What Is A Chain Oiler?
A motorcycle chain oiler is a system designed to lubricate the drive chain automatically. Unlike traditional spray lubricants, which are formulated to adhere to the chain and provide protection for a limited period between applications, an automatic chain oiler delivers lubricant continuously during operation.
Many chain oilers operate as total-loss systems, meaning lubricant is delivered at a controlled rate to maintain lubrication levels rather than being retained indefinitely. As the chain rotates, excess oil carries away surface dirt and grime. In this way, automatic chain oilers can extend the life of your chain by delivering consistent lubrication and a cleaner chain.
Why is Chain Lubrication important?
Motorcycle drive chains require lubrication to manage friction, corrosion, and wear during operation. While many modern chains are described as “maintenance-free” due to internal lubrication within sealed rollers, external lubrication remains necessary to protect exposed components from moisture, dirt, and corrosion.
One of the primary functions of external chain lubrication is rust prevention. Without sufficient lubrication on the outer surfaces of the chain, exposure to water and road contaminants can lead to corrosion, increased friction, and restricted chain movement. Over time, this can accelerate wear and reduce the service life of both the chain and sprockets.
The effectiveness of any lubrication method is influenced by how well it balances adhesion and cleanliness. Lubricant must remain on the chain long enough to provide protection, while also limiting the accumulation of dirt and debris that can form abrasive contamination. With manual spray lubricants, achieving this balance involves trade-offs between viscosity, durability, and contamination resistance. Lubricants that adhere strongly tend to attract and retain debris, while lighter formulations may require more frequent reapplication.
Because of these competing requirements, chain lubrication performance is affected by factors such as riding environment, weather conditions, and maintenance intervals. Different lubrication approaches address these factors in different ways, which becomes more apparent when comparing manual and automatic lubrication methods.
What are the benefits of using an Automatic Chain Oiler?
- Easily installed on all motorcycles
- Only lubricates your chain while you ride
- No sticky chain lube means no black paste build-up
- A cleaner chain will result in longer chain life
- Saving you money on replacement parts and repairs
- Saves you time, money and hassle
- More time spend on the road, less in the garage
Explainer Video
Manual vs Automatic lubrication
Manual chain lubrication is a common maintenance method among motorcycle riders, and when done correctly, it is effective. Spray lubricants are typically thick and designed to adhere to the chain, providing protection between services.
Over time, this viscosity causes dirt and debris to accumulate, forming a sticky residue on the chain and sprockets. As a result, regular cleaning is required every few hundred miles before lubricant is reapplied. In practice, however, cleaning intervals are often extended or maintenance is rushed, allowing abrasive residue to remain. This contamination accelerates wear on the chain and sprockets, reducing their overall lifespan.
In the last few decades, automatic motorcycle chain oilers have become a more popular choice. Oil can be drip fed to the chain continuously, with the excess serving to remove dirt and grime from your chain. They also offer better control of your lubrication settings, allowing you to adjust the lubrication to suit the riding environment. For example, a road user will use less lubrication than a off-road trail rider. When manually lubricating, you can lubricate for one environment or the other – leaving your chain not lubricated enough for off-road, or too lubricated for the road.
There are many options for motorcycle chain oilers, which offer the ability to adjust on the fly. These systems can be effective at eliminate the effort of manual lubrication, as well as protect your chain from damaging dirt from sticking to your chain. When dialled in correctly, an automatic chain oiler can dramatically increase the lifespan of your chain – keeping you safe and reducing the cost of chain and sprocket replacements.
Automatic chain lubrication has become a popular alternative method of chain lubrication. automatic chain oilers deliver lubricant continuously, most often via a controlled drip-feed mechanism. As the chain rotates, excess oil passes carries away surface dirt and grime that would otherwise remain in contact with moving components.
Lubrication rates are typically adjustable, allowing oil delivery to be matched to different riding environments and operating conditions. For example, riding on roads generally requires lower lubrication rates than off-road or trail riding, where exposure to water, dirt and debris is greater.
With manual lubrication, adjustments are usually made to suit one type of use at a time, which can result in insufficient lubrication in harsher conditions or excess lubricant during road use. When correctly set up, automatic chain oilers can help maintain consistent lubrication the suits the riding environment, keeping it protected between service intervals.
How it Works
Traditional chain maintenance is messy and time-consuming. No one likes it and sometimes we just put off cleaning and lubricating the chain. We used to do it too!
The problem with traditional chain spray is that it’s sticky and tacky. It has to be – so that it stays on your chain for as long as possible. However, due to its tackiness, your chain will pick up dirt and grit from the road. Over time this then turns into the black grinding paste that every motorcyclist hates. This grinding paste is what wears away your O-Rings and ultimately makes your chain fail prematurely – costing you hundreds in chain replacements and repairs.
With a Scottoiler chain oiler system, you are always feeding just enough oil to your chain – in very small doses. This allows us to use a lubricant that has almost no tack additives and dirt and grit will not stick to your chain. A cleaner chain means your chain does not develop the black grinding paste. Your chain will last up to 7 times longer, plus you don’t need to manually clean and lubricate it every 300 miles.
Installation Example
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Read about how Chain Wear occurs and Why Automatic Lubrication is King
Motorcycle chains need regular maintenance to stay efficient and reliable. Your manufacturer’s handbook probably recommends a thorough cleaning and accurate re-lubrication of the chain every 300 miles. Failing to keep the chain well maintained will result in internal wear of the chain, and subsequently the sprockets. The results are costly repairs or even worse, a failed chain.
We have created a fantastic resource that explains in detail why and how your motorcycle chain wears and why cleaning and lubricating your chain regularly is so important.
In the second part of this exclusive ebook, we show how automatic chain lubrication can make your life easier and safer and how you can save money on replacement parts and workshop time.
The ebook is free to download for your own education. This is our special present for you!
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*NEW* Scottoiler xSystem 3.0 + | Electronic Chain Oiler with Bluetooth Control
The latest addition to the Scottoiler family, the xSystem 3.0+ represents a significant upgrade from its predecessor. This advanced chain oiler system boasts cutting-edge features and compatibility with the brand new Scottoiler App, making it our most user-friendly model to date.
Scottoiler vSystem | Universal Edition
The Scottoiler vSystem Universal Edition is a vacuum operated chain oiler which automatically lubes your chain while you ride. Trusted by motorcyclists worldwide, the vSystem is the number one choice to take the hassle out of chain maintenance.