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Chain Maintenance and Lube for 2020?

Probably. But not by me. Previous owner, or dealership where it was serviced.

When was the last time you removed that cover on your F800GS? Is it normally relatively clean under there?

I’d also be curious to know how that cover looks on bikes fitted with Scott Oilers.

The fling-off from the chain does build up under the front sprocket cover eventually, even with a Scottoiler. But as others have noted, remove three Torx fasteners, wipe out with a few paper towels, an reinstall cover — you’re good for few thousand miles before it needs any further attention.
 
Based on what I found behind the sprocket cover, had I not cleaned that crud out there really would be no point in ever cleaning the chain. Having it constantly run through the goop behind the cover would negate the effort.

But it’s such a simple thing to do (spin three bolts out in about 60 seconds, pop cover off, clean, repeat process in reverse), I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t. It also makes it very easy to clean the front drive sprocket.:thumb

I haven’t found that the chain gets fouled by the buildup at all (plenty of clearance) — the only real issue is that the stuff will eventually drip onto the garage floor. But as you noted, it is so easy to do the very occasional cleaning.
 
I’d also be curious to know how that cover looks on bikes fitted with Scott Oilers.

Well, here's 15k worth of crud. Installed at 15k, bike is now at 30k (that went fast!) and this the first time I've opened up the cover. Some buildup, but not crazy. I run one drop every 70 seconds for my Scottoiler. Most of those miles were on-road. Yep, it makes a bit of a mess, but I've been able to run several thousand miles without even thinking about having to adjust my chain.

 
Well, here's 15k worth of crud. Installed at 15k, bike is now at 30k (that went fast!) and this the first time I've opened up the cover. Some buildup, but not crazy. I run one drop every 70 seconds for my Scottoiler. Most of those miles were on-road. Yep, it makes a bit of a mess, but I've been able to run several thousand miles without even thinking about having to adjust my chain.


Regarding chain adjustment: On our two G310GS bikes we have a bit over 20,000 miles on the original chains. They have never been adjusted except when I mounted new rear tires. Quality chains do not require periodic adjustment. Once they do need an adjustment they are on borrowed time and will continue to wear and need readjustment very rapidly, usually within a few hundred miles.
 
Well, here's 15k worth of crud. Installed at 15k, bike is now at 30k (that went fast!) and this the first time I've opened up the cover. Some buildup, but not crazy. I run one drop every 70 seconds for my Scottoiler. Most of those miles were on-road. Yep, it makes a bit of a mess, but I've been able to run several thousand miles without even thinking about having to adjust my chain.

Thanks for that photo. Yours doesn’t look too bad actually. But definitely worth cleaning up, imo.

The Scott Oiler seems to do its job well. What sort of chain oil does it use? One of the super duper varieties, or standard gear oil?
 
Thanks for that photo. Yours doesn’t look too bad actually. But definitely worth cleaning up, imo.

The Scott Oiler seems to do its job well. What sort of chain oil does it use? One of the super duper varieties, or standard gear oil?

The folks I know that have these use off-the-shelf ATF.
 
The folks I know that have these use off-the-shelf ATF.

Okay, thanks.

It seems like a good system. But I get the impression that based on your experience with chain wear and maintenance requirements, you wouldn't bother installing one of these?
 
Okay, thanks.

It seems like a good system. But I get the impression that based on your experience with chain wear and maintenance requirements, you wouldn't bother installing one of these?

I had a Scott Oiler and thought it more trouble than it was worth. The biggest thing one can do to have a long lasting chain is to keep it clean. As mentioned, a rag with WD40 on it does a very good job. A little lube goes a long way because it also attracts dirt in most cases, so too much works against long life. I prefer a Teflon infused wax. Goes on wet, dries quickly, seems to last a long time and does not attract dirt as much a the oils/greases. Remember, with an o'ring chain mounted the only thing you need to lube is the rollers that make contact with the sprockets. Some people who live/ride in sandy environments use WD40 as a chain lube and get long chain life.
 
Okay, thanks.

It seems like a good system. But I get the impression that based on your experience with chain wear and maintenance requirements, you wouldn't bother installing one of these?

That is true. If I had a pure dirt bike that ran non-O ring chain I might but with a quality O ring or X ring chain cleanliness is the most important issue.
 
The Scott Oiler seems to do its job well. What sort of chain oil does it use? One of the super duper varieties, or standard gear oil?
I use the standard and hi-temp Scottoiler oil - each fillup of my electronic system lasts more than 2000 miles. I haven't experimented with other types, as I generally buy a bottle or two just to get free shipping on some other farkel.
 
That is true. If I had a pure dirt bike that ran non-O ring chain I might but with a quality O ring or X ring chain cleanliness is the most important issue.

That’s the rub: I don’t want to clean the chain. So far, I haven’t had to with the Scottoiler since the chain stays pretty clean by itself. I’ve got about 14,000 miles on it so far, so we’ll see how long it lasts. If I can get 18 - 20,000 miles out of it with no manual cleaning, the Scottoiler will be money well spent as far as I’m concerned.
 
How much stuff gets flung off? Have you had the chainguards off to check? I like the idea, but I just haven't pulled the trigger on one yet.
 
How much stuff gets flung off? Have you had the chainguards off to check? I like the idea, but I just haven't pulled the trigger on one yet.

The amount of fling-off depends on how you set the flow rate of the Scottoiler, but it takes a long time to build up enough to drip, which is really the only issue. You don’t need to remove the chain guard to clean it — just reach around it with paper towels.
 
The amount of fling-off depends on how you set the flow rate of the Scottoiler, but it takes a long time to build up enough to drip, which is really the only issue. You don’t need to remove the chain guard to clean it — just reach around it with paper towels.

Yeah, I had taken my cover off, not to clean it but to get an accurate tooth count on the drive sprocket. But taking it off is very quick/easy, and allows a more thorough cleaning not just of the splatter but also the sprocket teeth. Worthwhile in my view.

I think you (or somebody else?) said you set the drip rate at once every 70 seconds or so? Is that considered a fast, medium, or slow drip rate?
 
I think you (or somebody else?) said you set the drip rate at once every 70 seconds or so? Is that considered a fast, medium, or slow drip rate?

That was me (drneo) as I have the electronic version. You can set it to quite a few different levels - as fast as one drip every 20 seconds, up to 1 drip every 180 seconds - in 10 to 20 second intervals. Scottoiler recommends 1 drip every 50-60 seconds, but I found I was fine at 70 sec/drip when running on the street in dry conditions.
 
Yeah, I had taken my cover off, not to clean it but to get an accurate tooth count on the drive sprocket. But taking it off is very quick/easy, and allows a more thorough cleaning not just of the splatter but also the sprocket teeth. Worthwhile in my view.

I think you (or somebody else?) said you set the drip rate at once every 70 seconds or so? Is that considered a fast, medium, or slow drip rate?

I have the vacuum version, and don’t really pay attention to the drip rate. I just set mine so that the rollers and O rings remain lightly lubed all the time.
 
Thanks for the feedback on the drip rate.

Neat product. I’ll file it away on my “nice to have” list. But for now I have a long list of higher priority items to get this bare bike properly outfitted. By the time the current chain wears out I might be able to look at some of the nice-to-haves.:thumb
 
https://www.rideapart.com/articles/441257/bmw-motorrad-m-endurance-chain/

Interesting idea. I’m hoping this works better than lubed-for-life final drives.

Best,
DeVern

Wow that’s interesting. No maintenance would be nice. But they don’t say how long it’s expected to last.

It’s currently available from BMW in a 525 pitch for both the S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR models, both installed from the factory as an option, or available for purchase as an accessory for your existing bike.

Can’t tell whether they are saying it is available for bikes other than these models?
 
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