I am terrible at maintaining chains, and sick to death of replacing them. I put on a lot of miles and I ride in all kinds of weather. But I am liking my lighter bikes. I miss my old shafties, and their easy to maintain drivetrains, but I don't want to switch back to larger bikes.
So this summer I have decided to do a comparison. I currently have three chain drive motorcycles. I have ordered three different chain oilers to install on them. I have never installed a chain oiler before. At the end of the summer, I hope to be able to compare these three chain oilers, from solid experience with them all.
I intend to start installing them this weekend. I'll take pictures of course. But I also thought it would be worth checking in before I started, to see what sort of questions people might want answered. That way I can pay attention to these things as I go.
Do they really prolong chain life, and how much? Which are the easiest to install? Which are easiest to use? Which are most reliable? Which ones will drip on my garage floor, and how much? How much fling will get on my wheels and bike? How do the costs compare? Which have the best oil applicators?
Anyone have any other questions?
Note I'm not asking which one to get - I've already ordered all three. I'm gonna have firsthand experience of them all regardless. And I don't need you to tell me that I wouldn't need these gadgets if I were just more conscientious about spraying my chain often enough - I know I am guilty as charged, there. :blink: I'm asking what y'all want to know, when I come back to report on this in six months. Thanks!
This is a cool project, I look forward to the results. I hope people can keep their opinions to themselves and let the research speak for itself :blink:
RE: I don't know but I'm still on my original chain and sprokets which still look new at 19,000 miles.
Which are the easiest to install?
RE: Mine was installed by a dealer so I can't say, however it does not apper to be hard.
Which are easiest to use?
RE: Mine is super easy...fill the reservoir and set the flow rate. Once it's set there really isn't any need to adjust it and that is really eay in and of itself just turn the numbered knob.
Which are most reliable?
RE: Mine has been dead reliable except for once when the dealer accidentally pulled out the vacum tube during my recall.
Which ones will drip on my garage floor, and how much?
RE: Mine has not dripped at all...ever.
How much fling will get on my wheels and bike?
RE: Set properly there is very little fling...after a multi thousand mile ride it took all of about five minutes to clean the swingarm and wheel.
How do the costs compare?
RE: The only costs mine has had is the cost of the unit and the install charge.
Which have the best oil applicators?
RE: Again, I don't know but mine simply drips on the top of the chain.
BTW: I have a Scottoiler touring model...highly recommended.
I have a ScottOiler Touring also that I need to install. Since you are going to install one, I'll wait and see if you have any words of wisdom or recommendations as a result of your experience. Thanks!
I'm interested to see the results...I'm hoping it's the Pro-Oiler since I bought one in the group buy...and it just got here...I'm hoping to get it installed soon.
Like you I am terrible for cleaning my chains especially in the winter when even a good dousing of lube can be gone in a week. I toasted my last chain and sprockets in 6,000 miles so I've bought a scottoiler MK7 for my new chain and sprockets and hopefully I'll have finished my bike rebuild by mid next week. I'm hoping it does what it says on the tin.
I'll be interested to read your comparisons of all 3. I went for the scottoiler because it was the best known(to me at least).
One of my main questions is if a single injector is enough or is a dual best?
Like you I am terrible for cleaning my chains especially in the winter when even a good dousing of lube can be gone in a week. I toasted my last chain and sprockets in 6,000 miles so I've bought a scottoiler MK7 for my new chain and sprockets and hopefully I'll have finished my bike rebuild by mid next week. I'm hoping it does what it says on the tin. I'll be interested to read your comparisons of all 3. I went for the scottoiler because it was the best known(to me at least).
One of my main questions is if a single injector is enough or is a dual best?
Good luck with your project. :biggrin:
I have the Hawke Oiler and the instructions say one injector is sufficient as the oil will migrate. Mine sure doesn't seem to and I plan on putting a dual injector on there.
I have the Hawke Oiler and the instructions say one injector is sufficient as the oil will migrate. Mine sure doesn't seem to and I plan on putting a dual injector on there.
Interesting.
What sort of oil are you using? I am guessing that's also going to be one of the things I'll have to learn about with this project.
I'm interested to see the results...I'm hoping it's the Pro-Oiler since I bought one in the group buy...and it just got here...I'm hoping to get it installed soon.
I was in the group buy too. That's sort of the inspiration for this. I have a Hawke Oiler already on the bench, but I was swayed by the Pro Oiler info, and since I have multiple bikes, I figured I'd jump on it while we had the group buy going. Then I thought, heck, I have three chain drive bikes, let's get a Scott Oiler to complete the set, make it a full fledged comparo. It'll be my fifteen minutes of internet motorcycle forum fame! And my poor website needs some sort of update - every now and then, someone sends me email asking if I still ride, it's been so long since I updated. (Though I suppose if I want to update my website I'll have to figure out why it's AWOL. Some computer somewhere is down, I guess. Maybe it finally evaporated and spared me the trouble of deleting it.)
I'm interested to see the results...I'm hoping it's the Pro-Oiler since I bought one in the group buy...and it just got here...I'm hoping to get it installed soon.
I was in the group buy too. That's sort of the inspiration for this. I have a Hawke Oiler already on the bench, but I was swayed by the Pro Oiler info, and since I have multiple bikes, I figured I'd jump on it while we had the group buy going. Then I thought, heck, I have three chain drive bikes, let's get a Scott Oiler to complete the set, make it a full fledged comparo. It'll be my fifteen minutes of internet motorcycle forum fame! And my poor website needs some sort of update - every now and then, someone sends me email asking if I still ride, it's been so long since I updated. (Though I suppose if I want to update my website I'll have to figure out why it's AWOL. Some computer somewhere is down, I guess. Maybe it finally evaporated and spared me the trouble of deleting it.)
Kat,
To keep the test fair, please use the same oil in all three.
Wait. Do the others suggest switching oil weights due to ambient temps? The pro-oiler doesn't so maybe disregard my suggestion and note how you deal with this.
I have the Hawke Oiler and the instructions say one injector is sufficient as the oil will migrate. Mine sure doesn't seem to and I plan on putting a dual injector on there.
Interesting.
What sort of oil are you using? I am guessing that's also going to be one of the things I'll have to learn about with this project.
I'd be interested to know if very hot or cold temperatures affect how it functions, and also if heavy rain causes problems.
Over here in Oregon, we find ourselves going from cold, salty, and wet on the coast to the desert 90-100's in a very short time. I live on the coast, and so anything that prolongs chain life is a Good Thing, and I've been seriously considering an automatic oiler after having read how popular they are in England.
Take your time getting to know the pros and cons of each one well, and then let us know what you find!
To keep the test fair, please use the same oil in all three.
Wait. Do the others suggest switching oil weights due to ambient temps? The pro-oiler doesn't so maybe disregard my suggestion and note how you deal with this.
I figure I should use the recommended oil in each, since if they recommend something specific there must be a reason, right?
For the Scott Oiler that is their oil. According to their website their oil is water soluble and is supposed to rinse out and take the grit with it anytime you ride in the rain. I can't imagine a water soluble oil. Isn't one of the characteristics of oil, that it's not water soluble? I guess I will examine this "oil" when I get it and see what properties it seems to have.
For the other two oilers it's normal oil; they don't seem to need anything special. I suppose I will try different selections from their list of choices.
I installed a Loobman, once, years ago, and one of the suggestions was chain saw oil. I tried that and it didn't work well at all so I'll probably skip that this time. The way i understand it now, is that we're not supposed to use a tacky oil - we want it to fling off and take the grit with it. It's a total loss system.
We shall see. Tomorrow I plan to install the Hawke Oiler since it's the only one that's here, so far. I'm going to put it on the V-Strom.
I'd be interested to know if very hot or cold temperatures affect how it functions, and also if heavy rain causes problems.
Over here in Oregon, we find ourselves going from cold, salty, and wet on the coast to the desert 90-100's in a very short time. I live on the coast, and so anything that prolongs chain life is a Good Thing, and I've been seriously considering an automatic oiler after having read how popular they are in England.
Take your time getting to know the pros and cons of each one well, and then let us know what you find!
Similar weather here in the UK. I have one fitted to my VTEC, the chain now has 30000 miles on it and has not needed adjustment in the last 7000 miles.
You do have to set the flow rate with major changes in temperature. The recommended setting is in drips per minute but I do not use that method. I simply look at the chain rollers, if they are dirty I turn it up, if they are clean and shiny I leave it alone, if they are wet and the licence plate is oily I turn it down. Licence plates are larger in the UK so that indicator may not work for you.
In the 27000 miles the Scottoiler has been on my bike I have never cleaned the chain, if it looks dirty I turn the oiler up and go for a ride, this washes the dirt off. I then wash the bike, the oil comes off with normal detergent and joy of joys, non of that awful solidified grease from conventional chain lubricants. In winter I paint on some Scottoil after washing the bike..
For the Scott Oiler that is their oil. According to their website their oil is water soluble and is supposed to rinse out and take the grit with it anytime you ride in the rain. I can't imagine a water soluble oil. Isn't one of the characteristics of oil, that it's not water soluble? I guess I will examine this "oil" when I get it and see what properties it seems to have.
Oil is a bit of a misnomer. Lubricant would be more accurate. Water soluble "oil" is used extensively in heavy industry as a lubricant, coolant and flushing agent. As I understood, it is more environmentally sound, is cheaper to produce and the waste is cheaper to remediate. (Washes off of pavement faster and easier too.)
I'm sure there is a chemical engineer type around this forum somewhere who could explain it much better than I.
I never gave much thought to a chain oiler,me being somewhat of a cycle purist and the least stuff I have
hanging from my bike the better. So never really seeing a chain oiler, can they be somewhat hidden or are they obnoxiously
exposed for all to see? Anyway from what some of the already chain oiler users are saying,they sure sound like they work!
eddie
I never gave much thought to a chain oiler,me being somewhat of a cycle purist and the least stuff I have hanging from my bike the better. So never really seeing a chain oiler, can they be somewhat hidden or are they obnoxiously exposed for all to see? Anyway from what some of the already chain oiler users are saying,they sure sound like they work! eddie
I feel the same way as you: if I can see it, I would rather not. My Hawke Oiler is completely hidden except for the oil line and I ran it with the brake lines along the chain guard so you notice it only if you're really looking.
I've been in the garage all day working on the Hawke Oiler. I've run into a snag. I think I'm going to wear it out just trying to get the darn pump to prime. I can't find any markings on the pump to indicate which way the oil is supposed to flow. So I went with the direction the hoses were hooked up, in the package. I eventually determined that this was putting air bubbles into my oil reservoir, it's pumping backwards I think. So I had to undo all my neat hose routing to get in there and reverse it. But I still can't get this pump to suck up any oil. I decided to give it a rest since it feels really hot. Maybe I need to use my MityVac to get it primed?
Edited to add: It is working! Priming the lines did the trick.
I am terrible at maintaining chains, and sick to death of replacing them. I put on a lot of miles and I ride in all kinds of weather. But I am liking my lighter bikes. I miss my old shafties, and their easy to maintain drivetrains, but I don't want to switch back to larger bikes.
So this summer I have decided to do a comparison. I currently have three chain drive motorcycles. I have ordered three different chain oilers to install on them. I have never installed a chain oiler before. At the end of the summer, I hope to be able to compare these three chain oilers, from solid experience with them all.
I intend to start installing them this weekend. I'll take pictures of course. But I also thought it would be worth checking in before I started, to see what sort of questions people might want answered. That way I can pay attention to these things as I go.
Do they really prolong chain life, and how much? Which are the easiest to install? Which are easiest to use? Which are most reliable? Which ones will drip on my garage floor, and how much? How much fling will get on my wheels and bike? How do the costs compare? Which have the best oil applicators?
Anyone have any other questions?
Note I'm not asking which one to get - I've already ordered all three. I'm gonna have firsthand experience of them all regardless. And I don't need you to tell me that I wouldn't need these gadgets if I were just more conscientious about spraying my chain often enough - I know I am guilty as charged, there. http://www.vfrdiscus...tyle_emoticons/default/+1.gif I'm asking what y'all want to know, when I come back to report on this in six months. Thanks!
Someone else will have to test that one. I only have three bikes and I already have three oilers. http://www.vfrdiscus...tyle_emoticons/default/smile.gif
Wouldn't want to be doing business with that guy. He (memeber name Lukid) was not banned from VFRD for no reason, lying spammer. Read this topic on ADV rider and you know who you're dealing with. Also it is nothing more than a very expensive electric version of the Loobman.
Scotoiler have 2 types of lubricant, red and blue/geen. for winter/summer use.
the drip rate can be set and if I see a little spot, I know it is time to tone it down a little.... :laugh:
The bike I plan to put the Scottoiler on, is one that doesn't go out in winter, so I probably won't ever change it. But that is a factor to include in my review.
:cool: Thanks for your hard work and keeping us in the loop. Im curious about the outcome and your results will depend on which one Im going to buy. No pressure http://www.vfrdiscus...tyle_emoticons/default/smile.gif
:blush: Thanks Bent. We'll see if I can live up to that.
So far, I've only got the Hawke Oiler install done. And it is on the V-Strom, which is waiting for new water pump seals, bearings, and impeller shaft (backordered) so I can't actually ride out and test it.
The Pro Oiler (which is going on the VFR) arrived in Saturday's post, and I worked on that install all afternoon yesterday. I'm struggling with EMI. It seems my bike is electrically very noisy, which I guess I knew - I can hear the noise in my Autocom, always have. I've run through all the troubleshooting steps recommended in the Pro-Oiler documentation (which is amazingly extensive) to no avail. I think I am going to try installing some power filters, next.
. I'm struggling with EMI. It seems my bike is electrically very noisy, which I guess I knew - I can hear the noise in my Autocom, always have. I've run through all the troubleshooting steps recommended in the Pro-Oiler documentation (which is amazingly extensive) to no avail. I think I am going to try installing some power filters, next.
Katherine,
I just wired mine up (not installed) and had zero emi. With all the coils mounted basically on the outer points of the frame, you might look at where your wires are running and your junction box and control unit are mounted. Since I have a 6gen tail, I can't help you much with locations. I put the pump and junction box behind my battery which I think shields them from the rear coils. You might want to run the main controller cable up and over the airbox to keep it as far away from the front coils as possible. Just a guess.
I think chain maintenance is a PITA....and messy! Yet, I just don't understand the need for a chain oiler?? I mean really, does it extend chain life to 50k miles? I got 25k out of a the OEM and it could have gone longer.
I remember my old Katana 600. I had no clue...never once did I clean/lube the chain. On a rare occuasion, the dealership did it with an oil change, which was very rare! I sold it with over 30k on the original....no oiler, no tlc, no nothing. So I suppose I am skeptical about how well the chain oilers are!
I'm interested in the comparo as well. I had a Scottoiler (regular one, not the touring) on my VTR. It was a pain to fill, but once hooked up and set, I never messed with it much - at least tried not to. I sold the bike with 30k miles on it and the chain was still original. The guy I sold it to finally changed it at 40k miles. Not sure if he kept it full or not either. From the research I did when I had it, most people said the oil was basically automatic transmission fluid. I had plenty of the Scottoiler oil, so I never tried anything else.
I hate chain maintenance and would like to put something on the VFR, but I thought the Scottoiler was kind of a pain (the little drip tip always came off, filling it, etc). Wasn't really sure it was doing much either, of course 40k miles out of the chain kind of proved me wrong on that one.
I'll just post once to keep the "WERA boys" reputation in tact... :blush:
I had a "Loobman" on my VFR, and although it was messy as heck, the chain was always in great shape. The other thing that is suprising about over-oiling the chain is that it cleans very, very easily...
I'm not using anything now on my Aprilia, but I've thought about it. I'll be watching to see what you think. Thanks for doing the comparo!
I think chain maintenance is a PITA....and messy! Yet, I just don't understand the need for a chain oiler?? I mean really, does it extend chain life to 50k miles? I got 25k out of a the OEM and it could have gone longer.
I remember my old Katana 600. I had no clue...never once did I clean/lube the chain. On a rare occuasion, the dealership did it with an oil change, which was very rare! I sold it with over 30k on the original....no oiler, no tlc, no nothing. So I suppose I am skeptical about how well the chain oilers are!
I do enjoy reading these threads tho.
I rode older shafties for about 130,000 miles. Then I moved into newer bikes and since I didn't want a behemoth and shafties have disappeared from the medium-sized bike market, I started having to deal with chains. The chain drive bike I have the most experience with, is my DL1000 V-Strom. I bought it new in 2003, it now has 64,000 miles, and it is on its fifth chain and sprocket set. Most of them go around 15,000 miles, but I had one that only went 8000 miles, and which I had to replace in a motel parking lot 2500 miles away from home. So you can see I have definitely given the manual chain maintenance thing a long enough trial to know that it isn't working out for me. :blush:
I have had the VFR for two years now. It had about 24,000 miles when I got it. I don't know when the previous owner installed this chain, but at 36,000 miles it was completely shot; I replaced it the weekend before last. I suspect that the VFR may not eat chains as fast as the V-Strom does. The TDM is also easier on its chains - the original chain hadn't stretched or kinked when I replaced it proactively at about 22,000 miles (good thing I was being proactive - I found two of the countershaft teeth were broken!), and I haven't had to do it again yet - but the TDM doesn't go out in winter or even in the rain if I can help it; of my bikes it is the one that gets ridden the least. But last night I rode it, and noticed I have let the chain get horribly rusty! Doh!
After my 2007 experience with replacing a chain on the road, I started saving for a new shafty, even if I got stuck with a behemoth. This spring was the target date to get it. But in the end I just couldn't get excited about an FJR or an ST. They are just too freakin' huge! Also, in this economy no one is buying so I can't unload this darn V-Strom. So I cast around for another solution and decided to try chain oilers. If any of them work out for me, I'll be able to stay with the moderate sized bikes that I like better.
I got around to doing the real install tonight and got emi readings off the chart. :biggrin:
Basically the only thing different from last night was the +/- connections as I originally hooked them on the battery for simplicity/quickness sake. I had tapped into the red positive lead of my speeohealer connection. This is the same one I'm using for the oilers' speedo reader to the pink honda speedo wire. Moved it back to the battery and no emi.
So I moved the oilers' power connection to the taillight wiring and the ground to the one of the right side frame spar. Zero emi.
I got around to doing the real install tonight and got emi readings off the chart. :blink:
Basically the only thing different from last night was the +/- connections as I originally hooked them on the battery for simplicity/quickness sake. I had tapped into the red positive lead of my speeohealer connection. This is the same one I'm using for the oilers' speedo reader to the pink honda speedo wire. Moved it back to the battery and no emi.
So I moved the oilers' power connection to the taillight wiring and the ground to the one of the right side frame spar. Zero emi.
FWIW
I've got an accessory fuse panel under the seat with an available slot, so I just took power from there. This accessory fuse panel get power directly from the battery and is switched by a relay attached to the taillight wire. Right next to it I have a little bus bar that I use as a grounding block, it is attached to the negative terminal of the battery. I started by grounding the Pro Oiler there, but when I got all the EMI I tried a whole bunch of grounding points, including several different spots on the frame, to no avail. I eventually gave up - it was midnight and I was tired enough to do stupid things, best to stop. I haven't gotten back to it yet, but I've been giving it a lot of thought.
I think the next thing I will try, is to tap into the power wire for my Autocom, somewhere downstream of the choke I have on there to reduce the noise in the audio gear. If that doesn't work, I will install a big power filter on that wire - this choke is only partially effective at keeping the noise out of the audio gear, and this power filter may improve things for both the chain oiler and the audio gear. I've already got the power filter; it's been on my to-do list for a while.
I have been chuckling all week at Step 1 of the Pro-Oiler's flowchart for dealing with EMI: "Remake earth." That's a heck of a job! :laugh:
try directly to the battery first, as FotoMoto did...this should give a good basis point for comparison.
But the instructions specifically state, do not connect earth directly to battery? I tried the EMI test 3 times, first time got a reading of 1 when I started the bike and it never went higher. The second time I blipped it and got 8. The last time I blipped it, and then reved the piss out of it and still got 00. I'll give it a break and try again hoping I get the 00 again.
I think the next thing I will try, is to tap into the power wire for my Autocom, somewhere downstream of the choke I have on there to reduce the noise in the audio gear. If that doesn't work, I will install a big power filter on that wire - this choke is only partially effective at keeping the noise out of the audio gear, and this power filter may improve things for both the chain oiler and the audio gear. I've already got the power filter; it's been on my to-do list for a while.
:fing02: on tapping into power behind the choke. How big of a ferrite core can you lug around?
Also watch cable routing. Keep it away from anything that has to do with ignition. I know that is easier said than done. You can also try using a shielded cable, ground the shield on only one end.
As a curiosity, any idea why is this thing so sensitive to EMI? I have junk at work that is literally swimming in harmonics, radio and EMI and rarely does it give me fits. I just can't imagine a chain oiler being anything more than a timing circuit, which can be built very simply and very robustly.
:musik20: on tapping into power behind the choke. How big of a ferrite core can you lug around?
Also watch cable routing. Keep it away from anything that has to do with ignition. I know that is easier said than done. You can also try using a shielded cable, ground the shield on only one end.
As a curiosity, any idea why is this thing so sensitive to EMI? I have junk at work that is literally swimming in harmonics, radio and EMI and rarely does it give me fits. I just can't imagine a chain oiler being anything more than a timing circuit, which can be built very simply and very robustly.
The choke is about 3cm square, two halves that come apart, hole in the middle, and you wrap the wire round and round. I have several, they are recycled items that came out of a SAN switch where they were used to filter noise from telephone wires. The power filter I tried, is one that came from the car stereo shop, it's about the size of a half can of red bull. It's got a red lead for the hot side, a black lead that you ground to the frame, and a yellow lead that goes to the power-in side of the device. But what sort of chokes and power filters doesn't much matter, because neither one worked.
Here's what worked: Adjusting the cable routing. I had the controller box mounted on the left side of the fairing. Since you're not supposed to stress the cable, I found it was not possible to route the wire in such a way that you can get there, without passing the cable through a horrible EMI zone just forward of your knee. This is on both sides of the bike - perhaps it's the coils. I eventually decided to mount the controller box on the dash, just above and a little to the right of the speedo. It partially obscures a few of the lights, but doesn't completely hide them. I routed the cable up under the gas tank, over top of the airbox, then under the handebar, and across the center fairing stay. This seems to work ok, though I still need to go back out there and tidy all the wires. I'll do that tomorrow night.
The only guess I have, for why it is so sensitive to EMI, is this: They say the speedometer signal it's reading is a "Hall Sensor" which apparently is something that measures how much metal is close to the sensor, as the countershaft sprocket goes round. The current fluctuates by an amount that the OEMs won't reveal, it's proprietary. So the device has to watch for some kind of wave pattern, but they don't know the amplitude of this wave. I'm guessing they make it oversensitive just to be sure it can detect these waves, and this makes it sensitive to EMI. But I'm not an electrical guru, so don't assume I know what I'm talking about here - this is just me making wild guesses. :fing02:
After my 2007 experience with replacing a chain on the road, I started saving for a new shafty, even if I got stuck with a behemoth. This spring was the target date to get it. But in the end I just couldn't get excited about an FJR or an ST. They are just too freakin' huge! Also, in this economy no one is buying so I can't unload this darn V-Strom. So I cast around for another solution and decided to try chain oilers. If any of them work out for me, I'll be able to stay with the moderate sized bikes that I like better.
I felt the same way until I saw the new BMW K1300S. It might be my next bike, so I can finally kiss chains goodbye... Well if I can accept it not having an under tail exhaust. Then again since I no longer have to deal with carbs, I suppose I have to find something to complain about! Even though the daily chain lubrication ritual when I'm touring isn't a big deal, an automatic oiler would be nice. Even more so would be an automatic chain adjuster. :-) Seriously does anyone really adjust their chain every 500 miles when touring? For me that could pretty much be at the end of every night.
Ahh, glad you worked it out! I will keep that in mind for my install...which comes probably after (or during) my brake pad change, which includes Speed Bleeders...sheesh, my bike is getting pampered!
The chain drive bike I have the most experience with, is my DL1000 V-Strom. I bought it new in 2003, it now has 64,000 miles, and it is on its fifth chain and sprocket set. Most of them go around 15,000 miles, but I had one that only went 8000 miles, and which I had to replace in a motel parking lot 2500 miles away from home. So you can see I have definitely given the manual chain maintenance thing a long enough trial to know that it isn't working out for me. :musik20:
:fing02: Have you looked into the rear sprocket carrier/hub mod for your V-Strom? These pics are a result of not replacing a chain on a DL1000. PM me for more info on the mod.
The chain drive bike I have the most experience with, is my DL1000 V-Strom. I bought it new in 2003, it now has 64,000 miles, and it is on its fifth chain and sprocket set. Most of them go around 15,000 miles, but I had one that only went 8000 miles, and which I had to replace in a motel parking lot 2500 miles away from home. So you can see I have definitely given the manual chain maintenance thing a long enough trial to know that it isn't working out for me. :cool:
:laugh: Have you looked into the rear sprocket carrier/hub mod for your V-Strom?
You mean the "Master Mike" spacer, that moves things over by 2mm so the chain lines up properly? If so, then yes, I do have that, and I did notice the difference. But I've gone through a couple chains since installing it, and they haven't lasted any longer.
As for the chain snapping while riding, I have never let it go that far - I have always replaced it when it got crunchy. The chain that went bad on my trip in 2007, was making some scary sounds all the way from the Grand Tetons, to Carson City NV which was the closest chain and sprockets I could find available on my route. I was visualizing something like that while riding across the empty parts of ID and NV at the lowest speed I dared, and it did not give me a warm fuzzy. :biggrin:
To bring things back to the original topic... UPS just dropped off Oiler #3, the Scott Oiler. So when I finish the Pro-Oiler install I'll have everything I need to start the next one!
"Remake earth", funny, even God took six days, and had to rest a day after. How have the oilers worked out? I'm curious how well the oil distributes and how much does it seem to have lengthened the life of the chains.
End of thread · 48 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 3 Apr 2013