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**The Monk** · 10-02-2015, 05:45 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Query Approved

**s1d** · 10-02-2015, 11:46 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by XypherGhost View Post

I wanted to dedicate a thread specifically for maintenance of Scooters. I myself have some questions to ask in here:

Keeping in mind I have a 2013 Activa (hopefully this should apply to just about any scooter)

1. I ride daily for about 34km, 24days a month. At this rate how regularly should I change my Engine oil and transmission oil? Every 3 months or every 4 months?
Get the bike serviced every 2500km, and that includes an oil change (engine oil). The transmission oil holds approx 120ml and it is recommended to change it every year. But I do get it changed at every service because its not much oil plus cheap and easy to do. Use any branded EP90 gear oil, and stay away from local brands that are sold in pouches. You can use Castrol or MAK spirol EP 90 oil(available at Bharat petroleum bunks)

Even if you do not have the time to get the scoot 'serviced' the least you could do is change the engine oil every 2500km. Use only 700-800ml and dont overfill. You can use any 20w40 or 10w30 oil. Castrol, Honda, Shell have all done a good job on my scoot. Get shell if possible(they have a new oil suited for scooters, the jaso mb grade), or the regular shell ax5

2. When I start rolling the bike from dead stop by opening the throttle slowly, the entire bike shakes/vibrates violently before smoothing out. This wasnt the case a few months back. What could be wrong?
Please have the engine mounts checked/tightened or replace the bushes if necessary.

3. The headlights are horrible, on low beam (normally) it throws light God knows where. Is it possible to get this fixed at a SVC?
You can adjust the throw of the headlight yourself. There will be a screw under the headlight housing to make the adjustment. You can losen the screw and adjust the beam throw angle -Refer to the owners manual. The 2013 model i think uses a h4 bulb, if possible get a bosch halogen bulb.

4. On the Speedo, the needle oscillates back and forth for the first 30km/hr while climbing. It stabilizes after that. Its kinda irritating, again is it possible to get this fixed at a SVC?
Get the speedo worm gear cleaned, lightly lubed (the part that is in to the front wheel) and the speedo cable also lubed. if that doesn't fix it, leave it and dont go messing with the speedo console.
The console though is repairable, but for such minor thing i wouldn't have the speedo dismantled. The svc will only clean and lube the worm gear and they will not do any speedo repairs. These are done by local shops that fix meters.

5. If I install a Custom exhaust such as teh Dagrex exhaust, besides lowering the fuel mileage, will it have any harmful effects on the scooter? Same question if I install a custom air filter?
is the exhaust only the end can or are you replacing the entire thing including the header pipe? these mods will reduce the life of the engine which would otherwise serve you at least 70-80k km with good maintenance.

6. After washing the scooter thoroughly, what parts should I be lubricating?
apart from a few drops of oil on the brake cam joints and a drop in to the keyhole, i've not lubed any other part after a wash
Though at every service, I have the complete front wheel, bushes removed and re-greased.. same goes for rear wheel and the brake cams.
Also the clutch side cover is removed and parts such as the, starter pinion, variator parts, clutch shoes,bell etc are cleaned and a bit of grease/oil applied as necessary. No authorized service center will do this for regular service. I've been getting my scoot serviced locally for the past 8 years and its done over 54k km (odo is kaput) without any engine parts being replaced.

Go over my posts in the Dio,Activa thread and you will get a better idea.

My comments in bold.
Mods, i think this can be merged with the ownership thread.

**RoyalIndian** · 10-03-2015, 07:47 AM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by s1d View Post

My comments in bold.
Mods, i think this can be merged with the ownership thread.

Thank you for your reply. The exhaust is only the tip part (like a slip on), its not the entire assembly. Also I would have gotten my done at a local workshop too but my Activa is under 2 years extended warranty which starts in November.

And what exactly are brake cam joints and Bushes?

**RoyalIndian** · 10-03-2015, 01:33 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Yet another question, if the Scooter is modified with Aftermarket parts, how does insurance work in such a case?

Situation at hand: My insurance expired a while back and now I have some major scratches on the scooter on almost all panels. I went to teh SVC and asked them how much it would cost for a complete repainting and they bluntly said 10k. Now thats a little disturbing to me. So I thought what if I get the scooter repainted the exact same color from somewhere outside for a cheaper price, in such a case how does Re-Insuring the scooter work?

**s1d** · 10-03-2015, 03:37 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by XypherGhost View Post

Thank you for your reply. The exhaust is only the tip part (like a slip on), its not the entire assembly. Also I would have gotten my done at a local workshop too but my Activa is under 2 years extended warranty which starts in November.

And what exactly are brake cam joints and Bushes?

Since you mention warranty, changing the exhaust will void your warranty.
after a wash, i just apply a few drops of oil at the wheels where the brake cam/wear indicator is. In short, go thru the below link... that's how i get it serviced.

Apart from that, during service, the wheels are removed and the drum brake unit cleaned and some grease applied on the moving parts.
Drum Brakes

Originally posted by XypherGhost View Post

Yet another question, if the Scooter is modified with Aftermarket parts, how does insurance work in such a case?

Situation at hand: My insurance expired a while back and now I have some major scratches on the scooter on almost all panels. I went to teh SVC and asked them how much it would cost for a complete repainting and they bluntly said 10k. Now thats a little disturbing to me. So I thought what if I get the scooter repainted the exact same color from somewhere outside for a cheaper price, in such a case how does Re-Insuring the scooter work?

Insurance with after market parts could be tricky. It depends on the extent of mods and your luck.
I think for 10k you can get brand new panels. For repainting stick to local paint shops. And a repaint of the same colour shouldn't cause any problems with insurance.
If your insurance has lapsed, you can still get the insurance done. sometimes if its less than a month since expiry, it can be renewed online and few companies require the bike to be checked by their surveyor before renewing a lapsed policy. These days some companies even have agents who do the insurance at petrol pumps.

**RoyalIndian** · 10-03-2015, 04:11 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by s1d View Post

I think for 10k you can get brand new panels. For repainting stick to local paint shops. And a repaint of the same colour shouldn't cause any problems with insurance.
If your insurance has lapsed, you can still get the insurance done. sometimes if its less than a month since expiry, it can be renewed online and few companies require the bike to be checked by their surveyor before renewing a lapsed policy. These days some companies even have agents who do the insurance at petrol pumps.

When I first got my scooter in 2013, I didnt really care about it because at that time I wasnt into bikes. When my insurance expired, I dint care about it that much either. Since last 2months I have been trying to read up as many articles on bikes as possible, trying to become a proper Biker. ( I mentioned this so that you know what background I am coming from)

Its been about 4 months now since my insurance has expired. I actually wanted to get the bike repainted before applying for a fresh insurance. And I had this doubt if I get it repainted locally, and if the agent from the insurance company comes and inspects the scooter, he might reject it or something like that might happen.

I had another idea which is far more drastic. Honda has this exchange deal where you can return the old bike and get a % off on new bike of choice. My scooter is worth about 40k. I was thinking of exchanging it for an Activa 3G (and essentially dropping in 20k extra). Stupid idea?

Once again the only thing making me reconsider is the fact that the SVC is charging 10k for complete body repaint and I cant apply for a full insurance without this repaint. Also there are 2 minor dents to be sorted out which he said are included in the 10k...

Locally the repainting costs about 6k from where I have inquired.

Thanks for your reply.

P.S: Its been almost 2 years since I have had this scooter and its covered only 5000KM

**s1d** · 10-03-2015, 10:56 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by XypherGhost View Post

Its been about 4 months now since my insurance has expired. I actually wanted to get the bike repainted before applying for a fresh insurance. And I had this doubt if I get it repainted locally, and if the agent from the insurance company comes and inspects the scooter, he might reject it or something like that might happen.

I had another idea which is far more drastic. Honda has this exchange deal where you can return the old bike and get a % off on new bike of choice. My scooter is worth about 40k. I was thinking of exchanging it for an Activa 3G (and essentially dropping in 20k extra). Stupid idea?

Once again the only thing making me reconsider is the fact that the SVC is charging 10k for complete body repaint and I cant apply for a full insurance without this repaint. Also there are 2 minor dents to be sorted out which he said are included in the 10k...

Locally the repainting costs about 6k from where I have inquired.

Thanks for your reply.

P.S: Its been almost 2 years since I have had this scooter and its covered only 5000KM

You don't need to get the scoot painted for renewing insurance. a few dings and nicks are common. Just apply for insurance online or check out at petrol pumps, these days ive seen a lot of pumps where the insurance is done. A couple of my friends have got it done in less than 15 minutes.
and the showroom itself doesn't do any painting and tinkering work, they give it to some outside painter/tinkering workshops. A full respray with a clear coat should not cost you more than 5k.
Did the showroom offer you 40k for your scoot ? If so, it seems a decent offer try to push to 45k .. better than spending on painting on existing scooter.

btw, you can see the engine mounting bushes here http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/motorcyc...iator-100.html

**RoyalIndian** · 10-04-2015, 11:43 AM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by s1d View Post

You don't need to get the scoot painted for renewing insurance. a few dings and nicks are common. Just apply for insurance online or check out at petrol pumps, these days ive seen a lot of pumps where the insurance is done. A couple of my friends have got it done in less than 15 minutes.
and the showroom itself doesn't do any painting and tinkering work, they give it to some outside painter/tinkering workshops. A full respray with a clear coat should not cost you more than 5k.
Did the showroom offer you 40k for your scoot ? If so, it seems a decent offer try to push to 45k .. better than spending on painting on existing scooter.

Yea they offered 40k, I will try pushing, what do you say? Go for the 3G? (I could use the money for a geared bike but I am already going for the Gixxer, and I need to have a Scooter at home for grocery and other purposes)

Whats funny is that i used this http://indiaspares.in/honda/activa-s...html?limit=all to calculate the total amount of replacing all the body panels that are scratched and the amount comes to 8500INR. That is for Replacing the panels and not repainting.

I will go ask them once again and tell them clearly that I need to get this repainted not replaced

**s1d** · 10-04-2015, 11:52 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by XypherGhost View Post

Yea they offered 40k, I will try pushing, what do you say? Go for the 3G? (I could use the money for a geared bike but I am already going for the Gixxer, and I need to have a Scooter at home for grocery and other purposes)

Whats funny is that i used this Activa 110CM9 to calculate the total amount of replacing all the body panels that are scratched and the amount comes to 8500INR. That is for Replacing the panels and not repainting.

I will go ask them once again and tell them clearly that I need to get this repainted not replaced

Yeh the entire body panel kit will be around 10k. And honda keeps jacking up prices of parts regularly.
Since you are looking to pick up a baby gixxer, i'd say keep the existing scoot and get it polished/ scratches removed at a decent car paint workshop. A respray or panel replacement seems overkill.

**RoyalIndian** · 10-05-2015, 12:02 AM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by s1d View Post

Yeh the entire body panel kit will be around 10k. And honda keeps jacking up prices of parts regularly.
Since you are looking to pick up a baby gixxer, i'd say keep the existing scoot and get it polished/ scratches removed at a decent car paint workshop. A respray or panel replacement seems overkill.

My reason for getting the Repaint done by the SVC is primarily only so that I can get it Re-Insured.

Previously I had it insured by ICICILombard. Iam planning on getting it re-insured by them again (unless you can advice me for a better option) and my concern is that if an inspector comes from their company before registering me for the Insurance, he might either reject my application or he may not insure the paint part of the bike (If thats a thing).

Guide me through this please. I could live without the insurance on my scooter but it seems its compulsory to have an insurance if I am asked for one at a checkpoint or something...

**s1d** · 10-05-2015, 04:03 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by XypherGhost View Post

My reason for getting the Repaint done by the SVC is primarily only so that I can get it Re-Insured.

Previously I had it insured by ICICILombard. Iam planning on getting it re-insured by them again (unless you can advice me for a better option) and my concern is that if an inspector comes from their company before registering me for the Insurance, he might either reject my application or he may not insure the paint part of the bike (If thats a thing).

Guide me through this please. I could live without the insurance on my scooter but it seems its compulsory to have an insurance if I am asked for one at a checkpoint or something...

You are thinking too much. Just reapply the insurance online and it will be done. All insurance company's function more or less the same, so you can either renew/get a new policy quoting the existing policy via icici or apply at another company such as bajaj allianz.
And do not drive without insurance.. insurance covers two types of compensation:
1. Loss/Damage to your bike and injury to the rider
2. If you are involved in an accident and the insurance can also be used to pay for the damage to the other vehicle/person. (commonly called 3rd party)

Let's not discuss this further

**RoyalIndian** · 10-05-2015, 11:19 PM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by s1d View Post

You are thinking too much. Just reapply the insurance online and it will be done. All insurance company's function more or less the same, so you can either renew/get a new policy quoting the existing policy via icici or apply at another company such as bajaj allianz.
And do not drive without insurance.. insurance covers two types of compensation:
1. Loss/Damage to your bike and injury to the rider
2. If you are involved in an accident and the insurance can also be used to pay for the damage to the other vehicle/person. (commonly called 3rd party)

Let's not discuss this further

Alright I will get it done.

I am tempted to ask this, how do you get the Color of your bike changed in the RC after getting the color changed on the bike?

**s1d** · 10-06-2015, 02:46 AM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by XypherGhost View Post

Alright I will get it done.

I am tempted to ask this, how do you get the Color of your bike changed in the RC after getting the color changed on the bike?

I see that you are from hyderabad too. did not notice that earlier. in which area do you stay?
for insurance just jump in to almost any petrol bunk and ask, i've seen plenty of icici guys doing insurance in under 15 minutes (even for lapsed policies) at most bharat petroleum and indian oil bunks.
getting the color change endorsed on your rc involves trips to the rto and paper work. not sure of the exact procedure, but you can ask some agent on whats the process.

**RoyalIndian** · 10-06-2015, 08:50 AM

Re: Scooter Maintenance

Originally posted by s1d View Post

I see that you are from hyderabad too. did not notice that earlier. in which area do you stay?
for insurance just jump in to almost any petrol bunk and ask, i've seen plenty of icici guys doing insurance in under 15 minutes (even for lapsed policies) at most bharat petroleum and indian oil bunks.
getting the color change endorsed on your rc involves trips to the rto and paper work. not sure of the exact procedure, but you can ask some agent on whats the process.

I have already checked with ICICILombard and they have a 3 insurance now so I will go with that.

I stay in Yakutpura. I have contacted this establishment called Mhawkz Enterprises for getting the repaint done and some other tidbits like HID headlights, horn upgrade. (Know any better place for getting the repaint done?)

Also I was planning to opt for the Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) from honda for the activa until its under the extended warranty. Is it beneficial?

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