Mick Extance Experience

A group of us headed out into the Welsh mountains, where mobile phone signal is non existent (unless you stand on a specific step on the pub stairs) and spent a day with Mick.

mickextanceexperience.com

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Gear Gremlin GG170 Tyre Repair Kit

For a long time, I’ve felt it would be prudent to carry a puncture repair kit. I’d always been lucky enough to find my way to Burwin’s and have it done, but what if it was in the middle of nowhere?

Scottoiler, simples…

You look around the interwebs for how to fit a Scottoiler, and oh my! It all looks so complicated!  Connect this, connect that, bolt to this, hit 88mph and time warp…  yes, the various instructions do seem to over complicate things.  So lets break it down to simples…

What is it?  Well there are 3 key parts.  The RMV (the bit you put the oil), a vacuum pipe and a delivery pipe.  So lets start with the RMV…

Step 1. RMV. This is essentially a tank for holding the oil.  It has a plunger mechanism inside, when the engine starts, a vacuum allows the plunger to open, which in turn allows oil to drip.  So you need to stick the RMV somewhere.  You’ll need to get to it to refill it, and to adjust the flow rate of the oil.  Now, if you remember physics from your school days, it stands to reason that the end where the oil drips out needs to be lower then the vacuum pipe end.

Some people like to fit this under the seat somewhere.  It doesnt matter.  I put it on the frame in front of the rear footrest.  This way, i can fill it, adjust it and prime it without too much messing.  So offer it up, work out how you’ll get to the adjuster and bolt or cable tie it in place.  Easy.

Photo below is the RMV cable tied to a ’99 Fazer.  The breather has been tucked under the seat but the filler is still accessible.

Step 2… the vacuum.  This simply connects on the engine side of the carburettor.  Chances are, you already have a fitting on your bike (where you’d fit a carb balancer). If not, you may need to drill into a rubber and fit a brass spigot.  Turn the RMV adjuster to fully open (10), take the end of the skinny black vacuum pip, and suck on it.  Watch the plunger inside the RMV move up when you suck, and down when you stop.  Yup, thats how this works.  Try it on setting 1… much harder!  Ok, now feed that black pipe to one of the carb balance points that you’ve located, remove the bung from the balance point, and fit the black pipe (you’ll probably need an adaptor out of the Scottoiler box).  Job done here.  Hopefully you’ve done a neat job and threaded it under the tank so its barely visible.  I’ve used black tape to secure it to other cables that are run in that direction.

Pic below shows the vacuum feed from the left side carb.  Somewhat sloppy job of improvising a vacuum feed, didn’t have the correct adaptor to hand…

Step 3. Delivery pipe.  This needs to run from the feed on the RMV, to your sprocket.  Remember your swingarm will move up and down with the suspension.  With this in mind, i like to run it down the frame towards the riders (left side) footrest, then let it drop down the outside of the swingarm and along underneath it.  I use the stick on ‘cable clips’ as they dont grip the delivery tube tightly, allowing for a bit of movement for suspension (and chain adjusting).  Then to the fitting plate on the rear wheel nut, and bend the plate a bit so the delivery pipe is between 5 & 6 o’clock on the sprocket, a few mm’s away from the chain but just making contact with the sprocket.

Pic above is a nice clean example plucked from the internet…  Pics below are from my dirty Fazer and shows the pipe run from the RMV, dow the frame, to the underside of the swing arm and out to the sprocket.  Shabby photo’s taken in poor light on the phone.  After a particularly wet and dirty ride home!

Once all is connected and you’re happy that the pipes arent getting caught in the chain, fill it up, prime it, start you’re engine and adjust the flow – i usually aim for 1 drip/minute.

The Scottoiler kit will cost in the region of £85 from motorcycle accessory suppliers.  That comes with a variety of fittings for a range of bikes.

But, you’ll throw half of those fittings away anyway, so dont be afraid to buy a used one from Ebay, and then buy whatever else is needed seperately.

My Scottoiler was £20 delivered (it had been advertised as being for a gsxr… these are ‘universal’), i needed to buy a delivery pipe and the fitting plate (also available on Ebay or direct from Scottoiler), and some oil.  So all in, £35. I could have made the fitting plate i suppose and saved a couple of quid.

There is no ‘wrong way’ or ‘right way’ to fit these, as long as you have the RMV the right way up, the vacuum connected, and the delivery pipe running to the sprocket (and not snagging in the chain), then you’re good to go.