Can You Check The Oil Level In Scooters/Small Bikes?

[ClareQuilty]

I have only ever had the oil changed in such motorbikes, not checked - things like Wave-style step-through bikes like Yamaha Fresh or Kawasaki Cheer. The old Cheer I'm driving has an oil leak which leaves a pretty significant puddle after a week of sitting, and about a silver dollar sized one after just a day of sitting, so I'm kind of nervous it will run out of oil and ruin the engine.

Is there a way I can check the oil level in a bike like this - I don't see any dipstick like in a car motor. Also, I have a lot of extra car-oil left from my car's oil changes {I think it is 10w-50 oil or 20w-50) - can this be used in the bike? I just want to top it up a bit maybe once a month.

[VocalNeal]

Usually the oil fill cap has a built in dipstick. On the Yamaha it is the plastic cap in the front of the RHS of the engine.

This is Honda but similar. I couldn't find a Yamaha or Kawasaki picture.

Use oil from Honda not car oil. Car oil sometimes has additives that your bike clutch may not like. Of course we don't know what your local mechanic used.

Edited January 17, 2012 by VocalNeal

[ClareQuilty]

Usually the oil fill cap has a built in dipstick. On the Yamaha it is the plastic cap in the front of the RHS of the engine.

This is Honda but similar

Use oil from Honda not car oil. Car oil sometimes has additives that your bike clutch may not like. Of course we don't know what your local mechanic used.

Ah, thanks again. I'll check it tomorrow. The mechanic used real motorbike oil, I saw him take it down off his shelf.

[VocalNeal]

When you run out of old semi-auto bikes and are forced to buy something newer , CVT scooters CAN use car oil as they have no wet clutch. Honda has two oils one for CVT and one for you.

[ClareQuilty]

When you run out of old semi-auto bikes and are forced to buy something newer , CVT scooters CAN use car oil as they have no wet clutch. Honda has two oils one for CVT and one for you.

Haha, I've had automatic bikes before and I didn't like them. I'm not interested in getting one unless it would be to rent out to someone.

But as for the bike in question, I took the cap off and there was no dipstick at all, and I didn't see any oil in there when I peered in, so I thought it might be low. I took it to a mechanic, and he stick a kind of homemade stick in there and said the oil was low, so I had him change it, but when it poured out there was a fair amount in.. just not nearly the full amount. I hate to spend any more money on the bike fixing the oil leak, so I think I'll just try driving it as is. I have an idea that maybe the oil only leaks out down to a certain point - as in it doesn't ALL leak out. After all I suspect when I got the bike the oil hadn't been changed (and probably not even added) in ages.

[wantan]

I hate to spend any more money on the bike fixing the oil leak, so I think I'll just try driving it as is.

Its up to you. But please do not forget one thing: You would do a favour to the environment if you would repair the bike

[wana]

this has gotta be a piss take but ........." dont wanna spend money to fix an oil leak " so just put in new oil every time it leaks out ?

i think you now qualify for thai citizenship

Edited January 20, 2012 by wana

[MaiChai]

Sounds like the Thai mindset is blending in

I would drain the oil. Then take a look at whats going on and fix the leak. Most likely the drain screw has been overtightened so many times by Thai changs that the thread is stripped and it won't seal? Tip here: take the drain screw to a parts shop and ask them if they have a slightly larger thread one for another bike. You can also buy replacement drain plugs that are specifically designed to recut the thread. Another trick is to completely drain the oil, then get some cotton wool and gasket sealant and use these to clog the thread and seal the leak. Once its dry, refill with new oil. Generally the quantity of oil required (700-850ml) is molded into the cover next to the oil filler hole. Measure the require amount of oil, or buy a bottle of oil that has measure marks on the bottle, and put the required amount of oil back in.

Ultimate solution will be to rethread the hole and fit a larger drain plug or use one of the recutting plugs. You don't want to do the cotton wool/sealant trick every time you change the oil?

I don't like autos much. They have their place and to be fair they are much safer in heavy traffic. Trouble is modern bikes have too much plastic in them and not much metal, also small wheels? Basically too much value engineering to build them to the price the 3rd world can afford?

Edited January 21, 2012 by MaiChai

[poanoi]

Here's a tip

If i see the red oil lamp, or start to hear strange noice from engine, -it's time to pour half a litre oil innit

[Semper]

Sounds like the Thai mindset is blending in

I would drain the oil. Then take a look at whats going on and fix the leak. Most likely the drain screw has been overtightened so many times by Thai changs that the thread is stripped and it won't seal? Tip here: take the drain screw to a parts shop and ask them if they have a slightly larger thread one for another bike. You can also buy replacement drain plugs that are specifically designed to recut the thread. Another trick is to completely drain the oil, then get some cotton wool and gasket sealant and use these to clog the thread and seal the leak. Once its dry, refill with new oil. Generally the quantity of oil required (700-850ml) is molded into the cover next to the oil filler hole. Measure the require amount of oil, or buy a bottle of oil that has measure marks on the bottle, and put the required amount of oil back in.

Ultimate solution will be to rethread the hole and fit a larger drain plug or use one of the recutting plugs. You don't want to do the cotton wool/sealant trick every time you change the oil?

I don't like autos much. They have their place and to be fair they are much safer in heavy traffic. Trouble is modern bikes have too much plastic in them and not much metal, also small wheels? Basically too much value engineering to build them to the price the 3rd world can afford?

Another "trick" would be to buy a new sealing washer (wich is probably missing) for the drain plug.

[ClareQuilty]

Thanks guys, those of you who are suggesting the oil plug thingy are probably barking up the right tree. I remember bashing the bottom of the bike pretty hard on a kind of driveway lip soon after I got it.

Anyway after this last oil change the rate of leakage seems drastically reduced so maybe the mechanic 'seated' it better when he screwed it in. If it leaks much more I'll take it in and get a new plug. I had thought maybe it was something much more involved than that, but it sounds cheap enough.

But yeah, I'm as kee-neeow as any Thai, or nearly.

[maprao]

this has gotta be a piss take but ........." dont wanna spend money to fix an oil leak " so just put in new oil every time it leaks out ?

i think you now qualify for thai citizenship

[MaiChai]

Thanks guys, those of you who are suggesting the oil plug thingy are probably barking up the right tree. I remember bashing the bottom of the bike pretty hard on a kind of driveway lip soon after I got it.

Anyway after this last oil change the rate of leakage seems drastically reduced so maybe the mechanic 'seated' it better when he screwed it in. If it leaks much more I'll take it in and get a new plug. I had thought maybe it was something much more involved than that, but it sounds cheap enough.

But yeah, I'm as kee-neeow as any Thai, or nearly.

If you are kee-neeow then its time you learned to do your own repairs rather than 'trusting' a backstreet chang? Alot of us here don't trust Thai mechanics, primarily because most of them have no training. Thats not to say all are bad, just alot of them. Then there are the properly trained mechs in the dealership shops who know what they are doing, but then they like to pad your bill out with lots of original parts to finance the cheap labour. Something like an underbone is really easy to maintain. If you were good at Lego and Mechano when you were a kid, you will find bike maintenance a breeze

There is some fancy bikes about, but for simplicity, reliability, cheapness and laziness in maintenance, you can't beat an underbone!

[ClareQuilty]

If you are kee-neeow then its time you learned to do your own repairs rather than 'trusting' a backstreet chang? Alot of us here don't trust Thai mechanics, primarily because most of them have no training.

Well I also have had no training whatsoever, MaiChai, and anyway I'm much lazier than I am kee-neeow.

[ClareQuilty]

Just a quick update - the old Cheer is still running strong and still dripping oil like crazy, but I did discover how you check the oil: There's a little round window about as big as a one baht coin in the side of the engine, near the bottom. An old man showed me that there was still oil in my bike because you could see solid black in this little window.. I'm not sure what you see if its empty - metal shavings? I'd never seen a bike with a window in the engine before.

[Rickster]

Ever considered the dripping oil may find its way to your back tyre and cause you to have an accident, maybe fatal... Worse still, the oil you're leaving behind may cause other people to have a fatal accident!!

Riding round on a bike knowing full well it's dripping oil is totally selfish and irresponsible. Riding a bike in Thailand is dangerous enough without this kind of sabotage....

You should be ashamed of yourself....get it fixed ASAP !!!!!!

[KRS1]

Just a quick update - the old Cheer is still running strong and still dripping oil like crazy, but I did discover how you check the oil: There's a little round window about as big as a one baht coin in the side of the engine, near the bottom. An old man showed me that there was still oil in my bike because you could see solid black in this little window.. I'm not sure what you see if its empty - metal shavings? I'd never seen a bike with a window in the engine before.

LOL..if its solid black its time to change it !

[ClareQuilty]

Ever considered the dripping oil may find its way to your back tyre and cause you to have an accident, maybe fatal... Worse still, the oil you're leaving behind may cause other people to have a fatal accident!!

You should be ashamed of yourself....get it fixed ASAP !!!!!!

Rick, actually it takes about a day for a small puddle the size of say a teacup saucer to form under the bike, so the leak is quite slow. I'm sure it is a very insignificant factor on the road, and in any case every mechanic I take it too says its 'not worth fixing'.

LOL..if its solid black its time to change it !

Yeah I thought that too, but I just changed it a month or two ago, so I think thats just the way it looks in the little window. Certainly the oil in the little puddle under the bike looks quite clean.

[wana]

in an earier post you said it was "dripping oil like crazy " and when someone called you on it the leak has changed to a saucer sized pudde per day

which is it ? cant be both ??

earlier posts like " im kee niaw so i dont want to spend money fixing the oil leak " so il just put in more oil every time it leaks out ?

leaking engine oil on the roads and not giving a rats ass about other road users or the environment ?

hopefuly engine seizes (due to lack of oil ) and you go over the hande bars and darwin will have heped us again ( som nom na )

[ClareQuilty]

in an earier post you said it was "dripping oil like crazy " and when someone called you on it the leak has changed to a saucer sized pudde per day

which is it ? cant be both ??

Well, the latter one. The first one was a rather subjective and imprecise reaction. For sure the leak is slow enough that it is practical to consider not fixing it - probably needs to be topped up (or changed) every 2-3 months I guess.

earlier posts like " im kee niaw so i dont want to spend money fixing the oil leak " so il just put in more oil every time it leaks out ?

[leaking engine oil on the roads and not giving a rats ass about other road users or the environment ?

hopefuly engine seizes (due to lack of oil ) and you go over the hande bars and darwin will have heped us again ( som nom na )

Sounds a bit hostile! But I shall take your implied advice and make sure the oil is kept topped up so as to avoid an engine seizure. The irony is I suppose that the old bike will probably end up lasting longer because I'll have to get the oil changed so much more often!

[madjbs]

You don't have a few hundred baht to fix the leak? Have you not realised that all the extra oil you are going to have to buy will cost you more than fixing it? A teacup saucer of oil every few days is quite a bad leak. What about brake pads, tyres, light bulbs etc.. do you replace those?

[pauljones]

Just a small leak. You can always have the leak fixed later.....when you blow the engine.

Edited March 6, 2012 by pauljones

[ClareQuilty]

You don't have a few hundred baht to fix the leak? Have you not realised that all the extra oil you are going to have to buy will cost you more than fixing it? A teacup saucer of oil every few days is quite a bad leak. What about brake pads, tyres, light bulbs etc.. do you replace those?

Yes, I do replace those.. but so far I haven't found any mechanic willing to fix the leak, so there it stands - they all just say 'its not worth it'. You know Thais, they just want everything to be brand new.

[MaiChai]

Just a quick update - the old Cheer is still running strong and still dripping oil like crazy, but I did discover how you check the oil: There's a little round window about as big as a one baht coin in the side of the engine, near the bottom. An old man showed me that there was still oil in my bike because you could see solid black in this little window.. I'm not sure what you see if its empty - metal shavings? I'd never seen a bike with a window in the engine before.

LOL..if its solid black its time to change it !

Thats how I do the car/pickup oil changes Save some dinosaur bones

If you google for the Honda Common Service Manual, it probably has this 'check the little round window for oil level' in it. They don't put those windows in any more as its cheaper to put a dipstick in the plastic oil cap. Not saying you bike is old or anything...

Edited March 7, 2012 by MaiChai

[ClareQuilty]

If you google for the Honda Common Service Manual, it probably has this 'check the little round window for oil level' in it. They don't put those windows in any more as its cheaper to put a dipstick in the plastic oil cap. Not saying you bike is old or anything...

Well, it is very old, and its not a Honda, its a Kawasaki, which isn't to be found in Thailand at all anymore either. At least not the little cheap bikes like Cheers and Kazes, alas.

Anyway I don't know that the oil is really black - it just looks black in that little window. Perhaps the window is completely opaque!