couldn't find anything.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=70954&d=1189983530

Apart from that, you'll have to PM him, just like it says in his signature.

[sAsLEX]

Where can I find more info about the system designed by Pixie. I tried searching the forums for "Pixie oiler" but I couldn't find anything.
pm Pixie would be the best bet to see if he is still making them.


Re: Paddock stand.
I can make custom rear stands if needed

[Flip]

I had a vacuum Scott oiler on my last bike a 1200 Triumph Trophy. The chain had done 80,000km and was still going strong and In 80,000 I only adjusted it once.
My bike would drop a few drips after a long ride because the oil would collect around the front sprocket than slowly run off. It also used to leave a little oil on the rear wheel and under the luggage. I never thought this was an issue because the chain was always oiled and clean, soapy water is cheap compared to a $400 chain every 15,000 km which was the life of the first chain. The Scott oil is actually easy to wash off.
I did have a large reservoir tank that went behind the number plate, I could never get it to transfer oil to the oiler and gave up on it in the end and just used to top up the tank every week or so. Check the motor oil top up the Scott oiler was my routine.
I would not have another chain driven bike without one, well mine saved me many thousands of dollars and saved me a lot of maintenance.

[oldrider]

This pro-oiler setup looks very good. Do you know if anybody in NZ sells these?


They make some interesting claims. They say the O-Rings needs lubrication. I thought the lubricant for the O-Rings was sealed in, so they they didn't need any additional lubricant?

They say that the O-Rings experience degradation from UV light? How would UV light get into the O-Ring, and even if it did, would it really brake down the O-ring?

They talk about distributing oil to the outer plates using their dual nozzle delivery system. Since when did the outer plates need lubricant? Everything I've ever read suggested only the inner pins needed the lubrication.

I bought mine direct from the manufacturer, (via the Nett) he was great to deal with.

p.dath: You would be best to ask the manufacturer all those questions, he's easy to talk to!

[boman]

I have one on the SV. Works a treat. Little mess, no fuss. Just fill her up when I think of it and go. I wouldn't own another chain driven bike without one.

[SS90]

When I was an apprentice, the company I worked for also rented bikes, and in 1999, the started using Aprilia Pegaso's, which was a bit of a worry, as they had chain drives, and we always used shaft drive before that.

Because the owner of the buisines was a tight fisted so and so, he would not spring for the Scott oiler originally, he opted for some cheap "motion" activated system (a shuttle ball system)

It worked, and I can't remember why, but we did fit one to one of the bikes (Scott oiler)

Man, I tell you, the difference was profound with the cheap system (you never adjusted the chains the whole season), and it was no different to the expensive Scott oiler (that required more labour to fit anyway).

I never used one personally, but every chain drive bike I had would get 50,000 km from a chain and sprocket, no problem whatsoever.

I did service my chain regularly though.

I hear stories of people getting 80,000 km and so on with automatic oiling systems, and personally, I think they are well worth the investment.

Next time I have a bike with a chain drive, I recon I would fit one.

[Dschubba]

Yes I have (got bobbins). The cheapie paddock stand I have scratches the swingarm when in use. Most others have a more acute angle in their geometry and the 14 is quite long.
Ive taken it into several shops any haven't found a paddock stand that works well and lifts the bike easily. Most get caught up under rear guard.
The geometry on the cheap stand i have is ok, but the sockets aren't fixed and it is not ideal. Custom made an option i guess.

[p.dath]

...The problem I have is if I leave the sitting for 4 hours or so the oil starts dripping onto the ground. To begin with you don't notice it much. But if you keep parking it in the same place (aka your garage) you notice an oily stain/mess forming.

Ater all of the positive comments about Scott Oilers I decided to look further into mine. I went down to the local bike mechanic (on a different matter) and asked if he could gaze at it for 10s. It seems my one is missing a bit of the tip that fits onto the delivery hose, and he said it could be causing my problem. I guess some of the residual oil is running out of the delivery hose when the bike is off.


He told me it is easy to get the spare parts, and the bit I need is cheap. So I have him ordering it in for me. So I'll give it another go.

[NordieBoy]

Ater all of the positive comments about Scott Oilers I decided to look further into mine. I went down to the local bike mechanic (on a different matter) and asked if he could gaze at it for 10s. It seems my one is missing a bit of the tip that fits onto the delivery hose, and he said it could be causing my problem. I guess some of the residual oil is running out of the delivery hose when the bike is off.


He told me it is easy to get the spare parts, and the bit I need is cheap. So I have him ordering it in for me. So I'll give it another go.

If the tube is too large in diameter air can get in and oil can ooze out.

[jonbuoy]

Ater all of the positive comments about Scott Oilers I decided to look further into mine. I went down to the local bike mechanic (on a different matter) and asked if he could gaze at it for 10s. It seems my one is missing a bit of the tip that fits onto the delivery hose, and he said it could be causing my problem. I guess some of the residual oil is running out of the delivery hose when the bike is off.


He told me it is easy to get the spare parts, and the bit I need is cheap. So I have him ordering it in for me. So I'll give it another go.

If its fitted to the bike can you see any air bubbles in the hose between the dosing unit and the sprocket feeder? If there are any air bubbles it means there is a leak between the doser and the hose - air is getting in and oil is dripping out. If no air bubbles in the pipe take the dosing unit off, stand it upright with a newspaper underneath it - if it drips oil its fucked end of story - no vacuum should mean its switched off. Connect a tube to the vacuum point for the engine - suck on the tube and you should see the valve open and close. They are dead simple - no black magic or ju ju involved.

[p.dath]

If its fitted to the bike can you see any air bubbles in the hose between the dosing unit and the sprocket feeder? If there are any air bubbles it means there is a leak between the doser and the hose - air is getting in and oil is dripping out. If no air bubbles in the pipe take the dosing unit off, stand it upright with a newspaper underneath it - if it drips oil its fucked end of story - no vacuum should mean its switched off. Connect a tube to the vacuum point for the engine - suck on the tube and you should see the valve open and close. They are dead simple - no black magic or ju ju involved.

I don't recall weather there were bubbles or not, it's been quite a bit of time since I used it. But I'll try what you say.

[bsasuper]

I've had one,about 15yrs ago, I think its just too messy, and the price they want now for a unit, better off putting the money towards something usefull like new boots etc.I use maxima chain wax and have done for the last 18yrs, it dries so no crap sticks, and it dosnt fling off + it comes in a big can that lasts for ages.

[deanmax]

Buy one. I originally had my Scott oiler on my 1200 Bandit (145 measured rwhp) for 60,000km before I sold the bike. Original chain and sprockets looked mint at point of sale. I removed the unit and fitted it to my Hayabusa (measured 260 rwhp). I've done 25,000km and the chain and sprockets still look great. I've had the same unit for over 10 years and never had any problems. I have the small unit which gives me about 800-1,000km before refilling.

[p.dath]

I don't recall weather there were bubbles or not, it's been quite a bit of time since I used it. But I'll try what you say.

I've had another person look at the Scott Oiler that came on my bike. They said it looks like someone has tried using an oil other than the "Scott Oil" at some stage, and the seals are now stuffed as a result. The unit is a complete throw away. Don't think I can be bothered spending the cash on a replacement unit.

[Winter]

I
My riding environments vary greatly: city crawl (sometimes a few days in a row), boring m-way, or aggressive back roads fun. That's why I am worried the vacuum-based kits might not do the job and I might end up with a dry chain half the time and a oil-soaked rear wheel the rest of the time. Does the e-system solve this issue? I would hate to pay such a high amount of money just for the privilege of a temperature and G-force gauge.

Also, I've been reading some reports of oil connectors/hoses coming off or getting jammed/stuck. Are these known/frequent issues, or they are only due to improper installation?

As I said, I'm looking for input from people who have owned/own one of these systems for a decent amount of time, as to how practical and worthwhile are they.

I have an e-system on my Triumph. I love it. faaantastic, and I think, worth the money.
It's not because I don't like oiling the chain - i don't mind doing it, I just never did.

5,000k with it on so far.. I've given it a little topup but Its not run out of oil yet.
My chain looks fantastic. I've had no dripping, and less wheel-rim spray than when I used spray-can based shit.

The sensitivity of the e-system is fully adjustable and works well, for the first few rides keep an eye on the screen and check its on, after that I look at the screen once a month to check the oil level.

I thiink its worth it :)

[crash99]

Like many things they require a bit of careful setting up - can be a bit fiddly but once you get it right then they are great. I've had mine for over a year and experience shows that I do need to adjust the setting between summer and winter (a simple task), and you get different oil for hot or cooler temps. But come on, if you're a real biker you just get on and sort it! Like you centaurus I ride 100kms per day, every work day of the year plus heaps of miles on weekend - C1kC, tours etc - and I sure as hell couldnt be buggered stuffing around with the spray can every weekend - this way it lasts for a month or more, cos I have the additional reservoir, and the twin tip dispenser. The CB900 also doesnt have a centre stand (although I did buy a paddock stand but now use a Ventura front wheel stand in my garage at home - you know, the ones where you just drive into it and it holds the front wheel - but would still have to jack up the rear). When I did have a question of Scott Oiler (it didnt seem to be lubing enough during really wet crappy weather) it was answered within 12 hours. I highly recommend them.


I have been thinking about a scottoiler system for my busa for a while now but there are some questions the reviews on the net haven't been able to answer. I am looking for opinions from people who OWN or HAVE OWNED a scottoiler for long periods.

One of the main reasons for a system like this is the difficulty of oiling the chain on multi day rides, when I don't have a paddock stand to lift the rear wheel and I don't trust any improvisations on such a heavy bike.

Due to the ammount of ks I put on my bike (500-1000kms every week, not including weekends) a v-system is out of the question (If I go for a long ride I would need to top-up mid-ride).

My riding environments vary greatly: city crawl (sometimes a few days in a row), boring m-way, or aggressive back roads fun. That's why I am worried the vacuum-based kits might not do the job and I might end up with a dry chain half the time and a oil-soaked rear wheel the rest of the time. Does the e-system solve this issue? I would hate to pay such a high amount of money just for the privilege of a temperature and G-force gauge.

Also, I've been reading some reports of oil connectors/hoses coming off or getting jammed/stuck. Are these known/frequent issues, or they are only due to improper installation?

As I said, I'm looking for input from people who have owned/own one of these systems for a decent amount of time, as to how practical and worthwhile are they.

[Suntoucher]

Just had a mosey at the Cameleon Oiler, for it's price and based on a review it's seeming like a great alternative with electric controlled oil delivery. Pro Oiler looks a bit much for me, and adjusting the Scott Oiler on a daily basis doesn't really appeal as I know I'd forget(was my first option until now).

Product
http://www.cameleonoiler.com/index.php?option=com_ezcatalog&Itemid=30

Review
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/cameleon-motorcycle-chain-oiler/

They also review the Scott-Oiler at the site but haven't read it.

$180USD+ship for the black model. Else you're just paying $20USD for a coloured logo.

Also looks easier to install, wire it to the tail light, attach it near the chain and hide the tubing and you're done.

[NordieBoy]

You adjust the Scottoiler?

[p.dath]

Just had a mosey at the Cameleon Oiler, for it's price and based on a review it's seeming like a great alternative with electric controlled oil delivery. Pro Oiler looks a bit much for me, and adjusting the Scott Oiler on a daily basis doesn't really appeal as I know I'd forget(was my first option until now).

At most it has been talked about adjusting between seasons, but Scott Oilers do not need daily adjustment.

[NordieBoy]

At most it has been talked about adjusting between seasons, but Scott Oilers do not need daily adjustment.

Yep.

If I'm going for a dusty ride or with lots of river crossings I'll adjust it to suit but otherwise it doesn't get changed at all.

[centaurus]

Hey guys,

I ended up building my own oiler, rather than spending $2-300. The only downside is that I have to turn it on and off miself - not a big issue.

I spent less than $20 on mine and it even has double feed injector and everything. if any of you is interested in build details, let me know and I'll post some pictures - it's really easy to make.

[pete376403]

yes please would like to see details of that, thanks

[centaurus]

Parts required:
2 x plastic 1 way air tap (from animates) - see pic 3
1 x metal 1 way air tap (from trademe) - see pic 2
4mm clear plastic tube (mitre 10 or bunnings warehouse)
6mm clear plastic tube (mitre 10 or bunnings warehouse)
two ballpoint pens
plastic bottle (will be used as oil reservoir) - choice depends on the room available on your bike.

Procedure:
- remove the ballpoint pens inner (the thin tubes that hold the ink) and remove the metal tips from the tubes.
- cut the tubes above the notch that holds the pen spring and blow out the ink
- remove the screw-in top from one of the plastic taps and cut its horizontal tube half way through.
- in the remaining "stump" fit a piece of 4mm tubing with a wire in it. The wire will allow you to bend the tube to 90 degrees and keep the bend at the desired angle
- for standard ballpoint pens, the pen inner tube will fit in the piece cut from the tap which will fit in the other end of the plastic tube fitted in the "stump" (see previous step).
- fit the other ball-point inner tube in the other tap entry point (the vertical tube).

Some ballpoint inners are a bit thicker so they will fit directly into the 4mm tube, which means you will need to make an adapter for the vertical tap tube like in pic 1. Here I used longer pen inners so I reinforced the setup by wrapping a thick wire mid way through over the two parallel tubes to keep them at a certain distance from each other - this is not necessary.

On the other end of the plastic tap (the end where you unscrewed the top) you can fit a short piece of the 6mm plastic tubing and on the other end of the 6mm plastic tubing insert the 4mm plastic tubing.

This is your double feeder that will be mounted on the swingarm. Easiest way is with a piece tin/sheet metal wrapped around the feeder and secured in the spool screw or if that's not an option, you can tie it to the swingarm with zip ties. You can get creative here.

the 4mm tube coming out of the feeder will go up the swingarm and attach to the thick end of the metal air tap using a piece of 6mm tube as adapter (the 4mm tube is the same thickness as the thick end of the metal tap). This tap gets mounted somewhere easily accessible and will be your on/off switch.

on the other end of the metal tap fit 4mm tube which will run all the way to the second plastic air tap that you've (hopefully) purchased. This tap will be for adjusting the oil flow and needs to be hidden so you don't bump it and change the oil flow setting by accident. If you cant hide it, wrap duct tape around it so the tap won't rotate by accident.

From the plastic tap run another tube directly in the bottom of the bottle that will hold the oil. Attach another small tube on the cap of the bottle as breather and make sure the bottle points up when mounted so you won't have oil pouring out of this tube.



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[centaurus]

Here you have a few pic of my setup on the busa. sorry for the dirty bike - I'm riding it every day and it had been raining for more than a week at the time when the photos were taken.
I've been running this setup on the busa for a couple thou' ks and the feeder works great, hasn't moved an inch and hasn't been damaged by sprocket or chain in any way.

pics 2, 5 and 6 - the positioning of the oil feeder/injector and how I secured it to the swingarm
pic 4 - a 2 way plasic air tap (I had no unused 1 way tap to photograph) with the top unscrewed and a cutoff from another tap. The 1 way tap has just one horizontal arm as opposed to two like in the picture
pic 3 - the oil flow tap positioning (under the rear seat, with the oil reservoir)
pic 1 - the oil bottle. you can also see here the tap from pic 3

I'm currently fitting another feeder on my XR650 if anyone wants to see photos once its done

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[centaurus]

The positioning of the on/off tap

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