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Old 1st August 2017, 13:09   #61
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Quote:
Originally Posted by audioholic View Post
This one would be my pick. Have seen it on a friends Activa. For the non synthetic category, it is pretty smooth and tractable. But my personal pick would anyday be Shell Advance Ultra. With that, you will hardly feel the engine, even all the way to the top speed. Zilch vibrations. Those are the times when you feel its worth those extra bucks.

Lets see if the Motul makes any difference.
Hello sir,

I own a HONDA ACTIVA 2007 MODEL and a HONDA AVIATOR 2012 MODEL. Till now I've been giving both my scooters at Honda services centre at regular intervals and never made an attempt to shift to other engine oil. I do not know which engine oil is used by Honda service in my scooter. I parallelly own a YAMAHA FZ16 for which 1week back for the first time I shifted to MOTUL from Yamalube through DIY. I really loved the smoothness of the engine with motul engine oil in FZ. Now I am interested to change the engine oil of Activa and Aviator to Motul. Regarding this I would like to know if motul is a good option for gearless scooters or should I stick with Honda service centre engine oil only? Could you elaborate your experience with Motul LE 10W-30. It would be kind of you to help me decide which is the best engine oil for Honda activa and Aviator.
If any post already answers my question kindly guide me.
Thank you.
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Old 1st August 2017, 16:40   #62
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rohiT Nonu View Post
Regarding this I would like to know if motul is a good option for gearless scooters or should I stick with Honda service centre engine oil only?
Please read your owners manual to verify the engine oil grade, most likely it will be 10W-30, JASO MB (JASO MA is recommended for motorcycles).

From my research and experience of scouting for this grade of oil earlier, I found that options are:
  • Honda Genuine Oil for scooters 10W30
  • Castrol ACTIV SCOOTER 10W-30
  • Shell Advance 4T AX5 Scooter
  • Motul Scooter LE 10W30
  • Veedol Take-Off 4S 10W30
See earlier post on this here (Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White))

At most retail outlets selling engine oil that are nearby to my location I could only find Castrol Activ Scooter 10W30 and that's what I've been using for the Aviator (See earlier posts with my experience of using it for the Aviator).

It has been fine and in my opinion better than the Honda Genuine oil,which is probably the same as Veedol Take-off branded by Honda.

If you're able to find Motul at nearby shops, you can try that too (I prefer not to buy engine oil online).

Last edited by NPV : 1st August 2017 at 16:43.
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Old 3rd August 2017, 10:04   #63
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rohiT Nonu View Post
I shifted to MOTUL from Yamalube through DIY. I really loved the smoothness of the engine with motul engine oil in FZ. Now I am interested to change the engine oil of Activa and Aviator to Motul. Regarding this I would like to know if motul is a good option for gearless scooters or should I stick with Honda service centre engine oil only? Could you elaborate your experience with Motul LE 10W-30. It would be kind of you to help me decide which is the best engine oil for Honda activa and Aviator.
To add to what NPV has told, the old activa with 100cc engine needed 20W40 as far as I know. Not sure about the aviator if it is 10W30 from its initial days.

However, in my case, I have to admit that I am not using any scooter specific oils. The first oil change for my dio was at 300kms with Honda engine oil. If I remember correctly, I changed to Shell Advance AX7 at around 700kms on the Odo(should read my own review now ) and later on from around 1000kms or so I switched to Shell Advance Ultra which is fully synthetic oil but with the grade 10W40. I had been running on this oil till 15000kms changing it every 2500-3000kms. At 15000 I changed to Motul 300V which has covered 2500kms now. It is due for an oil change and I am deciding between switching back to shell or re ordering Motul.

Shell oil was smoother at start which the Motul is not. However, once speed and revvs build up, they both seem to be the same and trust me, acceleration till 50-60kmph in traffic is just effortless and I can see the other two wheelers far behind. And vibrations from the engine at any speed is NIL. I am enjoying this so far and the smoothness of the engine is very addictive.

You can order off amazon, which I do but be choosy on the seller and go for an amazon fulfilled seller. Havent faced problems with them till date. I have ordered the Shell oil thrice and Motul once.
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Old 28th October 2017, 11:23   #64
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Updates:
Had missed out this update from April 2017, so mentioning that first:
Replacement of oil for Engine + Transmission (Castrol Activ Scooter) was done at 5900Km along with air filter and brake shoes at a local FNG.
Since I diligently track FE each time I tank up petrol, I noticed that FE was steadily going up to the mid 40's and it continues to be like that.

Circa October 2017:
Odometer close to 8000Km, replaced Engine Oil at nearby HP COCO bunk. This time I had to use a HP product, so went with "Racer 4 Skutex" that is 10W30, JASO MB rated, equivalent of other oil brands I'd mentioned in earlier posts.
Let me see now if it makes any difference to the FE numbers.
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-hp-racer.jpg

Quote:
Originally Posted by NPV View Post
Even after 4-5 days of usage, the gauge was still showing Full so I thought the fuel tank cap may not have been shut properly.
This is now "expected" behavior and is consistent. Each time the vehicle is tanked up, the fuel gauge shows a noticeable change down from Full tank only after 50-70Km, so as audioholic also mentioned in an earlier post, it seems to be a common trait with Honda scooters.

Last edited by NPV : 28th October 2017 at 11:25.
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Old 28th October 2017, 12:56   #65
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Saar, next time please try out Motul 7100 Fully synthetic. You will love the kind of smoothness and acceleration it gives. This was pronounced after repeating the change with the same oil second time. From 0-85kmph, my dio has zero vibrations from the engine and is just lovely. I changed the oil at 2500kms but the oil was having the same viscosity as the new oil and was only partly dark. It costs around 650 bucks but I think its worth the extra price if you want to stretch the change interval to 3k kms. My dio is smoother than my brother's BS4 dio with HET and has better grunt. Those 10W30 oils arent good for the longrun especially if you cover lot of miles and are only good for Hondas three month replacement schedule. The last time I changed to Motul was December 2016 and after that I changed it September 2017 since the vehicle only ran 2.5k kms in that timeframe.
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Old 11th November 2017, 13:49   #66
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Quote:
Originally Posted by audioholic View Post
Saar, next time please try out Motul 7100 Fully synthetic. You will love the kind of smoothness and acceleration it gives.
Till recently, I did not believe that the performance of the vehicle can vary even though the same Engine oil grade/specification (in this case 10W30 JASO MB) is used from different brands/companies
This last oil change also coincided with topping up the fuel, so I was trying to see if there is any perceivable change. The engine tone has mellowed down a bit compared to when the vehicle was running with Castrol Activ Scooter and I also found that throttle response was more linear and that sudden eagerness to move off the blocks that the scooter had earlier in response to throttle input was missing.
Just yesterday, I topped up fuel again and since I diligently track the fuel fills using an app on the phone (also use the same grade of petrol at the same fuel pump), it's easy to notice FE variances. Found that after the engine oil change, FE has gone up by 1.5Kmpl compared to the previous tankful. Will keep a watch to see if this is consistent going forward.
Now, with my usage over close to 3 years, I can conclude that:
1. Honda Genuine Oil and HP Racer 4 Skutex are similar in terms of engine performance, FE is better with HP Racer

2. Engine performance is better with Castrol Activ Scooter, FE is a tad lesser compared to HP Racer.

@audioholic - I will try Motul 7100 for the next oil change

Last edited by NPV : 11th November 2017 at 13:51.
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Old 25th November 2017, 12:55   #67
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Re: Honda Aviator in Pearl Sunbeam White - Buying, Review and Ownership Experience (Initia

Front Number Plate update:
Bangalore traffic cops have embarked on a new initiative that targets scooters with numbers stickered on to the front panels, the count of cases registered as per a newspaper report was already 27k - Details here (Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation)

I hate to be a violator of traffic/motor vehicle rules and dislike being stopped, challaned and fined for such offenses, so decided to get this fixed immediately.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NPV View Post
I was given the front number plate and asked if I wanted to fix it. Apparently no one buying a White scooter fixes it as it looks odd and needs couple of holes to be drilled on the front panel. Instead, they just use a transparent sticker with the registration number and stick it on to the front panel. I decided not to fix the front number plate for now.
During the purchase of the scooter, I was unaware of any rule related to the number plate, I unknowingly assumed that the number being stickered onto the front panel was sufficient.
Luckily, I had stashed away the front number plate set safely so just took it back to the dealer/service center to have it fixed. The SA who had helped me during the purchase is now a manager at one of the branches and was very helpful in getting it done. It took all of 20 minutes

Of course, it doesn't look so nice aesthetically speaking but I can live with that as long as I'm not violating any rules

Front Number plate and Number Plate Stay (clamp) Set
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-1front-number-plate-clamp-set.jpg

Honda genuine part details for Number Plate Stay (clamp) Set
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-2front-number-plate-clamp-stay-set.jpg

Front Panel removed to drill holes and fix the Clamp/Stay
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-3front-panel-removed.jpg

Clamp/Stay fixed to front panel
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-4number-plate-stay-fixed.jpg

Inside view of front panel (after fixing the Clamp/Stay)
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-5front-panel-inside-view.jpg

Final Result - Number plate fixed to the Clamp/Stay
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-6final.jpg

Last edited by NPV : 25th November 2017 at 13:22.
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Old 11th July 2018, 12:16   #68
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Updates:
Odo Milestone
Odometer has crossed the 10,000 Km mark. Reached the milestone recently.

Engine Oil
Replaced engine oil just after reaching the milestone.
Could not get hold of Motul, so settled for the HP Racer 4 Skutex again at the HP COCO bunk nearby. I'm happy with the performance of the scooter since October last year when I tried this engine oil for the first time.

Fuel Efficiency (FE)
Engine tone is very smooth, and the FE has definitely gone up. It is now consistently in the high 40's - between 45 and 50 Km/litre

*My usage is very consistent and predictable, so I tank up the scooter at the same HP COCO bunk (using the regular fuel, not the more expensive Power!)

Last edited by NPV : 11th July 2018 at 12:20.
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Old 11th July 2018, 15:53   #69
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Quote:
Originally Posted by NPV View Post
Updates:
Fuel Efficiency (FE)
Engine tone is very smooth, and the FE has definitely gone up. It is now consistently in the high 40's - between 45 and 50 Km/litre
Awesome . 45 to 50 in city traffic is good FE for Aviator

-Ravi
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Old 31st October 2018, 21:43   #70
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Not sure if this is the right thread to ask such questions, but I'm only doing so since it's the most active out of all the Aviator threads.

After greasing the clutch bearings and replacing the rollers and springs, the scooter is extremely peppy and a very responsive. But this only lasts for a couple of days/100 kms (my daily commute is about 50km). After this, the vibrations start creeping in again and the pickup is simply horrible.

Honestly I'm tired of paying for the stupid "clutch overhaul" jobs only to have it not work correctly just a few days later. Is this just a general issue on all scooters that I'd have to live with or can I pinpoint this to a particular part?

The drive belt was replaced at around 25k kms, and I've reached 52k now, so I know that's something that definitely needs changing by now. But apart from this is there anything else I should look at?
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Old 1st November 2018, 19:32   #71
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Quote:
Originally Posted by sleeperwagon View Post
Not sure if this is the right thread to ask such questions, but I'm only doing so since it's the most active out of all the Aviator threads.

After greasing the clutch bearings and replacing the rollers and springs, the scooter is extremely peppy and a very responsive. But this only lasts for a couple of days/100 kms (my daily commute is about 50km). After this, the vibrations start creeping in again and the pickup is simply horrible.
...

The drive belt was replaced at around 25k kms, and I've reached 52k now, ...

It could be that the mechanic left out something like a washer or made some other mistake and does not want to own up, especially if something else has been damaged in the process.


I suggest you take it to a different mechanic or service center and have them diagnose the problem correctly, before going in for another clutch overhaul or other repairs.
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Old 19th November 2018, 16:48   #72
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Yesterday I drove on Honda Aviator for approximate 140 kms. It took me 3 hours 30 minutes to cover that distance with 1 food break and 2 petrol breaks. Maximum speed I touched was 78 kmph.

Aviator is a very stable vehicle on Highway and its height helps to maintain the speed with stability.

I had recently changed both tyres to Apollo and the performance is truly amazing. Stability of the vehicle is now rock solid and braking has been improved quite a lot. Apollo tyres are highly recommended over TVS stock tyres. TVS tyres become rock hard in 2 years and cause back pain.
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Old 5th April 2019, 18:35   #73
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Updates:
Odo Milestone
Odometer reached the 12,000 Km mark recently.

Battery
Battery went dead while on the road last week (electric start did not work after the scooter was parked for a few minutes at a shopping area), luckily using the kicker worked. Suspected battery to be weak and it was confirmed the next day when I took it to a nearby trusted battery store. That day, before heading out to the battery store, electric start worked like a charm the first time I tried!

*I have made it a habit to use the kicker for the first cold start each morning, but that day I used the electric start to see if the battery had any charge left.

The OEM battery was the Exide ETZ-4 model (see pic below)
Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)-exide-oem-batt.jpg

Replaced it with an Amaron Pro Rider ABR-PR-APBTZ4L (3 Ah)

Paid Rs.1000 for it.

Last edited by NPV : 5th April 2019 at 18:40.
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Old 5th April 2019, 18:58   #74
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Quote:
Originally Posted by NPV View Post
.

Battery
Battery went dead while on the road last week (electric start did not work after the scooter was parked for a few minutes at a shopping area), luckily using the kicker worked. Suspected battery to be weak and it was confirmed the next day when I took it to a nearby trusted battery store.
Quite surprising. The battery of my Dio is still in solid condition after six years and I have no clue of when was the last time I ever used the kicker. In fact I have never used the kick starter except when I change oil. For a 3AH battery the abuse it takes in my dio is quite a bit since in the mornings it takes close to 30s of intermittent cranking to get the engine running, and I use a double horn quite liberally. Guess I should keep an eye on the battery now.
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Old 4th June 2019, 13:50   #75
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Re: Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

Last evening, the low beam of the headlamp conked off (stock).

It's a 12V-35/35W bulb, so what are the good options (recommended brands) to replace it ?

Also, will it be possible to upgrade this to a more powerful bulb without any additions/modifications in the electrical circuit ?
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