About Scottoiler

Welcome to Scottoiler

You may just have started riding or you may have been riding since you were big enough to get on a bike, but whichever type of rider you are you can always learn more about our shared passion: motorcycles!

It is a trait of the motorcycle community to share knowledge and experiences and make motorcycling better for everyone. In this spirit, it is our mission to explore in depth the technical aspects of motorcycling and explain the issues affecting modern motorcycle chains, the process of chain wear, and the benefits of automatic chain lubrication.

We will also explain the difference between traditional spray lubrication and continuous chain lubrication, the method my father, Fraser Scott, invented in the 1970s. Since then I have taken over as Scottoiler Managing Director and thanks to our loyal customers (and my Dad’s invention) we have grown the business to be a worldwide brand.

Fiona Scott Thomson
Managing Director

Fraser Scott – The Inventor of the Scottoiler Chain Oiler System

“Motorcycles run like a thread through my life. My earliest memory is of being a two-year-old tank-top passenger on my dad’s Triumph Twin. In a life dedicated to bikes, I’ve since used them to go camping, hillwalking and scrambling. And sometimes to meet women…

In the late seventies, I was riding a Suzuki 750 four and used it most weekends on trips from my home in Glasgow to meet my girlfriend in Manchester. The Suzuki had an ‘O-ring’ chain which couldn’t be removed without detaching the swing-arm. By the time I reached Manchester, it was hanging off the sprockets but looked too costly to replace. I had an idea the Suzuki’s vacuum petrol-tap could be adapted to make an automatic chain oiler. That inspired my career as the inventor of the Scottoiler.

Having created a prototype which worked, I spent the next five years perfecting it, encouraged by the fact that, on the road and even in the dirt, the ‘O-ring’ chains didn’t wear out. Our key moment arrived in 1983 when TML manufactured 10,000 chain oiler systems which were launched at the NEC Motorcycle show the following year. We sold just 50 kits in a difficult motorcycle market.

Despite that, I thought it would be madness not to keep going even though it was costing me my social life and most of my money. In 1985, with no money left for marketing campaigns or events, I decided to sell the kits by mail-order from my living room. Through word-of-mouth I managed to slowly build up sales as more and more bikers recommended the Scottoiler chain oiler systems to their friends.

By 1990, our growth meant we needed to hire full-time staff and adopt a more professional approach to the business. As satisfied customers spread the word to friends, it was not long before first dealers, then wholesalers and even international importers wanted to stock our products. That led to one of my proudest moments when we formed a partnership with BMW Motorrad who chose Scottoiler systems as an official accessory.

I’ve now taken a back seat in Scottoiler, handing over the reins to my daughter Fiona who, as MD, has continued to successfully develop the company to its present highly regarded place in the motorcycle marketplace. We now employ more than 20 people in our Glasgow factory where our products are still manufactured and assembled before being sold and exported to over 40 countries worldwide.

Although I’m no longer actively involved in the business, I’ve maintained my role as a disruptive innovator within our R&D team, as Scottoiler continues to work on new and exciting projects.

Fraser Scott
Inventor of the Scottoiler