Why Fit a Scottoiler

Chain maintenance is very important

It’s not about lubricating your chain, it’s about caring for it! Your bike chain transfers the power from the engine to your rear wheel – and without the chain your motorcycle is just a very heavy pushbike!

Chains that are neglected wear out faster, which will reduce your drive efficiency and can eventually turn them into lethal weapons when they snap. Replacing chain and sprockets can be very costly… plus workshop time if you are not doing it yourself.

Even though modern O- or X-Ring chains are very reliable and can last a long time, they will only last a fraction of this time if they are not properly maintained.

Some people out there will tell you that you don’t need to lubricate your chain if you have an O- or X-Ring chain, because the lubricant is sealed inside the pin area. Sadly they are wrong.

The O-Rings themselves are very sensitive to any damage and need lubrication. Unless the surfaces are kept moist, the rubber will harden and crack, exposing the link-pin to dirt and wear. The resulting 'tight spot' makes chain adjustment impossible. O-Rings are made of rubber, which has a high coefficient of friction. Two kilowatts of power can be converted to heat by seal friction on O-Ring chains. So the answer is yes, even a sealed chain needs to be lubricated!

To learn more about Chain Wear and why Traditional Lubricants are a bad choice click on the picture

What is the difference between conventional spray lube and a Scottoiler?

Let’s start with a simple comparison between standard chain spray and Scottoiler. Most spray lubricants contain wax or PTFE as a tack additive to assist them sticking to the chain.

The Scottoiler on the other hand uses a drip system that continuously feeds oil to the chain via the rear sprocket. The original film of oil is continuously replenished and therefore the tackiness of the lubricant is less important.

Now let’s think about how chain spray works. You typically apply it every 500-600 kilometres. So for the average rider that’s maybe every week or after a weekend of serious biking. Spraying some sticky spray lube on your chain does not seem to be the hardest thing to do, does it?

But: Applying spray lube every 500-600 kilometres means that the lubrication in between spray intervals is insufficient. Also the spray lube contains tack-additives that let the lubricant stick to the chain, unfortunately it will also collect road dirt and grime which will also stick to the chain. The movement of the chain links and their connection to the sprockets means that this dirt and grit from the road transforms into a very fine grinding paste that will penetrate the O-Rings and reduce their ability to seal the lubricant in the pin. Once this lubricant is gone, the chain will wear at a much faster rate. This grinding paste action will also wear the sprockets faster.

<Click Picture> to watch our video about saving time and money with a Scottoiler

Why is continuous chain lubrication better than chain spray?

Scottoiler have been making automatic motorcycle chain oilers for over 30 years. Their experience combined with the quality of the product have made Scottoiler the global market leaders in this field.

A Scottoiler works on the basis of continuous lubrication, the oil on your chain is continuously topped up. The oil does not need to have the tack additives that make it cling to the chain and therefore dirt is less likely to stick. Excess oil will be flung off by the centrifugal forces of the chain, removing dirt and grit. The result is a much cleaner and always perfectly lubricated transmission.

<Click Picture> to know more about the Scottoiler vSystem

Without the grinding paste that results from traditional chain sprays your chain and sprockets will last an average 2 to 3 times longer. So a Scottoiler will not only save you a lot of money in replacement chain and sprockets and labour time, but will also save the cost of chain spray and reduce the amount of time you spend on chain maintenance.

When it comes to cleaning your bike it is much easier to clean your chain, chain-guard and rear wheel because Scottoil does not contain the same amount of tack additives as a conventional spray lube.

<Click Picture> to know more about the Scottoiler xSystem

What more can we say....

The Commute

The Long Way Round

The Commute

“30,000 miles on the original chain and sprokets on a 1000cc bike. What more can I say… except I have only adjusted the chain twice!”
– Phil, UK / Kawasaki KLV1000

The Track

The Long Way Round

The Commute

“The new eSystem really does bring the idea of chain lubing into the present and beyond. Its great to have them on all our bikes, as it reduces mess and we can adjust them to suit the weather conditions.”
– Andy Ibbott – California Superbike School Coach

The Long Way Round

“We have always been convinced of the value of Scottoilers and knew we wanted them on the F800GS for our London to Beijing Expedition. You do not want the hassle of lubricating and adjusting your chain at 5000 metres altitude and with a Scottoiler fitted we won’t be.”
– Kevin Sanders – Co-founder of Globebusters