Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech chain oiler ?

I am posting here for the wealth of experience and knowledge from this fine group of riders. May post over on that other site just to see what else comes up.

I have been considering installing a chain oiler on my 2009 America. I am concerned about any excess oil dripping or pooling at the rear tire, especially with the chain being on the high side of the tire when parked on the side stand. But in the threads I have read, that hasn't been mentioned as an issue. I have looked at several systems on line. I like the low maintenance approach of the vacuum, wind and motion activated systems rather than an electrical or manual pump.
The Scottoiler http://www.scottoiler.com/us/vsystem/vsystem.html vacuum activated system sounds good but seems a bit pricey for what it is. The Motobriiz https://www.motobriiz.com/motobriiz-chain-oiler-how-it-works/ wind activation seems ideal but the reservoir looks to want to be mounted more horizontal than vertical and the applicator seems problematic or at least prone to wear. The Tutoro http://www.adventuretech.biz/tutoro-auto---standard-edition.html motion activation unit seems OK for commuting and I really like the pincer type applicator, just wonder about those droning highway miles with little up & down disturbance to trigger oiling.
Ease of refilling is also on my mind but that, like oil drips, hasn't been mentioned in any of the threads I have seen. I have read Cloudy's thread on bonnevilleamerica about the Motobriiz http://www.bonnevilleamerica.com/forums/...p;vc=1&nt=2 , I would be tempted to use a different applicator similar to what he did or like the Tutoro dual feed.

Anyone have any experience with any of these?

My main goal is to have a clean chain with little maintenance, any extended chain/sprocket life would be a bonus. Just had both tires, chain and both sprockets replaced with the odometer showing a bit over 40,000 miles. I am now on my third chain & sprocket set, the original and now the second replacement set. All were Triumph parts from my local dealer.
The motorcycle is my “preferred” daily transportation although weather, cargo and life do call for the car some days. Most of my mileage is from short trips around town going to work, running errands and such. I do get out on the highway/interstate for one or two trips a year, maybe a thousand miles over a long weekend. I do tend to ride in a “spirited” way trying to avoid blind spots and clear intersections promptly. Add to that I have a dirt driveway that is a bit more than 400 feet long. I have concluded chain wax/spray + sand = abrasive grit, and I'm not real big on cleaning my motorcycle all the time.

The whole concept of having an o-ring is to trap the lubricant, in this case, grease, where the critical wear area is, the pins. My advice if you want chain longevity is to buy a laser alignment tool $75, set your chain up exactly as it was meant to be and keep it clean. Do not use any solvents in cleaning because you will deplete and degrade that grease you want to stay behind the o-ring. If it's too late and you have already washed your chain with with a WD-40 type product, you might want to get a Scottoiler, now you need one. I spray a gun action dri lube on my sprockets and clean the chain with one of those brushes Fast Eddy sells. I get the most a chain/sprocket will give with this protocol.

C'mon, Ian, we're waiting...

Maybe I should have started with the first sentence of my last paragraph, bolded it or added highlights.

Quote:

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My main goal is to have a clean chain with little maintenance, any extended chain/sprocket life would be a bonus. ...

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Not really interested in the "no lube vs lube at specific short intervals" debate. Have read it before.
I am a bit lazy and the inconvenience and mess of cleaning and lubing the chain is no fun. The red dust, road grime and environmental toll from no lube isn't any better. Looking for a third option

Buy a belt kit.

I wasn't trying to be a smart alec, a belt drive cleans up with a garden hose, rag and elbow grease is optional.

Hey RYK, how often do you use the dry lube, and what sort of mileage do you get from chain and sprockets with this method ?

Loooooooove my Scottoiler. Had it for many years now.

Seems a waste of money to use a Scottoiler with a O-Ring chain, the o-rings will block the oil from getting into the pins and barrels. There are still quality non ring chains available at less than half the cost of the sealed chains. I do have a question, how long or miles ridden does a $10 + $5 shipping (presuming not available locally) 500 ml bottle of oil last, at an ideal flow rate?

That is because you clean/ lube your chain. I do nothing to mine, it sees water when I wash it or when it rains. Mine never gets the preservative it was packed in washed off.

Reddish dust coming from a chain or a bearing is all that's left of grease when it goes kaput. The usually Red, sometimes gray dust is lab grade super finely ground clay that almost all the different greases (over six thousand grades, applications and kinds) in the world use as a binder for the liquid (viscous) component of the grease.

I only use the dry-lube. No messy wheels, no sticky surface for dirt. I use my chains and sprockets for about 40 000km. Could do more than that I suppose, but it feels good to change! :-)

I use a dry lube too, even dries clear, but I just give the sprocket teeth a light spray once in a while, not the chain. Same stuff I spray the action of my AR-15 with. I saw how well it worked on food processing conveyor drive chains and been converted over, ever since.

Thought I would give an update. Decided to go with the Scottoiler VSystem. Installation was fairly straight forward. Fab a bracket & tie wrap stuff on!
Here's what I wound up doing. Wish it were a bit less visible, I figure it will get as dirty as everything else soon


Chy, if you pass back by this thread again, what position is your drip volume set at?

I'm sure volume of vacuum, vent & supply hose flow and such figure into it. I still need more mileage to verify enough flow. Stared near the 1/2 way point and can tell some oil has left the reservoir. Hope to wash the bike and actually clean the wheels this weekend. Can then watch the sprocket & chain. Will back it down after I have a more "clear" view of things.

I have mine set on about 2 or 3 but it varies a bit between units.