Brammo Owners Forum
Brammo Empulse Discussion => Brammo Empulse => Topic started by: protomech on May 18, 2013, 11:12:05 AM
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http://rideapart.com/2013/03/how-to-prepare-your-bike-for-adventure-part-1/ (http://rideapart.com/2013/03/how-to-prepare-your-bike-for-adventure-part-1/)
About halfway down the article it talks about an automatic oiling system for a bike chain. Two different types, one vacuum-activated and one that taps into the 12V system. Obviously the 12V system is the way to go with the Empulse : )
Anyone have experience with a system like this?
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I used to have a Scottoiler on my VFR. It works great. I had the bike set up for 1000 mile round trips. The chain stayed perfectly lubricated. I think I mounted the oil reservoir under the seat. A tube ran down to the
real sprocket. From there a small metal needle would place the oil at the point just above where the chain and sprocket meet. While moving the spin of the sprocket would force the oil into the chain. The system worked well. A vacuum made sure the oil would only flow when the engine was on.
The down side is that a small amount of oil would flick off, usually at the smaller front sprocket. When I parked the bike there would always be one or two drips of oil that would come off of the side stand onto the pavement. I always made sure I parked on a piece of cardboard in the garage.
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At the risk of starting YACOT (yet another chain oil thread), my thoughts are that a Scottoiler would be great for the kind of distances encountered in adventure touring. But in the 4400 miles I've put on the Empulse, it's been mainly as a commuter with some fun rides on the weekends and all distances are limited by the batteries, offering plenty of opportunities for routine maintenance.
AFAIK, o-ring chains are always lubricated, having grease sealed around the pins. So the purpose of chain lube is simply to keep the externals from rusting and to apply some cushion and glide on the rollers to reduce wear on the sprockets. A constant flow of oil is not needed for this.
Acting on information on this forum, verified by webbikeworld's opinion, I've been using the Dupont Teflon Chain Saver Lubricant and find it a very practical solution. I've gotten into the habit of wiping down the chain and applying the Dupont product onto a warm chain every Friday night when I come home from work, which is about a 200-mile interval. It's a fairly painless 5-min ritual that I actually look forward to, after swearing I'd never have a chain-drive bike again after owning shafties.
The Dupont product attracts very little dirt, making cleaning the chain with a brush and cleaner (which I DON'T like!) a fairly rare event, every couple of months or so.
While the mechanical part of me is entranced with the idea of an automatic oiler, the practical side is content with my current routine, at least on an o-ring chain. Just my $.02.