Motorcycle chain links come in pairs. There’s an ‘inner’ link (with a hole at each end), and an ‘outer’ link (with a pin at each end which fits through the hole). Now, as each link passes around the sprocket, each pin rotates in its hole. It’s known as a ‘Load bearing, moving part’ to you or me. So just like the bits in your engine, those moving parts need oil, right?

Well, a modern O-ring chain is assembled in an oil bath at the factory and an o-ring is sandwiched between the two side plates at each end of the pin sealing a small amount of oil inside the link. As long as that oil stays inside, the pin can last for ages. However, on their outside, the rubber o-rings run in free air just like your tyres.

As the link turns around the sprocket the o-rings find themselves between two steel plates which are turning in opposite directions. If they get dry, the internal oil is all that’s left to prevent the rubber from gripping those metal side plates.

So, we expect our tyres to grip and our o-rings to slip but they are actually in quite similar predicaments. Clearly, dry o-rings will cause friction against the plates as they turn. At first this will waste a few BHP making the chain hot. But after a while the wear will set in. The o-rings will become visibly thinner as the side plates scrub them away until they can no longer contain the oil. So the oil escapes and soon the chain will start to need more frequent adjustment. Not long after that you'll have to replace it….

Now split one of those links and have a look!

A worn link shows it’s wear as a step worn into one side of the pin and an oval distortion in the side of the hole that the pin was up against. This is where they have been rubbing against each other since they lost their lubricant.

Now just add all those steps together (one for every pin in the chain) and you can see why your chain has gotten longer. It hasn't ‘stretched' so much as worn itself longer!

OK. So there's the problem. Now what can we do about it?

Spray helps but not as much as you might think. Spray lubed chains seldom last more than 20,000 miles. Keeping those ’O’ rings wet with oil can make the chain last much longer.

An early prototype Loobman chainoiler used a single sided delivery system (S.S.D.) with oil being fed to only one side of the sprocket. In a test, an o-ring chain achieved 27,000 miles from new before wearing out. (compared to a spray lubed chain which achieved only 18,000 miles). The oil fed chain finally wore out because the o-rings ran dry on the unfed side.

That's when we started working on ways of getting oil to the other side. Different oil grades made little difference. We tried increasing the flow but the splash-over still didn't reach the other side. Besides, it got pretty messy.

We even heard a rumour of a 'capillary' route through the link but we figured that, if such a route existed, then the chain was already worn out and it was perhaps a little late.

So we came up with the Loobman D.S.D. concept. Why not just put oil on both sides of the sprocket and use it as a centrifuge? That would throw oil onto all parts of the chain, including all the o-rings on both sides. PRESTO! We have not been able to wear out a chain on a complete mileage test since,

A new chain on an FZ600 Yamaha using a D.S.D. system reached 40,000 miles before the bike was involved in an accident. However the chain was still in excellent condition and showing very little sign of wear. We at Loobman now firmly believe that a chain can live to see you 'round the clock' if properly cared for.

The Loobman D.S.D. chainoiler offers you an easy, inexpensive and efficient way to give your chain that essential care. Now you too can appreciate the very real benefits of smoother running, better fuel economy and greatly increased mileage from your chain.

Some say Loobman is simple, others bandy words like genius.

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