Longevity of chain with Scottoiler

[JohnW]

Hi all

Just for information: If anyone is considering buying a scottoiler and wondering if the cost is justified, my 2002 Transalp 650 is still running the original chain at 19600 miles and still has plenty of adjustment remaining!

PS: I have never cleaned the chain (or the rest of the bike for that matter) in 2.5 years!

:bounce:

[robelst]

PS: I have never cleaned the chain
I think that is the main blessing of the scott-oiler, keeping the chain clean, more than actual lubricating. X- and O-ring chains are happily greased up as long as the rings hold up well, and hardly need any "external" lubrication: It is dirt that is the threat, because this will grind the rings and make them break (esp the O-shaped rings). Therefore I have never believed in long lasting chain waxes: they just collect rubbish and keep it where you least want it to be.

I may be utterly wrong though :cyclopsani:

[Recycler]

I have an '01 650.
The chain was facked by 12k but the bike obviously hadn't seen any attention by the previous owner. This was bad for an original chainkit but I replaced it and fitted a scottoiler. The new (Honda supplied) chainkit seems poor quality and is rusting but wear is OK.

Given the miles you've done well. My scottoiler is in the underseat storage compartment which keeps it clean - the level needs to be turned up quite high to get any flow but it's working OK, we'll see.

As an aside the customer service on the end of the phone from the scottoiler guys is very good. The last problem I had they diagnosed over the phone and sent the bit free of charge which sorted it. One of the better Brit (OK, Scottish) inventions.

[Ralphie]

Is it worth getting a Scottoiler if you just do mainly low mileage commuting with the odd day out?
I was wondering does my stop/start commuter driving affect chains and engine oil more aggressively than doing steady motorway long distances mainly?
Chucky

[Recycler]

I've had scottoilers on most of my bikes and wouldn't be without one.

Smooth riding i.e:
smooth gearchanges matching engine speed before letting clutch out,
smoooooth 'turd shaped' braking - thin at the start & end but FAT in the middle,
smooth throttle application

will make chains, sprockets, brake pads/discs and tyres last a lot longer than aggressive 'all bore and brake' riding.

[JAK]

Hi all

I have had a scottoiler on all of my bikes. Tried wax on new TA but fed up with it after few hundred miles. Wax everywhere and chain bogging. My Bandit12 has one fitted from brand new and the chain still looks mint and wear is very good. My friend this evening thought I had changed the chain it looked so good. I have never touched it.
Finally beleive that they are one piece of kit that adds value to a bike. Can't remember were i heard this but have no doubt it would. A sound investment even if you don't do big miles.

Regards
JAk :cheers:

[louis]

Hi,

My chain is now 40.000 Km (25000 Miles) old
I never clean it but every 200 Km (125 Miles) I lubricate* it with
saw chain oil , it's very cheap (3 Euros / 1 Ltr),

Yes , I agree, my rear wheel is really dirty (but with an old piece of cotton it's directly clean)


*with an old paintbrush

[wheeliebin]

You've talked me into it, bought and fitted a scottoiler today.

'Chains last up to 7 times longer' it says on the box, my first chain lasted 22,000 miles, so it's got it's work cut out then if this chain is gonna last 154,000 miles.

[wheeliebin]

So give us a clue ?
Fitted under the seat, it's almost vertical, what setting should I run it on ?
At the mo it's on '1', may take weeks before I find the 'ideal' setting.

[YEN_POWELL]

Aint you read the instructions. Good, a man after my own heart. Anyway they say, get the engine running and time the drips coming out of the feed onto the chain. One every 30 seconds is what they reckon is right. You've not lived till the neighbours see you laying down in the road with a stop watch, staring intently at the rear sprocket willing a little blob of oil to drop off the end of a pipe.

[wheeliebin]

Course I didn't read the instructions, that's too easy

[Recycler]

On my 650 it's mounted nearly vertical inside the underseat storage. I have to have it turned up to 6 - it seems to work very slowly on this bike.

[wheeliebin]

6 it is then.

Thanks :thumbright:

[JAK]

Hi Wheeliebin

Scottoiler I have fitted on my 650 04 is in the underseat storage on the left hand side and is at a 45 degree angle. Agree with Recycler that flow is slow on the TA compared to say a Bandit . This given the Bandit's was fitted horizontally. On the TA it is set at 7 and drops one drop every 50 secs. This I have found keeps the chain lubricated. Apparently the bike should be run for a few miles to allow for engine temperature etc affecting oil viscosity. So yes the neighbours will wonder what you are doing looking at your watch and staring at the chain. Have just changed Bandit for a VFR VTEC and mounted scottoiler to the frame on the outside and on the left hand side. It is not very pretty but to underseat exhaust there is no room and I was concerned that if I made it fit it would be to near a heat source.

As I have used Scottoilers on a number of bikes I have found the service from Scottoiler has been excellent. Usually next day delivery and no charge for small parts and good advice.

Doubt if you will get over 100.000 but you never know. Enjoy but keep an eye for a few days I have heard of the odd horror story but generally due to operator negligence rather than any fault with the oiler.

regards
Jak

[Dickster]

Hi,

I always use one. I have owned three sports bikes prior to the Transalp and the chains latest longer on them! I was getting nearly 20k miles on them but on the Transalp the front sprocket was f*cked after 10k. It is probably my riding style - the Transalp does encourage you to take the p*ss! :D

[harrisphil]

I have got a scottoiler on a TA650 it is mounted on the left hand frame rail under the seat and it is almost horizontal
can anyone explain how this can work properly if 1/2 the oil capacity is below the outlet pipe?
also apears to leak oil everyware under the seat but that maybe from previous owner filling it up!
any one got the email address of scottoiler so I can get a copy of there instructions?

[Dickster]

Mmmm, never seen one mounted like that, but they are under pressure from the engine I believe. Have you monitored oil usage? I run mine to last a week or two (200 miles a week), and its usually around 1/3 full when i refill. I run with a fairly wet chain!

[wheeliebin]

Run mine on 4 now the warm sunny days are here, it's plumbed into the vaccum pipe for the 'fresh air' system instead of the fuel tap vaccum pipe.

[ChrisH]

No not under pressure from the engine Dickster, merely the vacuum from the inlet (usually taken from the vacuum pipe to the petrol tap) what switches it on. I put the touring version on my '96 TA and the High capacity Resevoir (HCR...) was only half empty after 2,500 miles trip in europe. So according to my maths I reckon I'll only need to fill it 30 times to get the chain life Wheeliebin is talking about....mmmm, that's nearly as handy as shaft drive...

[Lord Stig]

As I mentioned on the AT forum I get between 20-30,000 miles using the oiler. I'm about ready to adjust the chain for the first time in probably 8,000 (at least two oil changes ago - how I measure time). The bike is starting to feel slightly odd in the handling and I've found that a slack chain can do this. How the hell does that work?? Strange but true....

Stig

[YEN_POWELL]

As I mentioned on the AT forum I get between 20-30,000 miles using the oiler. I'm about ready to adjust the chain for the first time in probably 8,000 (at least two oil changes ago - how I measure time). The bike is starting to feel slightly odd in the handling and I've found that a slack chain can do this. How the hell does that work?? Strange but true....

Stig
That'll be the chain dragging along the road pulling the bike to the left. The cure is to pump the tires up harder until there is a little clearance. :lol:

[Lord Stig]

Yeah, I have to be careful off road - it does catch on roots a lot. At least the output shaft is safe from the dreaded over tightened chain, though it does take a beating every time the chain jumps off and locks the wheel....

So Yen, you think this handling thing is all a fig tree of my imagination then, eh? Maybe my head bearings are on the way out again, although there is no slack detectable (or notchiness). The way things have been going (e.g., the front brake light is not working and it's not the switch....) I'll probably find the frame has snapped or something.

Doom, gloom, doom, abject despair......Doooommmmm........

Stig

[YEN_POWELL]

Yeah, I have to be careful off road - it does catch on roots a lot. At least the output shaft is safe from the dreaded over tightened chain, though it does take a beating every time the chain jumps off and locks the wheel....

So Yen, you think this handling thing is all a fig tree of my imagination then, eh? Maybe my head bearings are on the way out again, although there is no slack detectable (or notchiness). The way things have been going (e.g., the front brake light is not working and it's not the switch....) I'll probably find the frame has snapped or something.

Doom, gloom, doom, abject despair......Doooommmmm........

Stig
I think my bike has strange handling every other day. The intermediate days it seems nice and stable. I try and pretend the rear shock is still like new (ha ha), I know the fork inners are still within spec and the oil is fresh though, so it's probably the shock getting hotter some days than others. It's still better than paying for a new one though.

Have you tried scraping the L shaped terminals that go onto the brakelight switch. Mine went pretty green inside and stopped working on my old FJ.

[Lord Stig]

I get that variable handling feeling too - I came to the conclusion that it must be a state of mind thing. This felt different though. It wasn't the chain; one notch up and it was too tight. It could have been the tyre pressures. I haven't been able to check them in the cool for a while, so the cold pressure was probably too soft, and too hard once on the move. I have it sorted now, and it does seem a lot better.

We didn't make it to Pendine Beach at the weekend in the end, but we did get up into the Brecons. Great fun! Had a good bivvy in a woods (with a lot of chimpanzees close by - yes, really!) and gave the hammocks a good test (mine is too small, I decided). No need for a fly sheet over the top - for once, Wales was dry!

I don't think I have a switch problem, but thanks for your thoughts Yen - well appreciated. If I touch the two connectors together nothing happens, so either power is not getting to the switch (easily tested with my wire-soldered-on-to-a-bulb test equipment, but I haven't had time) or there is a break after the switch. There are no traces of green corrosion - it looks clean. I've had that problem before so it was the first place I tried. I'll probably have to strip the whole machine, but I'll get there eventually. My guess is it's under the tank....

Stig

[YEN_POWELL]

We didn't make it to Pendine Beach at the weekend in the end, but we did get up into the Brecons. Great fun! Had a good bivvy in a woods (with a lot of chimpanzees close by - yes, really!) and gave the hammocks a good test (mine is too small, I decided). No need for a fly sheet over the top - for once, Wales was dry!
Stig
Aaaah Pendine sands. When my son was just starting potty training and I had my first AT (RD04) I had to take him and his mum back up the beach to the toilet. She was on the back and he was sitting on the front of the seat. He had a little tricycle with a single brake on the wheel and I'd been trying to get him to use the brake rather than just smash into the frontroom walls.

Well I set off, through some kid's sandcastle, past some donkey riders and in and out of the parked cars. I'd just rode a bit in the sea and was entering a really churned up area of sand when my son decided to lean forward and pull my front brake. I dug a little trench and nearly fell off. Any way, got to the toilets and he didn't want to go anymore cos he'd done it in his trousers.

[Lord Stig]

Yen - nice to hear there is a family tradition emerging! I hope your son's use of the brake is in more appropriate situations these days, although the using a wall to stop technique certainly has its place!

Stig

[Dickster]

Thanks for clarifying Chris.

You guys must ride very gently as I just about get 10k out of my chain/sprockets. The chain is okay and rarely needs adjustment, but the front sprocket is shot. :(

[ChrisH]

Kids are great aren't they???!! My eldest (14) got a DT50 on e-bay last summer and him and his mates have had brilliant fun on it round the fields. But my 8 year old decided he was up for it too, so the other lads got him perched and in first and away he went - couldn't reach the ground of course! So to stop he just slows down until the bike gently falls over!!! Excellent!

[Dessert Storm]

Had a good bivvy in a woods (with a lot of chimpanzees close by - yes, really!) Stig

If you were where I think, you probably had wolves for company, too!

Fabulous up there.

Alan

[Lord Stig]

Wolves as well, eh?? Cool! By the way, where in Somerset are you?

Stig