O-ring chains are marvelous things indeed. They free motorcycle owners from much of the maintenance drudgery once attached to chain final-drive systems. However, contrary to some riders misconceptions, they are not strictly maintenance-free items; O-ring chains require at least occasional oiling to lubricate the surfaces that rub the sprockets, prevent corrosion and carry grime off the sideplates and rollers.As centerstands become increasingly rare, riders are more apt to skip the chain oiling chore. Lacking a stand, most bikes prove to be something of a pain to maintain; it's really a two-man operation to roll the bike along while squirting away with a can of chain lube. Hence, the Scottoiler system. As the name implies, the Scottoiler is an automatic chain oiler, one which incorporates a reservoir, metering valve and oil delivery system. The metering valves actuating plunger operates off engine vacuum and therefore works only when the motorcycle is running; this eliminates the ongoing drip that would occur with a gravity-fed system when the bike is parked.

The Scottoiler comes in a package that contains a wealth of hardware options for fitting the unit up to a wide variety of motorcycles. Installation hardware includes an abundance of fittings, brackets, conduits and sleeves; the company even throws in duct tape and super glue for some applications! The written instructions are adequate, with just enough illustrations to give you the gist of things. We would have preferred additional details and more lavish illustrations, but in its present iteration the instructions will suffice. Installation was an easy evening's work, about a couple of hours, depending upon how handy and imaginative you are. We spent fully half of the installation time familiarizing ourselves with the Scottoiler and devising the most unobtrusive installation on our Suzuki Bandit 1200 test mule. Having done this once, we could easily install the Scottoiler on another Bandit in about an hour's time.

A few hundred miles of test riding proved that the Scottoiler functions precisely as advertised. The oil reservoir can be filled quickly, easily and with virtually no mess by using the supplied bottle of chain oil. The flow rate can be adjusted quickly and easily with a mere twist of the flow-adjustment knob, and our unit delivered oil right to the chain with a bare minimum of fling-off; virtually every brand of aerosol-spray lube that we have used causes more overspray and fling-off than the Scottoiler.

Depending upon the flow rate chosen, the petite reservoir should hold enough oil for at least a thousand miles, or perhaps twice that distance. Also, since the flow rate is readily adjustable, it's simplicity itself to dial up delivery as needed following a rain shower or a jaunt down an intriguing unpaved side road. At a price of $119.50, the Scottoiler is obviously a major investment compared to the cost of a can of spray lube. That money, however, buys convenience, regular chain maintenance and a new degree of freedom--you now have one less thing to think about.

For more information contact ActionStations, 166 Eaton Road, Chico, California 95973-0201; (530) 898-9269.
-Ken Lee

Shop Talk article - Rider, Feb 1998 page 72.
Article reproduced with the permission of Ehlert Publishing Group, publishers of Rider, American Rider & Cruising Rider magazines.

See also MCN March 1998 for a test of the Scottoiler.
Voted "Innovation of the Month", MCN recognised the ability of the Scottoiler also to transmit more power. They fitted it to Editor Lee Parrks' Honda Hawk.
"...the quality of design & construction is cexceptional."
Note: The address & phone printed in MCN is incorrect.