Hey There! 👋 Here are the benefits you gain by installing a motorcycle chain oiler system on your motorcycle:
- Save time, no need to manually lubricate the motorcycle chain.
- Save money in the long run, spray cans cost $10-$20, and 1 liter of 10W oil that is used in the auto chain oilers will cost around $10 and is enough for 70-100 thousand kilometers.
- Prolong the life of your chain rollers and sprockets.
- Increase the time between cleaning the chain since 10W oil is not as sticky as the spray can oil and attracts less dirt.
- Improve riding comfort. The lubed chain has less friction and therefore produces fewer vibrations that you would otherwise feel through the footpegs
- Reduce chain noise as lubed chain will roll smother.
Besides that, the effectiveness of spray can oil is questionable. The problem is that spray can oil is super sticky so it would stay on the chain longer instead of flying away when you ride. So because it is sticky it attracts more dirt that sticks to it and quickly turns into an abrasive that harms your chain more than protects it. Standard 10W oil does not have such a problem and it actually cleans your chain as you ride.
I personally use Tutoro on my bike and I take it off when selling the bike and install it on the next bike I buy so I don’t have to buy a new chain oiler every time I change motorcycles. It is not sold on Amazon right now so go to their official website if you choose to get Tutoro.
In this article, I will evaluate all automatic chain oilers based on the following criteria:
- Power Type: Vacum / Electric / Mechanical / Wind
- Oil Capacity
- Installation Difficulty
- Reliability
By the way – check out BrianF9’s video on chain oils to learn more about chain lubes.
Contents
Motorcycle Chain Oilers
Best Overall
#1 Scottoiler e-System
Installation Difficulty: Average
Operation type: Electric
Oil Volume: 60 ml (enough for 2000 km)
Auto turn on/off: ✅ Yes
Benefits & Features
✅ Settings are adjusted through the controller that is attached to the handlebar. On one side it is convenient, but there is already a lot of stuff on my handlebar including a tire pressure monitoring system, USB charger, phone holder, fog light switch, and heated grips controller. I simply don’t have a place for another thing but if that is not your case – it may be considered a benefit.
✅ Oil flow speed may be adjusted without stopping through the handlebar controller. Unlike mechanical systems that require you to stop on the side of the road to adjust oil flow – with Scottoiler eSystem this can be done without stopping. For Example – you went on a gravel road with lots of dust – increase oil flow, got back on pavement – reduce oil flow.
✅ e-System detects when your motorcycle is moving and starts pumping oil. When you stop – the system goes to sleep and shuts off.
⚠️ Not as reliable. Even though I found no complaints about reliability – more complex systems usually have more potential points of failure and this system is the most complex with an electric oil pump and digital controller.
Best Wind Powered Auto Chain Oiler
#2 Motobriiz
Installation Difficulty: Easy
Operation type: Wind-powered
Oil Volume: 50 ml (enough for 1800 km)
Auto turn on/off: ✅ Yes
Benefits & Features
✅ Easy installation. No need to cut into vacuum hose or connect to the battery.
✅ Simple and reliable design that you can install and forget. Wont leak if bike is stationary, feeds oil only if bike is mooving. The faster you go the more oil is fed to your chain which makes sense.
✅ Has Valve that allows you to slightly adjust how much oil you want the system to release. Open it more in cold temperatures or if you are using higher viscosity oil.
⚠️ Has to be installed in a way that would drive wind into the wind hose as you ride. Not a big deal but something to keep in mind when choosing mounting location on the bike.
⚠️ Better to use light weight oil so wind pressure would be able to force the oil out of reservoir into the hose that goes to your chain.
⚠️ Does not work as good in lower temperatures due to oil thickening. Air pressure becomes insufficient to force oil when it becomes thick due to lower temperatures. Another reason to use 0W oil if you choose Motobriiz
Worth Mentioning
#3 Scottoiler v-System
Installation Difficulty: Hard
Operation type: Vacuum
Oil Volume: 50 ml (enough for 1700 km)
Auto turn on/off: ⚠️ Somewhat (Turns on/off with engine)
Benefits & Features
✅ Simple after it is installed on your bike. The system itself is booletproof. SImple valve that is operated through vacuum is reliable and gravity takes care of everything esle. Additionaly, you can adjust oil flow rate by rotatiting the head cover.
⚠️ Complicated installation compared to other automatic chain oilers. V-System is operated through a vacuum opening the valve that allows for the oil to flow from the container to the sprocket. A vacuum is created in the vacuum hose when your engine is running and you have to cut into your engine’s vacuum hose.
⚠️ Oil flows whenever your engine is running – even if you are standing still and dont need it to flow. Even if your bike is standing still and you are waiting for the engine to heat up – the oil valve will get open by the vacuum and oil will flow when there is no need for it. This is not a big deal, however, most other systems do not have this flaw.
⚠️ Make sure your motorcycle actually has a Vacuum port before buying this. Some bikes may not have it.
Best Electric Powered Motorcycle CHain Oiler
#4 Scottoiler x-System
Installation Difficulty: Average
Operation type: Electric
Oil Volume: 60 ml (enough for 2000 km)
Auto turn on/off: ✅ Yes
Benefits & Features
✅ Easier to install compared to Vacuum operated systems. X-System has to be attached to the battery which is a lot easier to do than cutting into vacuum hose on your engine (if it even has one).
✅ Unlike Scottoiler e-System, X system does not have a separate handlebar controller and is controlled via buttons on the oiler itself. I like less clutter on my handlebar so for me this is a benefit. However, you will have to stop on the side of the road to press these buttons since it cant be done safely without stopping.
✅ Has movement sensor, so if your bike is stationary – it will not feed oil to the chain. It has an on/off button so you can turn it off completely if you dont plan riding your bike for couple weeks. Otherwise, just leave it on – there will be no oil flow if your bike is stationary and it wont drain your bikes battery due to very low power consumption when stationary.
⚠️ Hardest part is usually finding a spot on your bike for reservoir, but that is true for most other auto chain oilers as well.
Best Low Profile Auto Chain Oiler
#5 Scottoiler Micro v-System
Installation Difficulty: Hard
Operation type: Vacuum
Oil Volume: 35 ml (enough for 1000 km)
Auto turn on/off: ⚠️ Somewhat (Turns on/off with engine)
Benefits & Features
✅ Smaller version of V-System with smaller resrvoir. Easier to fit in hidden place if you want to have a low-profile chain oiler. For example, if you own a bobber or stylish bike like ducati and you dont want to alter stock looks. I can see this
⚠️ Same issues as with larger vacuum Scottoiler: hard to install, need cutting into your engines vacuum system, feeds oil whenever engine is running even if bike is stationary.
The Most Affordable
#6 Cobrra Nemo 2
Installation Difficulty: Easy
Operation type: Mechanical
Oil Volume: 30 ml (enough for 1000 km)
Auto turn on/off: ⚠️ No
Benefits & Features
✅ It is the cheapest option. The current price is $35 which is like 2 MOTUL spray cans where I live.
✅ Low profile. If installed on a handlebar it appears as a fancy brake fluid reservoir.
✅ Easy installation. No need for vacuum or electric connections.
⚠️ Manual operation that requires your attention. If you open it and forget – all the oil will leak out in 10 minutse and will make a mess on the rear wheel rim. Feeding too much oil to your chain will make chain to throw it all over the place.
⚠️ Hard to controll the amount of oil that goes to your chain. Feeding just a couple drops per kilometer is more than enough to make your chain lubed and clean. Excess oil simply attracts dust and makes your chain dirty. Other oilers in this list feed oil to the chain slower. Tutoro, Scottoiler X and E-systems feed oil only when the bike is moving so you dont have to keep an “open tab” in your brain remembering that you need to open/close the oil flow.
⚠️ Some users reported that reservoir is leaking and an O ring at the bottom of reservoir needs replacement time to time.
Worth Mentioning
#7 Tutoro
Installation Difficulty: Easy
Operation type: Mechanical
Oil Volume: 80 ml (3000 km)
Auto turn on/off: ✅ Yes
Benefits & Features
✅ Lowest maintanance from your side. Fill it once every 3000 kilometres and thats it. When you are riding – the valve inside will open on bumps and release little bit of oil. The amount of oil that is released may be increased or decreased by twisting the adjustment knob.
✅ SImple and reliable. There are no electronics or vacuum. It simply works/ I boought one 3 years ago and it still works without problems.
✅ When your bike is stationary and there is no movement, the oil release valve will get closed and no oil will be released. As soon as you start riding, accelarating, braking or simply going over bums. The valve inside will move up and down opening and closing the valve and thus feeding oil to the chain.
