I have a little Yamie 125 similar to the one shown. It has about 6000kms on it now since I bought it new. I take it in for service at regular intervals. Well, that service usually involves little more than oil changes, I have found. The shop I use is not particularly bad. It’s the dealer I bought the bike from and they’re pretty nice and have a well equiped shop. Still, they just tighten a few screws and seem to be visually inspecting things, but not necessarily changing them. For example, they had the airfilter out and it looked filthy. They were going to put it back in again when I suggested they switch it for a new one. They agreed it was probably time to change it. I feel I may have to micromanage the services quite a bit to make sure new parts are swapped in at the necessary intervals. For example, on my next trip in there I’m going to ask them to take off the wheels and check the brake shoes to see if they need changing, rather than simply adjust the cables tighter yet again. Anyone got any idea what a bike with 6000ks on it should need? Suggestions? Anyone know where I can get a service manual?
I bought a new Yamaha 125 Vino and it came with a service manual (just a booklet).
My guess is that the servicing schedule would be virtually identical. If you can read chinese you can take a look at it.
'bout time we had a beer.
Yeah, I should have a look at what came with the bike. I might be able to make out some of it and can likely get some help with the rest. Owner’s manual is likely in that mess of stuff I keep under my seat.
Well, most of them are 2-stroke, but not all.
I’m the proud owner of a 4-stroke 50cc Kymco Silly… err… Filly. It’s pretty gutless, but it can go up to 75km/h (downhill ), and it’s a lot less smoky than a 2-stroke.
I’ve been to Shrmen and Shrtou Shan a couple of times… but I don’t plan to do it again until I get a 125cc.
Thanks. I’m looking to get one, and want it to be convenient, just fill it up, check the tires and brakes every now and then, simply lowmaintanance.
I also don’t want to take the license. You happen to know any more brand/models of 50cc 4-strokes?
I’m sure both Sym and Kymko have at least a couple of 4-stroke 50cc models - check their websites.
But you need a license anyway. For 50cc you don’t need to take the practical test, and the written test is fairly easy.
My “this is what you need to do on your new scooter” briefing from the previous owner was a bit, hmmm, rushed. He forgot to mention where the fluids (oil, etc) are and how to fill them.
If anyone knows or can hazard a guess, I’d appreciate knowing.
As the title says, the scooter is an Attila 150 (SYM), about 8 years old.
[quote=“seeker4”]My “this is what you need to do on your new scooter” briefing from the previous owner was a bit, hmmm, rushed. He forgot to mention where the fluids (oil, etc) are and how to fill them.[/quote]It’s a four-stroke, right? The crankcase oil is in the crankcase & you should see the drain hole and filler cap things (sorry, don’t know the technical terms!) on the side. Engine oil filling and draining places should also be fairly obvious. But why do you want to change the oil yourself? Any mechanic will do that for you free of charge apart from the price of the oil, and they should have a place for safe disposal of the old oil as well. I don’t know whether your scooter has disk brakes but I’d leave brake fluid changing to a mechanic as well – quite corrosive stuff I believe.
Hope someone who has specific knowledge of the “Attila 150” can contribute.
[quote=“joesax”][quote=“seeker4”]My “this is what you need to do on your new scooter” briefing from the previous owner was a bit, hmmm, rushed. He forgot to mention where the fluids (oil, etc) are and how to fill them.[/quote]It’s a four-stroke, right? The crankcase oil is in the crankcase & you should see the drain hole and filler cap things (sorry, don’t know the technical terms!) on the side. Engine oil filling and draining places should also be fairly obvious. But why do you want to change the oil yourself? Any mechanic will do that for you free of charge apart from the price of the oil, and they should have a place for safe disposal of the old oil as well. I don’t know whether your scooter has disk brakes but I’d leave brake fluid changing to a mechanic as well – quite corrosive stuff I believe.
Hope someone who has specific knowledge of the “Attila 150” can contribute.[/quote]
Yes, it’s a four-stroke.
What I’m looking for is what I asked for originally. There are a certain number of fluids that need to be monitored and refilled from time to time on a scooter. I just want to know what those are, and how to tell if they need servicing.
It seems a short list is forming:
Engine oil
Crankcase oil (sorry, how is this different than engine oil?)
Disk brake fluid
Coolant (Is there water or any other coolant fluid?)
What is the best way to tell if these things (whichever exist) need to be refilled? Yeah, I know, check. But, how often is normal?
[quote=“seeker4”]What I’m looking for is what I asked for originally. There are a certain number of fluids that need to be monitored and refilled from time to time on a scooter. I just want to know what those are, and how to tell if they need servicing.
It seems a short list is forming:
Engine oil
Crankcase oil (sorry, how is this different than engine oil?)
Disk brake fluid
Coolant (Is there water or any other coolant fluid?)
What is the best way to tell if these things (whichever exist) need to be refilled? Yeah, I know, check. But, how often is normal?[/quote]Normally you shouldn’t need to “top up” engine oil; only to change every 1000km, which is I explained is better done by a mechanic unless you possess the necessary wrenches, like getting messy and have a safe oil disposal facility handy. There is probably an oil light on your dashboard. That will tell you if the level is too low. If no light, there may be a little “window” on the side of the engine.
Transmission oil should be changed every 2000km. It is in the big metal lump next to the back wheel. Again, easiest done by a mechanic.
My Google searching indicated that the Attila 150 engine is air-cooled. Most scooter engines are anyway. If this is the case, you don’t need to worry about coolant!
Disc brake fluid needs changed very infrequently – I think it should go more than a year. You can check the level in the reservoir which is probably just above the handlebar. Again, topping-up is not normally necessary and an actual change is easiest done by a mechanic as brake fuild is corrosive stuff I believe.
Other things to change are oil filters, air filters and spark plugs. Oil filter change maybe every 3000km. Air filter change a bit less frequently. And the most regular job is checking tire pressures and adjusting if necessary, which mechanics do for free of course.
I keep saying “mechanic”. I strongly recommend that you find a decent mechanic with whom you can communicate and get the bike checked over by him/her. You can also discuss service intervals at that time. A lot of posters have recommended Jeremy at Bikefarm. Why don’t you set your mind at rest and go there? Your topic title was “user-maintainable items…” but unless you have a particular desire to learn stuff for yourself, to buy the tools, dispose of the oil and clear up mess yourself, I recommend using the services of a good mechanic. It is much easier and hardly any more expensive than doing it yourself.
I know about cars…like if it’s used 2-3 years then car is till pretty much ok…but still need to pick a well maintained one…so how about bikes? I think even 4,5 years old used bikes are ok? bikes are pretty much trouble free compared to bikes eh? I am looking to get a 125cc bike…money isn’t really a issue but I would still like to save some money…what would you guys suggest? like a 1-3 year old used bike should be ok eh? also the price betwen brand new bike and 2 years old bike…how much is the difference? for cars it’s big difference but not sure about bikes…
A ten-year-old bike could be fine. A one- or two-year-old bike could be a mess.
Yes major components may need replaced after a while but, more importantly, if a recent bike hasn’t been looked after and/or has been crashed then it could be worse than a much older bike.
So there’s a valid argument for EITHER paying 20-25,000 for a reasonable though probably unexciting bike, OR buying new and having the peace of mind that comes with a real guarantee and the knowledge that there haven’t been any previous owners.
The scooter you linked to looks fine. Quite a few people recommend the Yamaha Cygnus, a similar thing though maybe a bit bigger. But for either of these I’d suggest buying new if you can, unless you know the bike’s history.
My wife and I have a new SYM 125. Between my intuition regarding the pictures of the mechanical things and her translation of the words in the manual, we came up with a basic set of service intervals for this machine, which would probably apply to other 125cc four strokes as well.
Every 1000km:
Engine oil change. Oil changes are quick and they’re cheap as chips. At the the place in Siaogang (Kaohsiung) where our family buys it’s bikes, the cost is $120.
inspect tires for damage
Every 3000km:
Inspect/replace air filter. This machine uses a hand-washable type of filter.
Check spark plug gap.
Check/adjust throttle cable tension.
Check telescoping front forks for leakage, check rear shock for leakage
Every 5,000km:
Change transmission oil. Again, easy and cheap
Every 6,000km:
Change fuel filter.
2)Check drive belt tension.
Replace spark plug.
Every 12,000km
Replace drive belt.
This model has drum brakes, and there is no mileage interval for brake adjustments, just a specification for maximum brake lever travel: 20mm. So if you can squeeze the levers farther than that, tighten up the brake adjusters.
-p
Yes, I think most 125 scooters are 4-strokes. If you have to put 2-stroke oil in from time to time (probably under the saddle) then it’s a 2-stroke. If not, it’s a 4-stroke.
[quote=“seeker4”]Second, what are the standard maintenance milestones for a 4-stroke scooter (do X every Y kilometers, etc).[/quote]Oil change every 1000km. Oil filter change maybe every 3000km. Air filter change a bit less frequently.
If you have disc brakes, the fluid needs to be changed occasionally.
Hope others can improve on and add to this.[/quote]
how often do you need to change the disc brake fluid?
and change oil every 1k km…but how long like 3 months? or time doesn’t matter in this case
