Since I am riding in colder weather every day - I have shortened my oil change intervals. Doing them at 750 miles instead of 1000 or 1500 miles. If it gets in the teens and stays there , will go to 400 or 500 miles.
Hope that all scooter owners are doing their own oil changes - but if it makes you a little uncomfortable to try it the first time - here's some photos of my oil change tonight. It will take about 15 to 20 mins once you learn the procedure.
Ride your scoot to warm the oil - wear rubber gloves if it is still very hot when you drain it.
Stuff you need:
!) One Quart of good motor oil (I have 3800 miles on my scoot so I'm using a full synthetic oil)
2) 17mm socket wrench or 17mm box wrench
3) Small pan to catch the used oil in
4) Paper towels
5) long funnel with pointed tip to fit the dip-stick hole
Do
not use an adjustable wrench or pliers. It will mess up the drain plugs.
I always unscrew both drain plugs - one is on the left side, one is on the right side and has 3 parts to the plug. A spring, a screen and the 50cent sized drain plug that the spring and screen fit into. About 3 or 4 tablespoons of oil come out with the large drain plug (after draining the oil from the small, left side plug)
Place the small pan to catch the used oil.
Replace the 17mm plug and move to the right side of the scooter for the larger drain plug - still use the 17mm wrench.
Push and turn and these parts come out as a group.
Clean the screen with gasoline
Assemble like this and push and screw the assembly back in.
Unscrew your dip-stick and add 800ml oil
I pour out from a new bottle into a partially empty bottle, until I have the 800ml left in the new bottle. Then pour that into the engine.
I do not tighten the drain plugs overly tight - working with soft alloys here! I use a soft metal washer on the small drain plug; the larger plug has a rubber O-Ring installed in it. I have re-used both several times with no issues.
Start and gently idle the engine while the oil circulates. Shut off and check for leaks, wait a bit and then check the dip stick. If you have overfilled -NOW is the time to drain some back out.
If you start with only 800ml of oil in your bottle - it is pretty hard to over fill your engine with oil. Keep pouring some off into a 2nd bottle with each oil change - pretty soon you'll have 800ml in that bottle ,too, for an oil change!
Stig
