Gen3 xSystem Scottoiler – Improved Perfection

We are all long-term Scottoiler users. Our love for these devices, which take all the pain out of having a chain-driven motorcycle, goes back years and covers many (many!) motorcycles.

In that time, we have only encountered two issues. One was an xSystem that gave up the ghost. Nothing would bring it back to life, and after a few simple checks, Scottoiler replaced the unit under warranty. In fact, they did more than that; they replaced my 1^st Generation xSystem with a 2^nd generation unit.

Since then, the unit has been installed on a V-Strom 1050 and a KTM 1090 and currently resides on my Tracer 9GT.  The mileage that x-System has covered is easily over 30,000 miles, and it is still going strong.

The other issue relates to my Multistrada. When I bought the bike and asked for a Scottoiler to be included in the deal, Chris Walker looked uncomfortable. When I asked why, it wasn’t the vSystem or the cost (less than £115); it was installing the Scottoiler on the Multistrada’s single-sided swinging arm.

Scottoiler vSystem

The vSystem uses the motorcycle’s vacuum feed to encourage the oil flow. It is highly reliable and, in most cases, easy to fit. The vSystem on Roger’s Africa Twin is heading for 30K miles and is five years old.

The main vSystem unit is easy enough to install on the Multistrada, but the routing of the oil delivery pipe and the exit onto the sprocket are the awkward parts.

Swinging Arms

On a typical double-sided swinging arm, the delivery nozzle only has to travel a few centimetres to make contact with the lower side of the sprocket, typically just after the sprocket and the chain meet.

With the Multistrada, the single-sided swinging arm curves away from the chain, leaving a 15-centimetre gap that the nozzle has to span, and for something that is designed to be lightweight and flexible, so it adapts to the movement of the wheel, this isn’t the easiest gap to cross.

I have one more idea to try, which involves getting a thin metal tube, similar to a thick needle, and seeing if that successfully bridges the gap. When I find a supplier, I’ll let you know how I get on.

Gen3 Scottoiler xSystem

The latest Scottoiler – the third generation xSystem – is currently installed on the Honda Transalp we are riding through the ravages of a UK winter. Using a Scottoiler extends the life of the chain by keeping it well lubricated, reducing the damage done by road grime and ground-up road salt.

Given the thousands of miles we have ridden using the different types of Scottoilers – Carle has the top-of-the-line e-System on his KTM 1290 – I was puzzled as to why an upgrade to the xSystem was necessary.

The highly desirable eSystem is currently at version 3.1, but the 2^nd generation xSystem – as used by us mere mortals – is feature-rich and highly reliable. So, how do you improve on it?

Improvements

I asked Scottoiler the same question, and a few days before the official launch, the information pack arrived.

The first thing that struck me was that the original Scottoiler was released 40 years ago. Forty years! If I think I’ve covered a lot of miles, I wouldn’t want to guess how many miles Scottoilers have covered in total. It must be tens of millions.

The Gen3 xSystem has new firmware allowing for a faster response rate to key presses, not that I found the Gen2 “slow”.  Perhaps more importantly, the new firmware significantly reduces the power consumption compared to the Gen2 by introducing a more efficient pump mechanism.

The current draw from the Gen3 xSystem when it is in “hibernation” – engine not running – is 0.087 mA or 0.000087 amps.

That is a big improvement over my Gen2, which draws 2.3 mA when sleeping. The number of amps we are talking about here is tiny compared to the capacity of the average motorcycle battery, but it is still an impressive reduction in power consumption.

The power needed to run the Gen3 has also been reduced to a fifth of that required by the Gen2. Again, the numbers are ridiculously small, with the Gen2 pulling half an amp when running and the Gen3 needing just one-tenth of an amp.

If the numbers get any smaller, the Scottoiler will start charging the battery.

The new pump also has uprated seals and an improved over-mould design, delivering even greater durability and reliability in the harshest conditions.

Switched Live

In addition to the other refinements, the electronics in the Gen3 Scottoiler have been enhanced to allow the pump to be connected to either a switched live or directly to the battery. In both cases, the Gen3 xSystem will remember its settings when you next start the bike.

I have my Gen2 xSystem connected directly to the battery and never had a problem. All Scottoilers – even the electronic ones – require the bike to be running before they will pump oil through the system.

I’ve never turned my Gen2 xSystem off before hibernating the bike, and there isn’t a pool of oil under the bike as “that guy” from the tea stop would insist happened to him.

Nonetheless, being able to use a switched live or a HealTech Thunderbox is a welcome addition to what is already the easiest way to keep a chain well-lubricated and extend its life.

Availability

The Gen3 xSystem is available directly from Scottoiler, or the Gen2 version is available from SportsBikeShop (in the UK) at a discount.

For where to buy a Scottoiler from in the rest of the world <click here>