Long Distance on a 125cc scooter?

How feasible would this trip be in May on a 125cc scooter?

google.com/maps/dir/Hsinchu … b1!3b1!3e0

All comments welcome.

No problem. Could even make it round trip on 1 tank of gas if you really wanted to. People take laps around the island on scooters all the time. That’s a day trip you are looking at. Less than 2 hours one way.

Have fun and ride safe.

No problem at all. Make sure you have a current oil change and brakes and tires checked before you leave and you should be good to go. I made a leisurely ten-day circuit around Taiwan last year on my Sym 125.

Have fun!

[quote=“djderdiger”]How feasible would this trip be in May on a 125cc scooter?

google.com/maps/dir/Hsinchu … b1!3b1!3e0

All comments welcome.[/quote]

Oh god…easy. I personally have been around the island on many different sized 150cc motorcycles. I have even been around the island in 24 hours on a motorcycle. I have had many friends ride shitty 125cc scooters too. I have a friend that just went around the island on a 100cc scooter and before I knew a guy that did it on an old 50cc two stroke smoker. Remember how tiny the entire island is. I think you can fit about 10 Taiwans inside California. I think it is about 1,400 kilometers to ride the diameter of Taiwan. If you scooter isn’t falling apart, then I am sure it will be fine. Get a check up before you do it just for peace of mind. Be safe!

I’m sure there are stores out there that do check-ups, but I’ve found getting routine maintenance really hard. When we’ve gone in to places for things to just be tuned up, we’ve always just got blank stares (both with my bad Chinese, and with my wife’s fluent Chinese and even-worse-than-mine automotive knowledge). Fix something? Fine, they can do that, good and cheap and fast. But so far as making something that already works work a little better? Not so easy.

I’ve got a 125cc scooter that, when I first bought it around 12 years ago, was frequently driven up the Southern Cross Island Highway from Tainan - many, many weekend trips up that road, or up in the mountains above Chiayi, or into Kaohsiung and Pingdong County, or down to Kending. But it’s a lot older now, and while I still take it up Yangmingshan, I’d be wary of taking it on longer trips.

I did the entire north coast on my 125cc with my girlfriend on the back. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride, but it is doable. Like everyone has mentioned, do make sure that you fill up the tank and have a good maintenance before going on long(er) trips.

Make sure you get an idea of where the gas stations are on your route!

I’m sure there are stores out there that do check-ups, but I’ve found getting routine maintenance really hard. When we’ve gone in to places for things to just be tuned up, we’ve always just got blank stares (both with my bad Chinese, and with my wife’s fluent Chinese and even-worse-than-mine automotive knowledge). Fix something? Fine, they can do that, good and cheap and fast. But so far as making something that already works work a little better? Not so easy.[/quote]

True, “routine maintenance” seems to be an unknown concept at small repair shops. However, I’ve always taken my scooter to a chain shop called MD Service, and they do understand and promote maintenance. In fact, they keep a computer record of everything they’ve ever done to my bike, and will notify me when scheduled maintenance needs to be performed. Perhaps try a bigger (but probably more expensive) chain repair shop?

I’m sure there are stores out there that do check-ups, but I’ve found getting routine maintenance really hard. When we’ve gone in to places for things to just be tuned up, we’ve always just got blank stares (both with my bad Chinese, and with my wife’s fluent Chinese and even-worse-than-mine automotive knowledge). Fix something? Fine, they can do that, good and cheap and fast. But so far as making something that already works work a little better? Not so easy.[/quote]

For anyone living in Taipei who is interested…

I had the same problem until a colleague pointed me in the direction of a garage on Wenlin Rd, Shilin. The boss speaks good English. He’s not always there but they will call him if they don’t understand. They offer an engine tune up for 10,000 NT. I had a Dink 180i that always sounded rough and felt sluggish. After the tune up the difference was night and day.

chelseadagger and Steve4nlanguage, thanks for the tips. Yes, I should look around a bit better - I’ll try searching for MD Service in a couple of weeks, when I have more time; I’m not sure if I’m willing or able to drive into Shilin (driving around the north coast from Danshui? No problem! Driving from here into Taipei City … ugh. Actually, I don’t even know what roads to take.)

OK, dumb Chinese question: can someone just give me the sentence to tell the scooter guys something like “Hi, nothing is really wrong, but I just want a tune up and routine maintenance.” Or whatever would be the most idiomatic way to say it.

[quote=“lostinasia”]
OK, dumb Chinese question: can someone just give me the sentence to tell the scooter guys something like “Hi, nothing is really wrong, but I just want a tune up and routine maintenance.” Or whatever would be the most idiomatic way to say it.[/quote]

I would say 我要定期保養 wo3 yao4 ding4 qi bao3 yang3 for routine maintenance. Sometimes I still need to specify in more detail so I add 換機油,齒輪油. 檢查剎車,胎壓 huan4 ji you2, chi3 lun2 you2. jian3 cha2 sha che, tai ya. Change engine oil, transmission oil. check brakes, tire pressure

I understand your point that routine maintenance can be hard especially with the language barrier. Obviously an oil change and the transmission gear oil change is always good. Other things to check in my opinion would be your spark plug and spark plug wire or cap. I would also check the air filter as well. If you want to get more involved you might want to check the life of your CVT belt and possibly get new rollers or pullies if they need replacing. The CVT belt when it starts to wear will develop tiny cracks in it. They break about every 2 years. Overall your transmission or CVT needs new parts about every 10-12,000k kilometers (Bet, pulley, rollers, clutch and clutch spring). Try to find a mechanic that someone has already recommended. They really don’t rip you off here too much. Of course it happens, but not very often.

That last think you should do is check your brake pads or brake drums and tire pressure. Probably good to have all your lights working too.

Here are some Chinese words to help.

adjust 調整 tiao zheng
air filter 空氣濾清器 kong qi lu qing qi
brake pads 煞車皮 sha che pi
carburetor 化油器 hua you qi
check 檢查 jian cha
oil 機油 ji you
pulley 普力 pu li
pulley belt 傳動皮帶 chuan dong pi dai
pully rollers 普力珠 pu li zhu
spark plug 火星塞 huo xing sai
spark plug cap 火星塞蓋 hao xing sai gai
spark plug wire 火星塞導線 huo xing sai dao xian
tire 輪胎 lun tai
transmission gear 變速齒輪 bian su chi lun
tune up 調節tiao jie

Thanks for the tips (although I’m not the OP, I seem to have kind of hijacked this).

One of my problems is that rk1951’s first paragraph above is barely, just barely more comprehensible to me than the Chinese is. I wouldn’t even know how to ask about those details in English. :blush:

And yes, I’ve generally found mechanics here to be pretty honest - I don’t recall ever feeling like I’ve been ripped off.

[quote=“Steve4nLanguage”][quote=“lostinasia”]. In fact, they keep a computer record of everything they’ve ever done to my bike, and will notify me when scheduled maintenance needs to be performed. Perhaps try a bigger (but probably more expensive) chain repair shop?

[/quote][/quote]

GF tells me the official (looking?) Yamaha shops she takes her scooter to do the computer-record thing too, and it should be easy to find one of them.

One of us (me or them) doesn’t know how to check the oil level though.

I think its them.

[quote=“megadata”][quote=“lostinasia”]
OK, dumb Chinese question: can someone just give me the sentence to tell the scooter guys something like “Hi, nothing is really wrong, but I just want a tune up and routine maintenance.” Or whatever would be the most idiomatic way to say it.[/quote]

I would say 我要定期保養 wo3 yao4 ding4 qi bao3 yang3 for routine maintenance. Sometimes I still need to specify in more detail so I add 換機油,齒輪油. 檢查剎車,胎壓 huan4 ji you2, chi3 lun2 you2. jian3 cha2 sha che, tai ya. Change engine oil, transmission oil. check brakes, tire pressure[/quote]

I tried the first phrase on the gf. After a few goes she came back with “5 oils. 2 waters” (She’s thinking of a car). IF that is what’s involved. I could have done it myself in the time taken to communicate it.

Tyre pressure? You’re seriously going to learn the Chinese necessary to get someone else to check your tyre pressure?

Do you have a valet?

That’s not a long distance trip :slight_smile:

Gf and me have done much longer trips nop her really tiny 125cc scooter, and we even went to Hualien on an also tiny SYM wolf 125cc… with a gigantic backpack :smiley:

[quote=“Ducked”][quote=“megadata”][quote=“lostinasia”]
OK, dumb Chinese question: can someone just give me the sentence to tell the scooter guys something like “Hi, nothing is really wrong, but I just want a tune up and routine maintenance.” Or whatever would be the most idiomatic way to say it.[/quote]

I would say 我要定期保養 wo3 yao4 ding4 qi bao3 yang3 for routine maintenance. Sometimes I still need to specify in more detail so I add 換機油,齒輪油. 檢查剎車,胎壓 huan4 ji you2, chi3 lun2 you2. jian3 cha2 sha che, tai ya. Change engine oil, transmission oil. check brakes, tire pressure[/quote]

I tried the first phrase on the gf. After a few goes she came back with “5 oils. 2 waters” (She’s thinking of a car). IF that is what’s involved. I could have done it myself in the time taken to communicate it.

Tyre pressure? You’re seriously going to learn the Chinese necessary to get someone else to check your tyre pressure?

Do you have a valet?[/quote]

For people that don’t know their way around the Chinese language then don’t bother trying to say it. Just show the mechanic the Chinese. That will get you further.

[quote=“Ducked”][quote=“megadata”][quote=“lostinasia”]
OK, dumb Chinese question: can someone just give me the sentence to tell the scooter guys something like “Hi, nothing is really wrong, but I just want a tune up and routine maintenance.” Or whatever would be the most idiomatic way to say it.[/quote]

I would say 我要定期保養 wo3 yao4 ding4 qi bao3 yang3 for routine maintenance. Sometimes I still need to specify in more detail so I add 換機油,齒輪油. 檢查剎車,胎壓 huan4 ji you2, chi3 lun2 you2. jian3 cha2 sha che, tai ya. Change engine oil, transmission oil. check brakes, tire pressure[/quote]

I tried the first phrase on the gf. After a few goes she came back with “5 oils. 2 waters” (She’s thinking of a car). IF that is what’s involved. I could have done it myself in the time taken to communicate it.

Tyre pressure? You’re seriously going to learn the Chinese necessary to get someone else to check your tyre pressure?

Do you have a valet?[/quote]

Ducked I think where you went wrong was asking your gf for “maintenance”. Next time ask her for a 一條龍服務 :laughing:

As I am already paying for a service, yes I do ask them to check the tyre pressures why not? Sadly no valet… hehe

[quote=“megadata”][quote=“Ducked”][quote=“megadata”][quote=“lostinasia”]
OK, dumb Chinese question: can someone just give me the sentence to tell the scooter guys something like “Hi, nothing is really wrong, but I just want a tune up and routine maintenance.” Or whatever would be the most idiomatic way to say it.[/quote]

I would say 我要定期保養 wo3 yao4 ding4 qi bao3 yang3 for routine maintenance. Sometimes I still need to specify in more detail so I add 換機油,齒輪油. 檢查剎車,胎壓 huan4 ji you2, chi3 lun2 you2. jian3 cha2 sha che, tai ya. Change engine oil, transmission oil. check brakes, tire pressure[/quote]

I tried the first phrase on the gf. After a few goes she came back with “5 oils. 2 waters” (She’s thinking of a car). IF that is what’s involved. I could have done it myself in the time taken to communicate it.

Tyre pressure? You’re seriously going to learn the Chinese necessary to get someone else to check your tyre pressure?

Do you have a valet?[/quote]

Ducked I think where you went wrong was asking your gf for “maintenance”. Next time ask her for a 一條龍服務 :laughing:

As I am already paying for a service, yes I do ask them to check the tyre pressures why not? Sadly no valet… hehe[/quote]

Well, of course I can only guess what 一條龍服務 means, but again, I’d probably suggest you learn how to go 一條龍服務 yourself. You’ll feel better for it.

I am planning to have a long distance trip but does google map advisable to be used as route for motorcycle? I am little afraid that it might lead me to some road that scooter is not allowed to.

Just make sure to turn off highways/tolls and you’ll be fine.

1 Like