If Freek's suggestion of riding a chain dry in dusty conditions is correct it is obviously the most simple and easy way to go. But it sounds so strange and contrary?????
Who has experience with this on a long distance trip? And can you try this with just any o-ring chain (for ex: the standard Honda one that is installed on a Transalp).
I would really appreciate some more opinions on this intriging approach;

I'd agree with freek - in extremely dry/dusty conditions keep an o-ring chain dry. Yes you will get more wear than a well-oiled chain would in good conditions, but oil and dust makes a good grinding paste, so it's the lesser of two evils.

I would keep the speed down a little too. Flat out in top with a dry chain - not a good idea.

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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

The stock aluminum rear sprocket, and O-ring chain on the Suzuki are of good quality. I have a 2001 DRZ400e with just over 9000km, many of wich are in off-road, and muddy situations and I am happy to say that the chain, and sprockets show no signs of wear. It did stretch a bit at first, but I havn't had to adjust the chain tension for a long time. I think you will be happy with the DRZ. It is verry nimble off road, yet it will out run bikes bigger than it on the street. I strongly recomend you install a set of aftermarket radiator gaurds. Dropping the bike the wrong way can bend, and even puncture the radiators. I have bent a rad myself, but I havn't herd of anyone damaging radiators with gaurds. You might want to look into modifying the seat, or purchasing the optional gel seat. On my bike I find that I have to stand every half hour or so, and at the end of the day I'm sore. I've been told that covering the seat with a sheepskin works well, but I think the problem lies in the fact that the seat is narrow. My bike has proven to be extreamly reliable, with nothing going wrong to date.

Sam

http://www.chainoiler.co.uk/

I think this is what was being discussed earlier.

Whatever you decide to use - avoid the CHAINTEC (if still available) - IMHO it's a complete POS.

I wanted a Scottoiler in late 97 to fit to my GSX-R11 & thought I'd save a few £££ by buying the Chaintec, it's motion operated & supposed to be flow adjustable. The instructions recommended that you drill & tap in to your swingarm to retain one of the components - no way, especially when I had a Spondon Banana arm fitted. The flow was adjustable, either on or off & I had no control over it - complete waste of time & money.

Steve

Just ordered a Loobman oiler, £16 here in the UK. I'm off to Morocco at the weekend, so hopefully it'll arrive in time. It's not a continuous oiler, you have to squeeze the oil bottle to push some oil to the chain. I found ScotOilers to be too complicated and fussy trying to get the correct oil flow. And my back tyre always ended up with a coating round the rim. I don't mind manually oiling the chain, it's just a hassle. So hopefully the loobman is somewhere in between the two. I'll post back once we're home again on how it goes.

Yes, I had a similar experience of Chaintech - but mine very rarely worked from new. A shame, because it should have worked well being such a simple design. They may have been £20 cheaper than a Scotoiler, but the fact they don't seem to be around any more probably speaks volumes.

I have a friend who has (what I think is) a Loobman. That doesn't seem to work very often either, and I would go for a Scottoiler every time in preference. Scottoilers are not really difficult to fit and, even if you get all or nothing when trying to adjust the flow (as I do), they are still worth the extra money. At least in my opinion. Still, off road the chain does seem to attract a lot of dirt, although, unlike that disgusting spray "lube", it does at least get washed off by fresh oil!

Stig

How about chain enclosures? I have an 81 GS(X)1100E that I'd dearly like to get one for but such a product is non-existant in North America. I've seen them on GSX1100s in other markets like Australia and the UK. Does anybody know where I could get one or who manufactures them for other bikes?

Cheers, Steve

Modern 'O' and 'X' ring chains don't need oiling as such - the 'o' ring within the links retains the oil used to lubricate the pin that runs through the inside of the links. Any oil you put on the outside of an o-ring chain shouldn't penetrate into the links - if it does then the original oil can also get out and the chain will wear (stretch) quite quickly. In my experience o-ring chains last for ages and then suddenly stretch up to the limit of the chain adjuster within a thousand kms (or so) as the o-rings fail and the lubricant escapes.

So, the chain's 'bendiness' will not suffer if you run it dry.



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Barry
3AJ Tenere

Keep in mind that also the contact between chain and sprocket needs so lubrication.

Maarten

I lubricated my "x-ring" chain at the point where links are in contact with the sprocket.

Continued for 7000 kms. and didnt have to adjust the chain not even once.

I previously thought that the lubricant used at that "links innersides" was also penetrating to small "x-rubbers" at the outer side of the links and was enough.

But come to think of it maybe its how barry said. Anyway, i agree at lubricating the inner side of the links is enough.