Scooters And Flooding

[manarak]

Quick question about bikes in the water

Like everyone (I suppose) I already used the bike on flooded streets.

I used a Nouvo, and it ran fine with the water up to the wheel axles, which seems logical, because the engine is above.

I didn't try to go deeper.

Question 1: at what level of water does the bike stop functioning?

Question 2: if the level of question 1 is reached and the bike drowns, are there serious consequences for the bike?

[JeffreyMcCollum]

A few years back while sitting at at hotel lobby in Pattay we had a flash flood after a rain.

The water out front on the soi was tot he top of seat level on bikes like Honda waves. They juest kept going.

The air intake in high up and the things are made to take punishment.

I know with my bikes I have done 60 cm of water with not problem.

If you had a problem on your bike. Take it to the shop, have then change the oil, drain the gas, and colean things out, and new air filter,. Not very expensive here in LOS. I don't really worry about it much

[furyrider]

Question 1: at what level of water does the bike stop functioning?

When water inters the air intake. Also if it gets to the electrical and kills the spark. Both will make the bike stop functioning.

Question 2: if the level of question 1 is reached and the bike drowns, are there serious consequences for the bike?

It depends on how much water gets in. Worst case would be to pull the head to dry the cylinder The electrical would just need to be dried good.

Changing oil , The engine and transmission has breathers that can allow a little water in particularly if they are hot when interring the water and the oils and cases cool down in the water. And of course the chain

[msg362]

Question 1: at what level of water does the bike stop functioning?

When water inters the air intake. Also if it gets to the electrical and kills the spark. Both will make the bike stop functioning.

Question 2: if the level of question 1 is reached and the bike drowns, are there serious consequences for the bike?

It depends on how much water gets in. Worst case would be to pull the head to dry the cylinder The electrical would just need to be dried good.

Changing oil , The engine and transmission has breathers that can allow a little water in particularly if they are hot when interring the water and the oils and cases cool down in the water. And of course the chain

Q1 It stops functioning when the engine stops and you fall off!

Q2 dry it out and take it to be fixed for a few 100 baht.

Then get back on and ride it

[manarak]

errr... any schnorkels for motorcycles?

[wana]

ive driven my elegance through water nearly up to my knees before and it didnt die

also since it has a belt drive instead of a chain theres no need to worry about oiling it

the elegance is a bit taller than other scooters anyway but always drive through floods carefully

if u cant see the road theres always the chance of a big hole or a brick connecting with your front wheel and tipping you over

[katabeachbum]

it stops when airfilter is supplied by water, not air

it also stops when ignition has been drowned for a while

short lifetime fix, replace oil

but later all ignition parts need replacing and possibly ECU

been there, done it, costs a bit to get it right

[wantan]

I drove a few days through deeper water with my Nouvo last year. It was not really deep, sure not more than 25cm, but after a while the engine startet to hick up and it had problems to start. The problem was a wet airfilter. After replacing it everything was fine again.

You have to take into account that the other vehicles (e.g. cars and trucks) create waves while driving. And these waves are getting much higher. Water can come nearly everywhere at your bike. I will not do it again. And it is much to dangerous too, cause you do not see holes and things lying on the street. Or maybe the street is completely washed away...

Maybe you can mount something like a snorkel to the air intake and mount the exhaust higher. But easier to take a boat, i guess.

Have fun

[Familyonthemove]

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going. The bigger problem is you can't see the open drain and holes in the road, so unless you can follow another bike there's a risk of riding into a big hole!

And if the engine sucks in water it could cause hygraulic lock (as water will not compress) and damage the crank .... but the chances are it will stop running before any real damage.

My general rule for riding anywhere in Bangkok (in and out of the rainy season) is that if I'm passing the motorsai taxis, I'm doing something wrong.

[wantan]

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going.

Sure it keeps going as long as a car passes your way and makes a huge wave that will swash up to your intake and everything else. And there are several other holes in the engine that could suck water. I will not drive in water deeper then 15-20cm again. Everything above can swash over your engine and the electrical things.

[Atmos]

I wonder how these ones will start?

rentals maybe.

Pattaya shows the effects of two days and nights of heavy rain with widespread flooding.

[Semper]

I wonder how these ones will start?

rentals maybe.

Pattaya shows the effects of two days and nights of heavy rain with widespread flooding.

Only one reason to not stay in Pattaya.

[manarak]

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going. The bigger problem is you can't see the open drain and holes in the road, so unless you can follow another bike there's a risk of riding into a big hole!

And if the engine sucks in water it could cause hygraulic lock (as water will not compress) and damage the crank .... but the chances are it will stop running before any real damage.

My general rule for riding anywhere in Bangkok (in and out of the rainy season) is that if I'm passing the motorsai taxis, I'm doing something wrong.

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going. The bigger problem is you can't see the open drain and holes in the road, so unless you can follow another bike there's a risk of riding into a big hole!

Well, it is that time of the month again in Pattaya, and I tried to see if my rental motorcycle (Nouvo elegance) can swim when I was passing the Rom Po market on Jomtien second road at the top of soi 5.

The short answer is no.

I was behind a group of other motorcycles, and my bike was the only one that died.

:-(

The cause is the location of the air filter on the Nouvo, which is situated quite low under the plastic hump between the feet.

When the bike died, my feet weren't wet!

The engine stopped and could be restarted, but the filter had sucked in about a liter of dirty water.

The air filter had to be replaced.

So if you drive a nouvo, keep the water lower than the footrest!

Any advice on streetbikes (scooters) with an elevated air intake?

Where is it on the PCX?

Edited October 7, 2011 by manarak

[katabeachbum]

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going. The bigger problem is you can't see the open drain and holes in the road, so unless you can follow another bike there's a risk of riding into a big hole!

And if the engine sucks in water it could cause hygraulic lock (as water will not compress) and damage the crank .... but the chances are it will stop running before any real damage.

My general rule for riding anywhere in Bangkok (in and out of the rainy season) is that if I'm passing the motorsai taxis, I'm doing something wrong.

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going. The bigger problem is you can't see the open drain and holes in the road, so unless you can follow another bike there's a risk of riding into a big hole!

Well, it is that time of the month again in Pattaya, and I tried to see if my rental motorcycle (Nouvo elegance) can swim when I was passing the Rom Po market on Jomtien second road at the top of soi 5.

The short answer is no.

I was behind a group of other motorcycles, and my bike was the only one that died.

:-(

The cause is the location of the air filter on the Nouvo, which is situated quite low under the plastic hump between the feet.

When the bike died, my feet weren't wet!

The engine stopped and could be restarted, but the filter had sucked in about a liter of dirty water.

The air filter had to be replaced.

So if you drive a nouvo, keep the water lower than the footrest!

Any advice on streetbikes (scooters) with an elevated air intake?

Where is it on the PCX?

Honda Wave, behind headlight

pcx, above auto box

[wantan]

Well, it is that time of the month again in Pattaya, and I tried to see if my rental motorcycle (Nouvo elegance) can swim when I was passing the Rom Po market on Jomtien second road at the top of soi 5.

The short answer is no.

I was behind a group of other motorcycles, and my bike was the only one that died.

:-(

The cause is the location of the air filter on the Nouvo, which is situated quite low under the plastic hump between the feet.

When the bike died, my feet weren't wet!

The engine stopped and could be restarted, but the filter had sucked in about a liter of dirty water.

The air filter had to be replaced.

So if you drive a nouvo, keep the water lower than the footrest!

OK, like i told you before. On the Nouvo better not go deeper than 20cm.

But as you are renting your bikes there is not much to loose and you can make test series on all available scooters and tell us the water deeps till they die

[Gary A]

A friend of mine has a Honda Scoopy. Before it was a couple of weeks old he was going up the mountain to our favorite watering hole. He got caught in a cloud burst and the transmission belt slipped so bad that he had to stop for a while. I told him to take it back to the dealer and have them check how water from the road was getting on the belt. He didn't know if the dealer fixed anything or not. Maybe the belt was just too new and not seated because the problem went away.

That did arouse my curiosity of what would happen while going through deep water. Does the belt still work even when under water? From some of the posters who have belt drive scooters, it seems it is not much of an issue.

[wana]

A friend of mine has a Honda Scoopy. Before it was a couple of weeks old he was going up the mountain to our favorite watering hole. He got caught in a cloud burst and the transmission belt slipped so bad that he had to stop for a while. I told him to take it back to the dealer and have them check how water from the road was getting on the belt. He didn't know if the dealer fixed anything or not. Maybe the belt was just too new and not seated because the problem went away.

That did arouse my curiosity of what would happen while going through deep water. Does the belt still work even when under water? From some of the posters who have belt drive scooters, it seems it is not much of an issue.

the cvt belt doesnt slip anymore than a chain slips off sprocket teeth ,it seems to be good technology

never needs adjusting ,tightening and supposed to last 20 or 24k before it should be replaced

[manarak]

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going. The bigger problem is you can't see the open drain and holes in the road, so unless you can follow another bike there's a risk of riding into a big hole!

And if the engine sucks in water it could cause hygraulic lock (as water will not compress) and damage the crank .... but the chances are it will stop running before any real damage.

My general rule for riding anywhere in Bangkok (in and out of the rainy season) is that if I'm passing the motorsai taxis, I'm doing something wrong.

The air cleaner on my Nouvo Elegance is above the engine and it's also under the plastic hump between your feet - so it's protected to about 18 inches of water. I've tried it and it just keeps going. The bigger problem is you can't see the open drain and holes in the road, so unless you can follow another bike there's a risk of riding into a big hole!

Well, it is that time of the month again in Pattaya, and I tried to see if my rental motorcycle (Nouvo elegance) can swim when I was passing the Rom Po market on Jomtien second road at the top of soi 5.

The short answer is no.

I was behind a group of other motorcycles, and my bike was the only one that died.

:-(

The cause is the location of the air filter on the Nouvo, which is situated quite low under the plastic hump between the feet.

When the bike died, my feet weren't wet!

The engine stopped and could be restarted, but the filter had sucked in about a liter of dirty water.

The air filter had to be replaced.

So if you drive a nouvo, keep the water lower than the footrest!

Any advice on streetbikes (scooters) with an elevated air intake?

Where is it on the PCX?

Honda Wave, behind headlight

pcx, above auto box

Great info, thanks!

The headlight is easy enough to locate on the wave, but where is the autobox on the PCX?

[katabeachbum]

Great info, thanks!

The headlight is easy enough to locate on the wave, but where is the autobox on the PCX?

the auto transmission box is between the engine and the rear wheel, left side. airfilter sits on top of it