Product Review: Scottoiler |
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File under Product Review
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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Thank God for gadgets that make life easier. A care package arrived from the good folks at Scottoiler  with a self-lubricating device for motorcycles. The Scottoiler vSystem is meant to lubricate your motorcycle's chain automatically, relieving you from the effort. I know that for many, this is a bit too much, but for others, like me, it's God sent.
Using an automatic lubricating system on your motorcycle is of use for several reasons: a) for lazy people like me, b) for people who forget to grease the chain (like me), c) for motorcycles that do not ride that often, or, d) for motorcycles that ride a lot and fast. Motorcycle chains (if you've got a shaft drive, don't bother reading any further) are pretty expensive, and they need to be taken care off. Greasing them is easy, as long as you don't forget. But if you tend to ride your motorcycle hard and fast, the wear & tear on your chain is going to show, since the lubrication gets used up quickly.
The Scottoiler takes care of this. Using the vacuum system from your motorcycle's engine itself, it sprays oil onto the chain (and not the bike or tires) automatically. It's not like it's a big stream of oil, typically one or two drops per minute.
Here's a report on the Scottoiler. First I'll show you how to install it. Since many of you who follow this site will know that I have two left hands, and opposing thumbs, I thought it was better if I had a professional handle it. So I took the Ducati Multistrada 1100 to Desmo Rouen . There, it was given to their mechanic who did a great job of not only installing it, but hiding it from view, so the beauty of the Ducati was not spoiled.
Obviously, if you're good with your hands, you should be able to do this yourself. It took the mechanic 30 minutes to install the system, and more time was actually spent making sure the system was not seen.
All the photos below can be clicked on for a bigger version.
NOTE: You may think my bike is dirty (and it is), but most of the "dust" you see is actually camera noise, since I was taking the photos at an ISO rating of 5000 ISO, which gives some noise.
The Scottoiler package has this as content (scanned from their well written manual).
All the parts were distributed on the workbench.
  Scottoiler Parts |
The reservoir containing the oil was placed below the saddle, hidden from view. Using tie-backs, the tube is held in place.
 Reservoir |
Here you can see the reservoir (a bigger version is also available). The arrow points to the adjustment ring, which you use to adjust the rate the oil flows.
Then the vacuum tube is positioned towards the vacuum connector on your engine.
 Vacuum tube |
Using the special vacuum damper, you place it on the engine's spigot.
 Dispenser tube |
This is the dispenser, in which the oil is distributed. You need to place it at the rear sprocket, on the outside. It should be just about on the chain.
Behind the chain guard is the best place to put the dispenser.
For that, the mechanic had to remove part of the guard.
 Clamps to hold tube |
Scottoiler deliver glue to fix the dispenser, but the mechanic made a fixation from metal strips that could be screwed in, a more elegant solution that allows you to easily remove it if necessary.
Close the latch, and it's in place.
 Shrink the rubber tube |
Being a perfectionist, the mechanic did not want to see a clear plastic tube, so he enveloped a shrinking rubber tube over the clear plastic one, and using a lighter, shrank the rubber over the tube. Now, you can't see it anymore.
Next, the oil delivery tube was fixed to the frame using tie-back.
Finally, it reached the reservoir.
Note: Something we forgot to do, and you'll want to do it, is prime the delivery tube with oil. Push oil from the bottle through the tube, because if you don't, no oil will flow through it.
 Oil |
Next you put the filling sprout on the oil bottle.
 Fill'er up with oil |
Instead of using the special filling tube, for the first batch of oil, he connected it directly to the reservoir, and squeezed the bottle, filling the reservoir until it was full.
 Fller tube |
Next he placed the filling tube onto the reservoir, and placed it under the frame, out of sight. In the future, all I need to do is pull out the filler tube, and place the oil bottle sprout onto the filler tube, and squeeze.
 Time the number of drops per minute |
Finally, the last thing to do is adjust the flow rate. For that you need to turn the engine on. Once it's running, oil will start flowing. You turn the flow rate ring (see the 4th photo - the pink arrow) and adjust it to one or two drops per minute.
That's it for the installation.
Review
Obviously, the review is short, since there's not much to see. I did a 100 km ride on the Ducati, and when I arrived home, the chain was nicely oiled up. Initially, we did not position the dispenser correctly, and oil splattered on the guard, though none had gotten on the tire.
The reservoir will hold enough oil for 400 to 800 miles, depending on the flow rate. The bigger reservoir will hold enough for 4000 to 6000 miles.
The rest of the test should take a few months of riding to see how the chain does. But I have very little doubt that the chain will do nicely, and will always be lubricated. One less chore to do. The only thing you need to do is check to see if the reservoir is still holding oil, but that takes a second.
Summary
A nice piece of equipment that makes life a bit easier. A well lubricated/greased chain is vital for the well being of your bike, and this piece of equipment does exactly that.
It's not expensive, especially if you consider the cost of replacing your chain.
You can buy it directly from Scottoil, or from any of their distributors.
Cost: starting at US$129. You'll need to find the one that goes for your motorcycle, since they have bits & bobs that go for specific models.
Click here to access Scottoiler
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