I wanted to ask a question related to chains since very long time.

What is the reason for oil/lube getting black in less than 150kms ?
I had cleaned the chain with diesel and pressure washed it before lubing it with SAE 90 gear oil.

Is it due to Chain heating at high speeds ?

I believe it's microscopic metal dust resulting from normal chain wear . No matter how well I clean and lube , it still occurs again in 100 kms or so of riding turning the fresh new lube black . Microscopic metals have a tendency to be black in colour, even microscopic silver is black . What else can it be ?

Servo 4T 20w40 ? What is the current price for that oil ? I am thinking of trying it sometime .

Don't worry , I have given up that crazy idea of upgrading the whole drum-brake assembly to 130mm long ago . Was just asking out of curiosity . Am looking for some faltu time to go hunting for ASK/ANL branded shoes and fit 'em . I seriously need better braking at the rear at least .

So Sibun'jee , your joy has 3.0x18 tyre at rear and the original 2.5x18 size at front now ? Which model tyres exactly ? Please excuse my extra inquisitiveness , I am very finicky about tyres .

You can replace it when the drum needs a change.
(If you have a habit of using sandpaper after every brake shoe change then the drum will not last long.(<100k kms))

It is easier to find ASK shoes than original shoes because they are damn cheap (Rs.60 only).(Rear)
Allied Nippon Limited (Made in India,Japan technology) Rs.70/-(Rear)
The front brake has become like a disc brake,feedback is excellent and very less effort is needed to bring the bike to a complete halt.
My new Zapper FS has excellent grip even during wet conditions and gives a lot of confidence.(Stock nylorib was useless)

Get both front and rear brake shoes but change only one at a time because it takes some time for the new shoes to set in properly(It took 15kms for my brakes to perform better than OE), slightly rubbing the shoes with a sand paper may help.

Zapper FS at front ? What size ?
Stock front is Nylogrip Rib or Rib plus . Nylorib is a different model , available only in 2.5x18 size, I have it now . Tyres and brakes are two vital items to check before monsoons hit hard .

MRF Tyres
It is available in 2.75x18.
Sorry,I just got confused it is just rib plus.

I am using 2.75x18 MRF zapper Fs which is comes as a stock Tyre for passion.(Rs.1750)

EDIT-
I changed the brake shoes (both) and Tyre(Front) just a day before monsoon hit Hyderabad.
It has become very difficult to ride in monsoon.
Just a 2 hour rain damaged most of the roads,many potholes have formed,tarmac has eroded,sides of the road get submerged(All due to currupt road contractors)..
You never know where the pothole is until you go over it because they are filled with water.
I have to follow along some other vehicle's trail.

That's the Nylogrip RIB . Yes it comes in all those sizes including 2.75x18 . I am saying that Nylorib is not this , Nylorib isn't listed on their website .. but you'll find it at MRF showrooms . The Rib models are inscribed RIB or RIB-PLUS on the side wall , while this is inscribed NYLORIB there . I have checked both before buying .
Edit : ok , just saw your corrected post now .

If you love to ride in the rains (like me) and do muddy roads too sometimes , or broken roads or roads without any asphalt or uneven ones , bordering on what one would call off-road , buy the Nylogrip Moto-C for rear tyre (i.e forget michelin etc) . It's a very good tyre for good roads and excellent for those that are not . It's been my favourite for a long time now .

I have a seat Secura at rear and it doesn't want to wear.
Wet Grip is not good but OK.

All MRF tryes last long-very long,It does not wear easily but develops cracks within 2yrs.

You are right ! After 2-3 years I have found some ultra-thin crack lines around the base of rectangular buttons of the Moto-C tread(on close inspection) . But since by that time the buttons are also worn, so I replace 'em . This has been consistent over all those numerous moto-C's I've been thru . But I still love 'em because of their uncanny grip on wet/muddy/broken roads . Nyloribs didn't develop any cracks , just wore thin .

My factory/stock front tyre lasted 8 yrs.(05/2004--06/2012).(16k kms)
It has enough tread but I replaced it because of safety reasons.

Current price for servo 20w 40 here in kerala is 210/-
For chain lube i use XL-120 Xtron spray

My OEM rear tyre (Dunlop) was replaced in 2003 when the odo read 32300 KM with MRF nylogrip of the same size. That in turn was replaced with 3.00 X 18, 6PR, MRF Moto-C in 2009,with the odo at 75000 KM! Now the odo reads 900 KM again and the tyre has roughly 50% tread left.

Similarly the OEM Dunlop in the front was replaced with a Ceat Secura in 2004 when the odo was at 39700 KM. This tyre has now lasted 8 years and > 60K Km and has ~ 20% tread left. No cracks anywhere. I will replace it when I recondition the engine shortly.

I normally replace the tyres when they still have about 20% tread left in them. I keep the pressue at 28 PSI front and 36 PSI rear.

The lens is not stucked to reflector , it is complete set . You won't get either lens or reflector seperately for that types of indicators .

The direct fit swiss made i used are not clear or transparent as compared to the one with new model bikes .


The front stock tyre on my passion MRF NYLON RIB 2.75X18 is still working good , its now 10 year old & done 54500 kms without any puncture .

Rear has changed before 4/5 years to MRF Zapper C .

The roads here are really bad , similar to those which tourer post in touring threads under name of offroad .

When ever the time come to replace tyres will try to find & put the impulse tyres .

A video instruction for air filter maintenance....same as Pinaki ji explained
Foam Air Filter Cleaning and Oiling by Yamaha Motor Corp. - YouTube

You are right. Due to more cost we think OE spares are good. Also prior to 2005 Hero honda supplied Japanese parts which was excellent than most competition but people bought after market spares and also with the decrease in bikes prices thanks to bajaj for creating value for money customers the quality took a toss. Moreover with the decrease in bikes cost company started taking greater profits from spares so Indian spares are used.
For e.g:-
1. Bore kit was Rs. 2500 in 2001 but now it is Rs.1450. The old was Japanese.
2. Silencer till 2005 cost was Rs. 2300 but now it is Rs. 1350.
3. Head gasket cost was Rs. 300 but now it is Rs. 110.
4. Timing chain was Rs.350 but now it is Rs.104.
5. Clutch plate was Rs. 600( fiber ones came with honda packing and written made in japan) but now it is Rs.328.
This was not decreased by company but people wanted because they bought after market parts as a result OE parts didn't sell. So hero honda decided to decrease cost of spares. Since people think that the same quality is maintained in OE spares and Hero honda is paying from pocket by giving quality spares in half the rate than before rate.
Moreover the parts which i am saying are not duplicate but they are OE suppliers.
ANL was supplying brake shoes before and now it is ASK.
Similarly USHA and GOETZE were supplying bore kit but now it is SAL- its own subsidiary.Also timing chain was supplied by DID but now it is supplied by diamond/rolon/hero. If diamond or rolon then your luck is good but if hero then bad luck.
I am not saying OE parts are bad, but some alternate parts are better. Following parts, i will never go for original-
1. Bore kit- USHA OR GOETZE.
2. Brake shoe - ANL or ASK and if brake pad Then ASK,KBX or ANL.
3. Handle racer- SKF, TOP if it is old model. But if it is new model with bigger racer then OE is good. Funny thing is that OE racer ball cost Rs. 60 , but SKF ball cost Rs.24 even though SKF is much better.
So if all wants then i will tell the complete history of Hero honda spares and which parts OE are not better. Only some parts are bad quality but rest are of good quality.
The drain interval is 1800-2000 km. Usually we go by brand name or advertisement but Servo is one of better brands. Usually best oil i found is Veedol take -4t which comes in 20W 40 ans 10W 30 grade and is the only oil which prints on bottles its all rating for oil oxidation,aged oil performance.
When i was changing engine oils when my joy was new(2001-2002) i used a oil which came in tin cans of Mitsubishi and cost was Rs.90. Man i still cannot forget that oil as it lasted for 3000 km and still was good to go. I searched in vain for that oil after but couldn't find it.

pinakiji has answered your question.
The rear i use DUNLOP CHALLENGER GRIP-3.00 x 18 and front DUNLOP RIB.
UN- luckily 2.50 size do not come in any other thread than rib pattern.
I used DUNLOP CHALLENGER GRIP for rear as all other 3.00 tyres looked puny as joy is quite a wide vehicle than splendor and the rear mudgaurd is also very broad, only challenger grip looked perfect and the grip is fantastic. If you want i can post a photo. Usually my front tyre last for 70-80k and rear for 50k. I have change 6 rear tyre and 4 front tyres.

ok thanks for that info , will look for servo 4t next time .
Harish'Jee , that XL-120 spray lube is nearly Rs 500(500ml can) , i.e same as the cost of a new chain+sprockets set ! Try the 90 or 140 gear oil you have .

How is the 3.0x18 moto-c working ? any significant difference in handling, feel etc from OE 2.75x18 size ?

Yes , I too like 2.5x18 at front on 100cc's ever since my RX riding days , it makes the handle very light and flickable (easy to weave through traffic) compared to the 2.75x18 . Also better grip and less rolling-resistance . The 2.75x18 absorbs bouncers and potholes a little better though .
My annual riding on each bike is not more than 7000-8000 kms , and I replace after 3 years or after 3-4 punctures, irrespective of tread wear (i.e 25k-30k kms) . Kyun ki, I also feel that the rubber goes bad over time and with environment exposure affecting the traction and grip etc . I also have bad habit of replacing both front and rear tyres , as well the tubes and rim-tape, at once (I must find genuine mrf tubes in the exact size as the tyre then ensure that they correctly chalk it before fitting) . But after reading all your usages I feel I am grossly under-utilising . Isn't it ?
Can't , the Impulse has an odd 17inch rear and 19inch front rim .