All,

We are considering fitting a Scottoiler vSYSTEM to our 2005 F650GS bikes in advance of our planned trip to South America. However, we have come across a pretty serious disagreement between Scottoiler and BMW.

The installation of the vSYSTEM relies on a brass spigot inserted into a pre-drilled hole in the rubber inlet manifold. (I have attached a picture below of a fitted spigot in question)

Here is where the problems starts, BMW advise NOT to fit the spigot into this location on all pre 2008 bikes as it accelerates the 'potential' for deterioration of the rubber inlet causing it to fail and your bike exploding killing everything within a 10 mile radius. Apparently, they have experienced problems with this installation hence the pretty straight forward decision.

Scottoiler say they have no record of any problems with this installation.

Has anyone come across this debate before or did you install the spigot as per Scottoilers instructions with/without any problems

We are riding from Buenos Aires to Vancouver and want to be confident that we aren't building in problems for the future but we are equally keen to use a Scottoiler through the 20,000 mile trip.

Any thoughts? Do I? Dont I? Is it worth it for a long trip?

Chris
BUENOS AIRES to VANCOUVER | Chris, Chloe & two motorbikes across South, Central & North America

Attached Images

 

Wonder why they say fit it there rather than to the airbox like on the twins?

I use a small bottle of gear oil and a one inch brush. nothing to go wrong, and it also means you take a look at your chain each day.

Dave, we tried fitting it to the air box but (unlike the bigger engine) there just wasn't enough suck!

Oldbmw, As my dad always said, 'keep it simple stupid' and while mulling it over today - in my own little wold - I picked up a small three-brush set for just that! I promise you, Scottoiler or not, I will still check it every day - honest.

BUENOS AIRES to VANCOUVER | Chris, Chloe & two motorbikes across South, Central & North America

This is the way I would it too.

+1 for the squeezy bottle/old hand wash soap container/couple of big medical syringes approach or even the electric version.

Having some non-essensial aftermarket toy plumbed into the air inlet is just a recipe for trouble later. I had one on my first F650 and it barely lasted past Dover. Leaked, fell off, only had two settings (off and Torrey Canyon/Exxon Vadez).

Andy

My 2 cents, I would say there is no way BMW will sanction the drilling of the manifold to install a non type approved part, the legal consequences could be massive.
I would ask how many spigots Scott Oiler have given out to fit to rubber manifolds and how many failures they have had (not including the ones that were installed by some ham fisted monkey)!
I can't think of anything I would want to do less than lube my chain every morning with a paint brush, but thats just me, on our last trip I used a cheap chain oiler that required me to keep adjusting the dispenser to make sure it did what it was supossed to do, and it did my head in so now I have the scott oiler fitted I'm a very happy chap as it does exactly what I want it to .

Cheers
Pete
(ps, doing the same trip as you next year but leaving in May and riding to Dakar to pick up the Grimaldi ship, so may see you in SA)

PLEASE NOTE I typed this before Three wheels posted and the remark about the install is no way directed at him

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That's good, some sort of time machine at work

BMW might mention type approval in their reasoning for not sanctioning this but they'd be wrong. A UK type approval is for a new vehicle. You need type approval before you can sell a bike as new. Once sold, any modification away from the approved spec is a matter between the police, VOSA, the owner and eventually a courts interpretation of construction and use law. I can't concieve any argument that would make a spigot in the intake a legal matter in the UK. This differs from say Germany where the TUV approval applies for the life of the vehicle and must be maintained by only using approved parts. Here the offence is not that you did something dangerous but that you failed to get it checked by the third party. What BMW would really be saying in most juristictions is that if you modify their part they won't take any responsibility.

Their attitude to warranty claims added to a "modified" bike could well be worth thinking about. If the spigot breaks off and goes in the intake, fair enough, no warranty on the engine. Would BMW pay out if the forks snapped though?

OT, What BMW (and others) would dearly like of course is a Super-TUV where the type approval stated every single part, by their part number and that's all you could legally fit. Can you imagine the price of a headlight bulb if it had to have a logo printed on it?

Andy
Waiting to see if this post goes back in time like the last one :confused1: