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Scooters - 125 to 300 => People 250 => Topic started by: hypophthalmus on March 09, 2015, 04:31:28 PM

Title: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: hypophthalmus on March 09, 2015, 04:31:28 PM

The manual recommends changing the oil every 2000km, nearly twice what I did with my last scooter (every 2000 miles). Do I need to be changing it so often with synthetic oil?

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: socalsurfrat on March 10, 2015, 03:10:25 AM

I was wondering the same thing.  I used AMSoil for a long time on my 05 ZX-6R and let it run 10-15K before replacing.  But that had a real oil filter, the people doesn't.  So my guess is its probably a waste to run synthetic since the people has no filter. 

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: de dee on March 10, 2015, 03:46:46 AM

  do what ever your scoot manual says , dyno or syn.  it will last for ever , my downtown says 5000 km. ( 3000 ) miles

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: TLRam1 on March 10, 2015, 05:17:30 AM

What he says, I don't know if it does much good w/o a real oil filter.

In my other bikes and cars I will double the oil change intervals.

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: hypophthalmus on March 11, 2015, 12:39:57 AM

Would it help to filter the oil yourself, say with a coffee filter?

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: BettinANDlosing on March 11, 2015, 01:30:11 AM

I change my oil ecu 1000km with Motul 100% synthetic. Filtering you're own oil won't do any good, the oil filter is for deposits left from combustion, not contamination pre change.

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: hypophthalmus on March 11, 2015, 04:05:20 AM

Not sure if you misunderstood, but I meant filtering the used oil and reusing it.

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: BettinANDlosing on March 11, 2015, 04:48:57 AM

Oh haha yeah I did. Not worth the hassle IMHO, oil isn't that expensive to just use new stuff.

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: Grumpy old man on March 21, 2015, 12:45:13 AM

My experience was to use either Amsoil 10-40 motorcycle or mobil 1 4T and I changed it at 700 to 1000 miles since there was no filter but I would go on 1000 mile rides so ?
It was worth the extra dollars to go with full synthetic since I was 500 miles away from home at times.   

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: BettinANDlosing on March 21, 2015, 01:49:58 AM

Synthetic oil is ALWAYS worth it, no matter what vehicle!!! I try to do 1000km oil changes on my 250. The oil starts to look pretty dirty much over that.

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on March 26, 2015, 10:00:52 PM

I love this....!
Filter the old oil through a Mr. Coffee!!! and re-use it!
Or, or > render down some bear fat and boil soap to get something that is slippery enough to pass as a scooter engine lubricant....or , or - put in some cheap shampoo and bacon fat..
Shoot...4 bucks for a Qt of oil is crazy when we've only spent a few thousand $ for our scooters. 15 mins to change the oil is wasted life.
I say, never change the oil until you feel her starting to seize ...just a touch! Then push her home and get out the coffeee maker.
I love this ....Stig

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: hypophthalmus on April 03, 2015, 07:52:49 PM

Bears are in short supply where I live... maybe rabbits though? But I hear they're lean.

I'm not trying to be especially lazy or cheap... after all I'm using synthetic and filtering it would just be an extra step. But if filtration is all that's required to keep the same oil longer, then why not?

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: retusaf99 on May 09, 2015, 07:33:08 PM

Hey guys,
First post here, and just bought my first scooter (2007 Kymco People 250) today, but I'll post more about that topic somewhere more appropriate...

So far as filtering and reusing oil, probably false economy.  I think most experts will tell you it's the additives (think polymer chains) that break down with time/temperature, and it's the additives that need to be replaced.

I read it on the internet, but ASTM is a pretty good source:
https://books.google.com/books?id=opXpuxOVlmAC&lpg=PA33&ots=ecBiTV_US9&dq=polymer%20and%20oil&pg=PA33#v=onepage&q=polymer%20and%20oil&f=false

(Hope the link works).

Doug in Vancouver, WA

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: CROSSBOLT on May 09, 2015, 08:03:38 PM

Every 3000 miles on DT300i and GTi300 like the manual says and with full synthetic. Filters, too.

My, we have seen a side of Stig we have never seen before! Go, Stig!

Karl

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on May 12, 2015, 09:08:41 PM

Quote from: CROSSBOLT on May 09, 2015, 08:03:38 PM

Every 3000 miles on DT300i and GTi300 like the manual says and with full synthetic. Filters, too.

My, we have seen a side of Stig we have never seen before! Go, Stig!

Karl

I was laughing so hard I could hardly type!
I've run paint through a pair of panty hose - but scooter oil thru a coffee filter - and re-use it!!
Fortunately ol' hypothalmus took it in spirit - guy's probably a brain surgeon.....they have a good sense of humour.
I never knew the hypothalamus could be mistaken for broccoli!
(http://i59.tinypic.com/dgl2sh.jpg)
Learning stuff here all the time..
Stig

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: mrmike on June 17, 2015, 10:43:59 AM

my 2012 GTI300 only has 3500 miles on it. Living in the northeast (Syracuse, NY) and being 71  years old curtail my riding time and mileage. That being said, I change the oil (Mobil 1) and filter every 1000 miles. I change the rear  diff oil every other time. Its probably overkill, but  it  doesn't cost that much to do and I enjoy working on my scoot.

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 17, 2015, 11:40:39 AM

my
my 2012 GTI300 only has 3500 miles on it. Living in the northeast (Syracuse, NY) and being 71  years old curtail my riding time and mileage. That being said, I change the oil (Mobil 1) and filter every 1000 miles. I change the rear  diff oil every other time. Its probably overkill, but  it  doesn't cost that much to do and I enjoy working on my scoot.
[/quote]
Mrmike, love your comment!!
I do the same, maybe even a bit more often! Ii
Caution!!!! ---this comment will get you beat up over on the Forza forum! :-)
Members (Chicago, London, and Scotland) will crucify any riding advocating such craziness. It's 8000 miles or you're an imbecile over there.
I try to keep a low profile.....plus my decals make them explode.
DO NOT mention that your scooter has EVER had the valve lash checked.....this procedure is so hard to do on their Hondas that they work hard to convince each other that the valves actually never need to be checked.....therefore all the owner's manuals and experienced Honda mechanics are wrong. I mentioned that I like to check my Kymco valves every 750-1000 miles....the forum moderator was informed that I was inciting a riot.
:-) :-) lots of fun! :-)
I  do the changes for the exact same reasons you stated!
Stig

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: hypophthalmus on June 20, 2015, 05:56:22 PM

On my last scooter, I had never adjusted the exhaust valve more than once because it was extremely difficult  to get to (underneath the engine, had to bend the feeler gauge which made it hard to tell if it fit or not, couldn't see what you were doing), and the consensus seemed to be that if there weren't any problems or weird noises, the valve clearance was fine.

Every time I've checked the valves on this one though, they've needed adjustment.

Since starting this thread, it also occurred to me that my last scooter did in fact have an oil filter... that I never changed because there wasn't enough clearance to fit a wrench in to turn the bolt (and possibly the consensus was that it was unnecessary).

I'm definitely grateful for how easy this scooter is to work on.

Unrelatedly, there's very little brain surgery going on here. My username has less to do with brain broccoli and more to do with fish.

Title: Re: How often do you change the oil with synthetic?
Post by: beermak on June 20, 2015, 11:06:43 PM

1200 mi / 2000 km and im using motul 5100 which is a semisynthetic with ester.