The chain requires a lot of care considering we ride a lot and most of the time in hard conditions for the bike. Sun, rain, dust, rocks, mud, sand, etc, nothing very good for the chain!
I have to confess that I'm tired of lubrificating the chain every day, of seeing it dry every evening after only 200 or 300kms, or of tightening it very often.
So I went for a Scottoiler that will take care of the chain for me. Grant from Scottoiler answered all my questions by email. Thanks to him I had a package waiting for me when we arrived in Lima! Riders know how it feels to receive a new accessory, it's a bit like Christmas ;)
Forgive me for the quality of the pictures but I opened the package in our room in a very old hostel which was a bit dark...
Inside I found a Scottoiler vSystem kit especially designed for the KTM LC8 (vSystem = Vacuum System) and a Lube Tube.
To make it short a Scottoiler vSystem is a system that drops some oil on the chain at regular intervals. It's composed of a reservoir of oil and two tubings, one from the engine to the reservoir, the second from the bottom of the reservoir to the chain. The first one is connected on the intake of the engine, where there is a vacuum created when the engine is running. This vacuum sucks on a rubber diaphragm inside the Scottoiler reservoir, lifting it upwards, and this in turn lifts an internal flow control needle into the open position to allow oil to flow by gravity out of the reservoir and down to the chain by the second clear delivery tubing from the bottom of the reservoir. In short, the whole system simply relies on the reservoir being higher than where the oil is being delivered (onto your sprocket) and the delivery tube being full of oil. Simple. And most of the time a simple system is a reliable system, I like it! You can find more informations on how it works and on technical specs on the Scottoiler website.
So the kit includes the oil reservoir.
But also the tubings, all the accessoiries needed for installation and functioning, the installation guide and a bottle of oil.
For long distance trips it's possible to increase the range of the system between refills with a Lube Tube. It's an additionnal reservoir connected to the main reservoir.
Here too the kit includes everything needed for installation and functioning, the manual and again a bottle of oil.
With these two bottles of oil I can refill the two reservoirs twice. It's enough for 8.000 or 10.000kms with a perfectly lubrificated chain with woring about it!
Moreover, all Scottoiler products come with a two years warranty!
The installation is very easy because it's a special KTM LC8 kit. The installation manual is especially written for the LC8. Scottoiler also writes specific manuals for many others brands and models, here too you can visit the Scottoiler website.
While I change the chain kit and install the Scottoiler I also change the engine oil, that explains why I removed all the front fairings and the tanks. On the pictures you'll see my old chain. Keep in mind that we just spent a day riding in sand dunes and that I didn't clean the chain since... :)
But don't worry, to install the Scottoiler you only need to strip off the right side of the bike, the easiest side! With the right tank off you can access to a screw on the intake of the rear cylinder, here :
Each time the rear cylinder intake valves open, the engine sucks a mixture of air and fuel and creates a vacuum in the intake pipe. This vacuum is pretty constant when the engine is running, and is enough to lift a needle inside the Scottoiler reservoir out of a hole, and allow oil to fall down the delivery tubing to the chain thanks to gravity. It is not a pumped system, it is a simply siphon. Just replace the stock screw with the spigot that comes in the kit :
While taking out the stock one, mind the washer, here it stayed stuck on the engine :
On this spigot connect the vacuum damper elbow in which you have to push the black vacuum tubing :
The spigot is on the right side of the bike but the Scottoiler fits on the left side. So you have to route the tubing in between the two cylinders, under the air box, to reach the left side of the bike :
Now you can attach the reservoir to the bike. The best place to fit it is along the rear frame on the left side. Secure it with the cable ties provided :
Plug onto the reservoir the black vacuum tubing. Trim it if necessary :
Only one thing left, the installation of the dispenser assembly. It starts by fitting the dispenser plate provided at the end of the swingarm in the bobbin mount :
On this plate secure the dispenser assembly with the jubilee clip provided :
Make sure to position the nib between 6 and 8 o'clock on the outside face of the sprocket with slash cut facing away from the sprocket. Take care to avoid the sprocket bolts :
To route delivery tubing under the swingarm use self adhesive clips and conduit. Degrease the swingarm with the IPA wipe provided and glue the conduit using sandpaper and instant adhesive, provided also :
Trim the tubing and connect it to the reservoir until it can go no further :
To fill the reservoir there are two types of oil available. One for low temperature from 0 to 20°C and one for warmer climate, between 20 and 40°C. As here the weather is quite hot Grant provided me with red oil, for warmer climate.
Here also it's simple, fill the reservoir through the top hole using the spout :
To get your Scottoiler ready you need to prime it. To do so press the fillerplug on to the reservoir and set the reservoir on "PRIME". Connect the spout to the fillerplug and squeeze the bottle to force the oil down the delivery tubing using air pressure :
Once the oil gets to the end of the delivery line the system is ready!
As I said earlier I also have a Lube Tube, an additionnal reservoir that plugs onto the main one. The Lube Tube comes in a nylon cover to protect it.
To keep the Lube Tube flexible fill it to 5cm from the top :
Then it can take any shape to fit anywhere on the bike. On the KTM 990 Adventure the best place is under the seat :
I cutted a small piece of plastic to be sure the tubing would not be damaged by the seat and I used some conduit to route it :
Squeeze to get all the air out and force the oil down the tubing. Then plug it to the main reservoir using the fillerplug :
And we're done! Just adjust the flow rate until 1 to 2 drops per minute are achieved.
No more daily manual lubrificating and no more chain kit change every