There are three types of batteries in common use , 1) acid filled batteries ,like your previous one.,dil.sulphuric acid is the electrolyte.
2) M F batteries ,like the the one you have fixed now. In this the electrolyte is in gel form. so no need to pour distlled water often.
3) S M F , Sealed Maintanence Free Batteries like the ones used in U P S systems

SMF Is Costlier than MF .

In automobiles MF is VFM and recomended as Load is Highly varied, like when you press the starter motor etc.Amounts of gases are produced and there is a vent for that

In SMF Load should be reasonably normal/ steady as Large amount of gases formed can damage the battery.

Hope this helps.

Your 2nd Photo reg:- The wire is not connected neatly on the positive post, some of the strands are projecting here and there
get it done neatly. as Take out the wire ,roll all the strands together like a solid core then bend and form a circular loop and fix .If Possible Get it coated by Solder lead.Using a brass lug available in battery shops is the standard way.

I am not sure if the battery discussed here uses electrolyte in gel form - sorry my chemistry knowledge is bad
In this model of exide, pls note that the breather pipe outlet is 'CLOSED' - it is supposed to be unplugged only during charging.
Regarding the usage of MF vs SMF - there are SMF's that are very much used in automobiles including bikes. So i am not sure about them being used only in conditions were the load is'steady'.

Thank you PSR sir,im following run-in procedure as you had advised,not revving beyond 4000rpm,riding without pillion rider and vary engine speed and warm up engine.
last time i had also poured 15w40 cf2 diesel engine oil in zma,drained after some 300km,gear change quality affected very much after switched to diesel engine oil.had googled about diesel engine oil,it contain sulphur,and doesnt have oxidation inhibitors as available in petrol engine oil.

Currently did 33.2Kms, and the gear shifts are "Water" smooth, I used the term water cause its way smoother than butter Only a gentle touch is needed to shift. Engine gives more feedback above 80+kmph. But am not convinced yet, hence the reason am insisting on riding for a few hundred kms before posting final verdict.

Look up the basic contents of the oil before using it....

The oil you are using has ZDDP of 0~1.2% and the Kinematic viscosity at 40C and Viscosity Index are not mentioned..




Here is a link for the ELF range



Shell Rimula R3X is better to ELF super HDB, in ZDDP content, and in kinematic Viscosity at 40 to 100 C...almost like a FS.....here is a link to the R3X...

109.9kms done, still doing good but post 5k the engine feedback is abit too much, did a continuous run till Punalur and back.


@Psr sir,

There is a difference in product name. Anyways the R3X looks promising, will try that next time. And whats the drain interval for these oils?

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I had tried this once in my JOY and i didn't feel any problem. in my Joy i have poured many kinds of oil, like HDB, CRB and all other various oils. But i have not faced any problem.

All mineral oil need to be changed at 1.5 ~2 K Kms in ZMA..It may last longer on a less stressed engine...

As long as Molybdenum disulfide is not present in the oil and has required grade and viscosity , most Automobile oils can be used

@sibun bro,
Could you share your experiences of the various oils you've used? It would be beneficial for everyone and what was your drain interval?

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Ashwin, drain intervals depend on your satisfaction. You can drain the oil after just 50 kms if you don't like it. I once drained Motul 300V in just 1200 kms from my ZMA.

Motul at the time wasnt sourceable at Kollam, so had to get it via a fellow bhpian from a neighbouring district for 800rs. Ran like crap, was thinking of draining it after just 80kms, but due to financial constrains I was forced to continue with it, but surprisingly after a few hundred kms things starts getting better, after that i make it a point to ride oil for atleast a few hundred kms before reaching a conclusion.

And from my experience this far, the Karizma works best with Diesel oils rather than recommended oils, be it any grade or any brand for that matter.

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ashwin as you mentioned we can use diesel engine oil in our zma,ashok leyland trucks drain interval is 40000km or 500hours for tippers,and even new U trucks which have 18litre oil capacity whose drain interval is extended upto 80000km!oil used in engine is 15W40 Gulf duramax,so may be those oil contain friction reduction material could it harm our clutch?when i had used this oil in my zma,my gear quality and performance changed drastically,i switched to motul 3000 4t 20w40 after 300km.due to fear about clutch slip i drained diesel engine oil :P but got very good feel about diesel engine oil,not experienced clutch slippage.

pls help... i covered 1450 kms in my new zma oil changed twice. 1 in first service and second that 1400.Both oil is made by hero (tide water). after second oil change ride and gear chande become smooth. I ride on rpm @ 4k. only few time to 6. I think this oil lost the smoothness suddenly.Want to know about
1.Which oil suitable for my R.(grade also)
2.How much oil needed when draining.user guide prefer 900ml..and mech told that 1 ltr is needed
3.Value of idle rpm screw?

Continue using 10w30 mineral oil till you're 5k kms on the ODO.

After that you may shift to 20w40 mineral or Semi synthetic since its summer season.
Many bottles come 900 ml as packed, but its never a problem if you pour the full bottle. In fact, AFAIK; one must pour in 1.1L full during oil change and 1.3L during overhaul/full drain.
But pouring just 1L is fine.

Idle RPM screw, err I'm not sure. 3.5 turns is optimal I guess.

True, its a VFM cause why pay 750~1k for a FS when you can get better results with something that cost a mere 250Rs. And now am more excited and waiting eagerly for my next oil change, currently using Super HDB Turbo and am more than satisfied, and according to PSR Sir Rimula R3X is superior, so with R3X I believe will make the engine even smoother, though I dont think thats possible now. After TD'ying Vishnu bro's ride I always wanted Butter smooth shifts(The main reason I went for Motul Synths), but now its way smoother than that, and I'm more in love with the bike than ever.

And IIRC smaller the engine, more frequent the oil change interval. So as PSR sir said will be keeping drain interval at 2k kms.

I didnt experience any clutch slips, infact my bike normally slips from 2nd to Neutral when redlined, so I was actually expecting a slip, but thankfully nothing happened

Use any oil you feel comfortable with, but just make sure its 10W grade. Ride Safe.

900ML on change and 1.2L on overhaul, its provided in the manual. But no issues with pouring 1L. While draining I just shake bike and drain as much oil as possible, then pour in 1L.

During last oil change I accidentally poured in 1.3L and the oil was upto half the dipstick, so ran engine without dipstick and the excess oil was ejaculated within a few seconds, and after that when I checked level with dipstick it was at the correct top position in the marker.