Chain oiler or Not?

[Grendel]

I commute around 100 miles a week in 30-50 zones in all weathers and wandering if it’s worthy fitting a chain oiler or just stick with my current way of putting chain lube on the bike every other week while up on paddock stands.
I have bought one of those Loobman manual chain lube things but still haven’t got around to fitting it and wander if it is really worth the hassle?

[StumpyFingers]

With the amount of miles you do it would be worth it.
The time you spend on the chain could go into other pursuits.

[tramp]

hi grendel,
I do about 200 mls a week A,B and motorways I`ve got the scottoiler with twin outlet, very good alround but like most people in winter as the temps cold the lube runs slowly and if you turn up the speed dial its fine till it gets warm then it dumps loads out allover.

so I leave it on 3 in winter and 2 in summer and when like now all the crud and salts on the road I spray a lube on the chain every 2 weeks as a top up helps keep the chain rust free too.

ask your self [a] how much spray you use in a year?
[b] what cost is a new chain and sprocket set?

Personnally I`d go for the lubeman/scott oiler and use thespray as a top up -1 tin a year does me. And when touring the scott oiler saves having to lube the chain and it really does last longer but alot depends on how much welly you give the bike and if you keep an eye on chain stretch, not that the alp chains need adjusting much usually once when new then loads when the chain is knackered.

could always pop round one weekend if you wanted a look at my alps set up.

[Dee Duble Yuh]

I think the financial argument for a Scottoiler doesn't stand up. It takes tens of thousands of miles to recoup the initial outlay. If there are other reasons to use one, then fine. Time savings don't seem to be one of those reasons since it seems you have to fiddle with drip settings, clean the crud off, check nozzle alignment and - it seems - some people use chain spray in addition anyway.

Since you already own a Loobman it must be worth a go to fit it.

[outrunner]

I think the financial argument for a Scottoiler doesn't stand up. It takes tens of thousands of miles to recoup the initial outlay. If there are other reasons to use one, then fine. Time savings don't seem to be one of those reasons since it seems you have to fiddle with drip settings, clean the crud off, check nozzle alignment and - it seems - some people use chain spray in addition anyway.

Since you already own a Loobman it must be worth a go to fit it.

My feelings exactly, every time I put the bike away whether I have done 20 miles or 400 miles I just brush on some engine oil. It takes no time at all and my chains/sprockets do not seem to wear out prematurely. The only time I use a tin of chain lube is if I am away for a few days/weeks on a trip.

[Boris]

My feelings exactly, every time I put the bike away whether I have done 20 miles or 400 miles I just brush on some engine oil. It takes no time at all and my chains/sprockets do not seem to wear out prematurely. The only time I use a tin of chain lube is if I am away for a few days/weeks on a trip.

Yup. I'm with the others here. If you can't be bothered / inclined to spend a couple of minutes a week maintaining your chain then I suppose they might help but for a minimal (and I mean minimal) outlay in time you can do a better job yourself.

My chain on the vara is still in the "New" section after 18000 miles and the only time I have to adjust it is when the tyre fitters set it over tight after a tyre change.

When I had a scotoiler on a previous bike it was more trouble than it was worth keeping it set to the changing conditions over winter up here. 2 minutes with paintbrush and some EP90 once a week gave much better results.

[africajim]

Well just to give a balanced view, I disagree with the others views. I've had several bikes and some with chain oilers, some without, the ones with oilers lasted far longer.
As for mucking about with it, I had one Scottoiler that was like a switch, on or off, no in between! All the rest including different makes were simple, start low and turn up a bit at a time, a bit messy with spray but at £100 for C & S I'd go for the oiler every time and wash my bike.
My bikes get a hard life, I power hard a lot, anyone who's seen me will explain it better, I can't resist pulling wheelies which are hard on the drive train, a C & S on one of my @T's only lasted a few thousand miles!
Scottoilers, swear by them!

[shack]

I've had one scott and 2 loobmans, most pain and mech hassles with the scott. Loob easy to fit & just squeeze and forget at the start of every journey over half an hour (real cheap, real easy and not much to go wrong) only thing is the loobman looks cheap. As for having an oiler over more manual oiling, if you've already got one put it on and use it. Altough it never hurts to just give your rear a quick check when it's on the paddock/centre stand.

[Snaphappy]

And after the fingerless post on Gixxer earlier another for chain oilers.

I have the ProOiler, fitting was easy but setting it was a bitch as its controlled and pumped taking a reading from the speedo sender. Now its set I think its great, in the rain or even dusty roads I can adjust the flow on the move and flush the chain.
It doesn't matter if I'm round town in traffic or blasting the motorway it pumps over distance covered and not on a time/gravity drip

[Rubberchicken]

OSCO here. No fiddling with settings, as it's a manual system. Chain maintenance is all well and good if you have a garage and/or a shed to park in, but if you do 2-300 miles per week year round and park on the streets then it is a pain to trudge inside up a flight of stairs in your soaked gear to get a can of lube.

So yeah, lazy way out, pull the knob every so often right before you get home, then just park it and don't worry.




Won't be cheaper, but it will save time and a bit of chain. (Though the NX still has a more than healthy appetite for them, never made one last past 12k miles.)

Though I have to admit my laziness works out very well with my current shaft drive.