Call Me The Briiz
I keep blowin ' down the road Well now , they call me the breeze I keep blowin ' down the road
- JJ Cale
The beauty is really in its simplicity and reliability . To operate the system , you just have to fill it and ride .
A constant need to clean and oil a motorcycles chain , a degree in Mechanical Engineering , and a love of tinkering led to a revolution in automated chain oilers that was simply blowing in the breeze .
Mike Steele had been riding for around five years and although aware of existing chain oilers on the market he started playing around with the idea of creating something himself believing there was a simpler solution to keep a motorcycle chain well lubricated .
“ I started with just a gravity fed system ,” Mike explains , this early version was controlled by a manual valve before moving on to electronically and vacuum activated systems . “ The Motobriiz system was the culmination of all this tinkering .”
Tinkering was the key . Mike had started his engineering career working on nuclear submarines , where he was tasked with working on all of the mechanical systems . He lays credit with the ‘ skilled tradesmen that built these ships ’ leading to his knowledge and thirst to explore the mechanical world .
“ I think this gave me the foundation to take on the process of creating a new product .”
Like all great inventions , the Motobriiz came as a by-product of another device . Mike had been toying with a compressed air powered venturi vacuum to bleed brakes , why couldn ’ t the forward movement of a motorcycle be used to create air pressure that moved oil ? It seemed a simple solution ; a device that would work when needed and remain idle when not required .
Once Mike had convinced himself that the idea would work he set about working through formulas and design techniques , he laughs that he needed to Google ‘ dynamic air pressure ’ theory as he ’ d been out of the classroom for so long . It resulted in a long and complex formula .
“ Initial calculations indicated that you should be able to generate enough pressure to push the oil ,” he shrugs .
“ The very first proof of concept was a small water bottle with an air inlet tube connected and routed to the front of the bike ,” he continues . “ And a water line with one end routed the bottom of the bottle and the other end to nowhere .
“ I filled the bottle and went for a ride . After about 5 miles I stopped and removed the seat . The water
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