Which is the right oiler for you?

Posted in Technical tips

At Eurobike, we have been distributing Scottoiler in New Zealand for over 30 years and we absolutely love the product. We have personally used every one of the current oilers on our own bikes for various reasons and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses that go beyond the price tag. So how do you choose the right Scottoiler for you? To help you make your decision, we've given a brief run-down of the main considerations for each system below. Have a read and hopefully it will help you pick the right oiler for you.

Essentially there are three main considerations when it comes to choosing a Scottoiler - fitment, cost, and usability.

Fitment

Not every system will fit on every bike. Scottoiler has a large library of bike specific installation instructions in their knowledge base - http://kb.scottoiler.com. As a first port of call, it pays to have a look for your bike to see if there is a clear choice based on fitment. In most cases, all three of the systems will work, or occasionally you might find that your bike isn't listed at all, so you'll need to make your own mind up.

In a nutshell, the vSystem is relatively small and compact, making it the easiest oiler to find space for on your bike. If you are really stuck for space, the vSystem Micro is even smaller again, but obviously, with less capacity (you get approximately a 2,400 km range between fills with the standard vSystem, but roughly 1,200 km with the Micro). However, you do need access to a vacuum source, which is usually either a port somewhere on the engine inlet manifold, or a tube in the bike's EVAP system for those models with Euro4 compliance.

The xSystem is the simplest to install, only requiring access to the battery for the electrical connection and a route for the delivery tube to reach the rear sprocket. However, the oiler unit is the largest of all the systems and does require a decent amount of space to accommodate it, without it getting in the way of the rider, or other components.

The eSystem oiler unit is similar in size to the vSystem and, like the xSystem only requires a battery connection, but it does have a handlebar/dash mounted control panel to find a home for.

With fitment in mind, the choice might be clear, but if it's not, there are other considerations to help make your decision.

Cost

The traditional vSystem has the lowest price tag on the shelf, but may not necessarily be the cheapest system once it is installed. While it is the original and most technologically simple system, it does require a vacuum connection to function. Depending on your bike, this could be easy to access, or very difficult. As an example, a T7 Yamaha has a vacuum port on the inlet manifold, which can be accessed without removing any parts from the bike. This makes a vSystem installation relatively quick and easy. By way of comparison a Honda CRF 1000 Africa Twin has it's vacuum connection hidden away under the tank. It's a two hour job to get to this connection, so the labour costs of installing a vSystem on this model quickly gobble into the savings of this system over one of the electronic oilers. It's one thing to compare prices on the store shelf, but you really do need to take installation into account when considering the full cost of a Scottoiler.

Usability

Assuming all of the systems will fit your bike and you're comfortable with cost, it really comes down to usability as to which system will suit you.

The traditional vSystem is fully mechanical and flow rate adjustment is gloriously analogue. With a big physical dial on top of the unit and a complete lack of electronics to fail, the inner workings of the vSystem are super simple, but will bewilder many. Some of us love this sort of thing, but if you prefer to click a button to make adjustments then the vSystem may not be for you. The vSystem is great for tinkerers and mechanical geniuses.

The xSystem is the most simple in terms of operation. With a pair of up/down buttons on the oiler unit, the flow rate can be adjusted quickly, with some bright, blue lights that flash to indicate the setting. It's simply a set and forget system, with the only trap being to remember to check the oil level from time to time. The xSystem is perfect for fans of plug and play.

The fully featured eSystem has a handlebar/dashboard mounted control panel, which allows you to make adjustments on the fly and check the oil level in real time, thanks to the level indicator on the display. It even gives you a temperature reading so you know when to pull over and swap for your warmer gloves. The eSystem is the ultimate oiler for long distance tourers and those who ride a multitude of different road surfaces.