Is a self cleaning lube enough for chain maintenance?
It depends -- on the lube you use, the type of riding you do, and how much of a maintenance nut you are.


The "drier" the lube you use, the cleaner the chain will stay (though "dry" lube does not protect as well against moisture).
If you ride on roads, and rarely ride in the rain or slop, you need less chain maintenance.
Some people have to have their chains spotless, others can tolerate a bit of grime.  Keeping the chain spotless probably adds 5-10% (over "moderate" maintenance) to chain and sprocket life (though you can overdo it and actually make things worse).  But that extra 5-10% life is not that significant.


One important thing to do, after lubing, is to use a rag to wipe the outside of the chain.  This removes a lot of grime and also removes excess lube that will attract more grime.

I generally use a chain washer system about once a season (and when I was commuting regularly I'd use it about once a month).  Others do more, less, or none at all.

(FWIT, I also generally use a Teflon or wax-based "dry" lube, though I used to switch to something heavier when I did winter riding.)