AK 550 12K mile maintenance coming up... or is it?

[rjs987]

Per my USA service schedule the next maintenance is at 12,000 miles. The major stuff to do will include oil and oil filter change, spark plugs change (which I usually don't replace unless there is a problem with the current plugs), air filter change (which I will likely just shake out and put back based on the last check), coolant change, brake fluid change, and CVT belt change. Most of that I've done on many bikes before so should be easy enough. The CVT belt replace will be the new task for me. I have the variator tool to assist and have watched the YouTube videos and read through the manual so feel confident to doing this.

I was planning to do all this maintenance between my last trip (returned home from 764 miles last weekend) and my next trip coming up the weekend after Labor Day. BUT, I didn't want to jump the gun and do it all 700 miles early. My next trip should add almost 800 miles to the odometer so that would put it just over 12,000 miles on the odometer. I know there's nothing wrong with doing planned maintenance early, but then I'd feel like I'd have to do all subsequent maintenance early after this. I also don't worry too much about doing planned maintenance just a little late, but not too late. After doing some thinking about how many miles I've been riding around home this year and how many miles I typically ride for my next trip (which I've done almost twice each year since 2010) I came up with that I will be possibly less than 100 miles over the 12,000 mile mark on the odometer. Then I looked a bit closer at my service schedule chart and did some translating. The next maintenance in "miles" is at 12,000. That same maintenance interval in "km" is at 20,000. 20,000 km translates out to just over 12,427 miles. I think I'm good with waiting until after my next trip. If Kymco says the CVT belt will last at the very least past 12,427 miles then I'll just wait until later in September to do that maintenance interval... and then I'll do the next service interval at "around" 18K miles. Besides, I know that doing an oil change a little early or a little late is no big deal. It remains to be seen the condition of the CVT belt when I take it off. I am thinking I'll be keeping the old one as a short term backup spare. Just like I kept the rear tire from my last rear tire change for the same reason.

Definition: short term backup spare- a part that is still good enough to be used while waiting for a new part to arrive should the current part being used fail prematurely.

Oh, and while talking about replacing parts... Since I had some Revzilla Reward Cash in my Revzilla account that was due to expire in a few days I used that to order a new front tire for my AK. The current front tire has over 4500 miles on it. The original front tire lasted 6670 miles and likely could have gone several hundred more so I am expecting my current front tire to go at least another 2000 miles. Now I have a little more Reward Cash in my account that I will use to buy the rear tire at a later date to have on hand. The original rear tire lasted 8303 miles and I have only just over 2950 miles on the current rear tire. Prices are higher than last year when I last bought tires but still a good price compared with others.

And speaking of maintenance intervals... The dash has a "Service" light on the right display panel that comes on when one of the service interval mile/km counters reaches the next interval. One counter is for the CVT belt and the other is for Oil. I noticed that the service light came on WAY before any service was due per the USA service schedule. But after looking at the counters I noticed that the service light is set to the older European service schedule that calls for oil changes every 5,000 km/3,000 miles. The current USA service schedule calls for the oil change to be done every 10,000 km/6,000 miles after the first 3 changes. I guess Kymco forgot to re-program that reminder in the computer. I simply reset the oil change counter and the service light went away. I keep records anyway for when I do service and am accustomed to performing service without needing a reminder on the dash to tell me.

[rjs987]

Finally got out on the AK for a little... errand... ride. Only rode 22 miles to return library books for my wife. Was a clear sunny sky with temps about 90*F... unusually warm for here in early October.

After my little ride today the odo just turned over to 12K miles... about a half mile from home. It still reads 12,000 miles though. Just perfect for the USA maintenance schedule of 12K mile tasks to be done. As I stated above, my owner manual maintenance schedule also gives km for doing these tasks which actually translates to farther than 12,000 USA miles. Then there's the other thing to consider that I'm sure most owners don't think of with mile intervals for CVT maintanance... The CVT belt has been running much more than just the 12,000 miles, or even the 12,427 miles that 20K km translates to. That because the CVT belt is spinning the entire time the engine is running even if sitting at the stop light or waiting for the engine to warm up. The clutch is the only disconnect in the drive train between the rear wheel and the crankshaft. And the CVT sits in front of the clutch. So if the engine is running the CVT belt is spinning.

Next up is doing that maintenance... when the temps are not quite so hot.

[rjs987]

Started to take apart the right side of my AK 550 to do the CVT belt change and ran into a snag. Not on the bike... in my tool kit. All the plastic came off fine. The tabs continue to prove much more durable than on any other bike from my GW to my ST to my Burgman! A LOT more durable, thicker where needed. A bit more flexible and better plastic is used. Not as brittle. And there are some actual HOOKS where possible so as not to break a joining tab keeper like what regularly happens on the Burgman. The only snag was that I need a female E10 Torx socket bit. For just a few bolts on the CVT casing. There are several T-30 Torx bit bolts around the casing and 3 of the E10 bolts that need a female socket bit. I won't use the tightest hex socket on those since I won't take a chance of rounding out those bolt heads resulting in a worse major problem. With all the plastic off I can see into the CVT exhaust vent and see that the belt looks good... what I can see of it. But will be better able to see once I get the casing off.

To resolve this I brought up Amazon and found a good set of both male and female Torx socket bits in good variety of sizes. I knew Lowe's or Home Depot or any other store I have around here won't have just what I wanted. The E- series of Torx bits are not that common in those stores, if they have them at all. The set I ordered is being shipped next day so no big loss sitting and waiting.
Here is the set I ordered:
https://a.co/d/6uWJbAo

Overall, I continue to be impressed with the quality of construction of this Kymco scooter, as well as the way it was designed to be easily worked on as needed. So far I am at the point where I would need to be just to check and/or clean the CVT filter. It is a much bigger filter element than on the Burgman 650 and only slightly more involved to get to than on the Burgman but that's because the foot board extends to just in front of the front part of the CVT outer cover. No frame tube interfering with getting to the entire CVT so I can do everything including removing the entire CVT unit without touching any other part of the engine or dropping the engine out of the frame. Just working with the bike on the center stand.
Here's 2 pics of the CVT outer cover and foot board (comes off as one piece even though it is 2 pieces). Once 4 screws, 2 hex bolts and a hex socket bolt were removed the entire assembly just slides to the rear to unhook it and pulls right off. Many panels are designed like this one.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/r21FfZWHMFA3r2TD8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xyqwxWE7hucvJg5j7

I'll be doing a write-up with details and pics later when the job is done.

Edit: I corrected the Torx socket size since the tool kit arrived (next day delivery) and I test fitted.

[mousejunks]

It sure does look like a nice bike.

How is the seat on the thing? Is the seat much wider than a Downtown for example because of the twin cylinder? Can you reach the ground comfortably?

[rjs987]

It sure does look like a nice bike.

How is the seat on the thing? Is the seat much wider than a Downtown for example because of the twin cylinder? Can you reach the ground comfortably?

Don't know how wide the seat is on the Downtown. But I wouldn't be surprised if the AK seat is a little wider. The body of the bike is a bit wider due to the twin vs single cylinders. Another consideration is that the Downtown has the engine on the front of the swing arm under the seat and the AK has the engine mounted in the frame with the cylinders in front of the seat. The AK seat is wider than my old ST1100 seat was. It is also about as wide as my Burgman 650 seat was... but I had a Corbin seat on my Burgman. My first Burgman 650 had the stock seat and it was slightly narrower than my AK seat.

At 30.9 inches seat height it is not a low seat to the ground, but not all that high either. My ST had a higher seat and I could not flat foot on that bike unless I scooted way up on the seat. My Gold Wing was very slightly lower. The Burgman stock seat was lower but the Corbin seat was about the same. I can flat foot with both the Burgman Corbin seat and also my AK seat if I slide slightly forward on the seat. I can flat foot on one side and solidly on the ball of my foot on the other side if I am set well back on the seat. But even then I can press both feet to flat foot on both sides. I feel that I am reaching the ground comfortably doing that. I normally only put one foot down at a stop anyway and then I am very comfortable to flat foot for that while very comfortably well set on the seat.

My height is not relevant for this metric, only my inseam. I have just barely under a 32 inch inseam.

[rjs987]

As part of this scheduled maintenance interval I just finished the oil and oil filter change today. Old oil looked good still. There are 2 oil screens in the drain bolt holes. I pulled those out and used an old tooth brush to clean them off. There was one or two small metal flakes still collected on one of them. The other one was clean. Nothing concerning. The cleaner screen is located right next to the magnetic bolt in the bottom of the sump under the clutch chamber. 2.7 L of oil is all that the AK needs with a filter change. No panels need to be removed. The 2 drain bolts are on the bottom on the left side and the filter can be accessed at the front of the engine. The filter does have a plastic shield under it but there is room enough to get my filter wrench and ratchet handle in there to pull it off without removing any body parts. I do like having a real dip stick instead of the sight glass. That is also on the left side and very easy to get to.