[BLACNWYTE]

A few points which I missed in the earlier post:

• I had to install a tube in the rear tyre earlier due to a sidewall puncture. I had thought that when I changed the tyre I'll make it tubeless again. Now at the time of tyre replacement, I noticed that the new rim I purchased had a couple of dents on the side due to the excellent quality of roads I ride on. So the new tyre also had to be tubed. Re-using the tube from the old tyre.
• The front end of the scooter seems loose. When I apply the front bakes only at low speeds there is a forward jerking observed. I hope it is just some nut loose and not the bearing going kaput, yet again.
• It has been almost 1000 kms since the last service and I checked the oil level and found it to be ok. So hopefully the leaking has been addressed and arrested.
• Fuel efficiency has been excellent and it's hovering between 50 and 54 kmpl. Last time I had to fill HP Power petrol since they were out of normal petrol. I didn't observe any significant change in performance and Blu gave 50 kmpl for that tankful.
• The odometer stands a little over 59k kms.

[Shlok]

Good morning respected members of this esteemed forum

My honda activa 5g is due for tyre replacement. Right now I'm using CEAT gripp x3 90/100 and I've clocked 22k kms.I'm confused between JK,Apollo,ceat and michelin. My budget is upto 1000-1200 rs. My requirements are good grip both on and off road and I also expect a decent life of at least 20-25k kms. Please help me out in shortlisting a good tyre for my scooter.

[BLACNWYTE]

Till now I have used TVS make tyres which came with the scooter, CEAT Gripp, CEAT Milaze and JK Blaze. I'm currently using JK Blaze and it has covered a litter over 1200 kms.

As per my observations, TVS has the best life span with decent grip. CEAT Gripp had excellent grip but it went bald by 18k kms. The much hyped CEAT Milaze had decent grip but went bald even earlier than Gripp.

The JK Blaze that I currently use has good enough grip and is holding good in the tread wear department. I wanted the MRF Zapper C1 but it was out of stock so I had to settle for JKs.

With each tyre change I try to see which one offers me the best grip - life balance and so far I have got that in the stock TVS tyre only. That being said I have hope in the JKs now as I don't see much tread wear.

[BLACNWYTE]

Oil change at HP COCO Pump, Kowadiar, Trivandrum.

Last service for Blu was done at a little over 58k kms and it was almost 3.5k kms since that. Also, last time around the SA had said about engine oil being too low at the time of draining. I was not using Blu much since the accident in March and hence I was not aware of the performance. But Blu was being regularly used by my FIL at my request.

Odo at the time of Oil change.


On the first Sunday of May, I decided to take Blu for a ride since it was the longest I haven't used him since I brought him home and also I kind of missed riding Blu. Immediately up on start up, I was greeted with more than usual vibrations and gruff sounding engine. I shut it down and removed the oil dipstick and to my horror the oil level was at the minimum. There was no oil leaks visible near the exhaust and there were no oil drips where Blu was parked. As far as I know there is no bluish white smoke from the tailpipe too. Now, I don't know how oil levels are dropping.

Anyway, I asked my FIL to not use Blu as the oil level is too low and I decided to get the oil changed at the next possible day as I had to be out of town for work for a couple of days. Since every other part was working fine I decided to get only the oil changed. I had done the same thing in September 2022 and the results were decent so this time around also I thought, why not?

On 8th I took Blu for my office commute and decided I'll get the oil changed on the return journey. I did ride around 20kms before the oil change and hopefully I have not done any damage to Blu's engine. The ride was a little rough with pronounced vibrations on the floorboard and handles. Engine sounded a bit rough and throttle response also felt a little dull.

After I reached the pump, I first topped up Blu and then put him up for the oil change. The technician this time around used the machine to suck out the oil through the dipstick hole and even though I couldn't see much there could not have been more than 200ml of oil. When asked the technician also said the oil level was low but there is no way to ascertain as the old oil is collected in a common tank.







This time around, they used a different HP Racer Skutex 10W-30 oil which came in a yellow (golden?) bottle with 'synthetic technology' written on it. The quantity was same at 800ml. I'm not sure if this is a semi synthetic or fully synthetic or if at all synthetic. This one cost Rs. 375/- (printed MRP on the bottle) which is Rs.55/- more than the one which came in the grey bottle.







The whole bottle was emptied in to Blu and I paid the sticker price on the bottle for the job and we were done. On the ride home I observed that the vibrations have gone down to their normal levels and the throttle response also improved but reminds you that it is still a 7.5 year old. Will update the condition and performance once I ride some more.

[Shlok]

Oh so sorry to hear about the low oil levels.

As I assume there are no performance reduction and no smoke it's only because the oil was used till 3.5k. This time try to get the oil changed within 3k. And check oil level every week .


One more thing can be (I don't know if it's true) maybe the oil is leaking from clutch side or even the magnet coil side. Don't worry keep riding freely.

Maybe you've used oil till 3.5k kms the levels have gone down. As you said there's no smoke. Maybe there are possibilities that the oil is leaking from clutch side or magnet coil side. This time try to get these leakages fixed from an FNG. Check the oil Level every week and this time try to get the oil changed within 2.5k-3k mark.

I think you should switch brands from conventional Honda oil to some other brand such as mak,HP, gulf, etc. Don't worry your vehicle is absolutely perfect. As you said the vibrations level has gone down it means the engine is still at its prime as you've maintained it so well.

[r2212xx]

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

There was no oil leaks visible near the exhaust and there were no oil drips where Blu was parked.

Check for oil stuck to the engine and transmission area. It should be evident if the components seem greasy and dirty. The leaking oil tends to drip when the engine is fully warm — this may happen when riding (which you may not notice) or immediately when parked (which may go unnoticed if the ground is dirty or dark). In my experience, leaking scooter oil tends to not drip when engine is not fully warm and rather sticks to various surfaces due to surface tension.

Besides visual inspection, check if you get an oil-like odour around the engine area after driving. In next servicing, check for oil leaks through broken or loose gaskets at any spot, such as crankcase/tranmission cover.

Do not fret about engine damage. Honda engines are pretty robust and work fine even if you drive them for short distances with minimal engine oil.

[BLACNWYTE]

I haven't checked for any oil seepage till now. I usually check the floor area where I park the Scooter and at max the crankcase cover. I'll check for oil/ greasy stains on engine.

Also, I haven't experienced any oil like smell after rides. Is there any chance that oil consumption by engine is there but won't show. The reason I ask is that I have ridden for 4-5k kms before oil change earlier and then there was no issue of low oil level. Now, it is happening at 3k kms itself.

Due to heavy rains in southern Kerala for the past 1 week, I have not taken Blu for rides often as Panda has taken up majority of the transportation duties. He has done less than 500kms since the oil change.

I'll check and recheck Blu and update later.

[BLACNWYTE]

So I did a quick check of the visible areas and did not find any oil stains. I tried to take pictures by inserting my mobile phone in the gap between wheel and exhaust but not may clear images were obtained. There could be oil stains but it's not clear as the underside has a lot of muck from the recent rains. Further I think that I'll have to open up the casing to get a proper view of the engine. I'll do that when I have more time.

The Crankcase. It just had mud all over it. No oil stains anywhere.


These are the photos taken by inserting the mobile camera in the available gaps. Nothing is clear but I do feel there are some oil stains.









It has been a little over 600 kms from the oil change and there is no reduction in oil levels also the engine has become a lot smoother.

[Shlok]

Good evening to all the respected members.

I fell from my Honda Activa at a turn 3 days ago. Though I'm alright and my scooter has not had a lot of damage but I'm facing a peculiar issue in my Activa.

Whenever I start it in the morning or leave the vehicle for an hour or 2 and again Start the vehicle it misfires badly and makes a knocking sound as if the engine is going to die. I replaced the ignition coil but unfortunately the problem has not subsided completely. My technician is very incompetent and he is pushing me to change the CDI coil. I got the wiring checked but the technician couldn't figure out the root cause of misfire.

Please do guide me how can I subside my misfiring problem because before my accident my scooter was running completely alright.

[ravradha]

Hope you had the basic steps of cleaning the sparkplug area and checking the air filter.

This may sound strange but a problem in TVS scooters- when they fall the petrol gushes out and wets the air filter and also floods the spark plug.

[SpeedForNeed]

My activa 125 is now almost 9 years old. 32k on the odo. A few months back it failed to start and I gave it to a local mechanic who cleaned the carburettor and changed oil and air filter. It was good for a couple of months. Then rpm started increasing and had a rough feel.

So I took it to the Honda service centre and they are giving me an estimate of over 7000. Excluding AMC.

The parts they are going to replace are in the images. Is it possible for so many parts to get worn out at the same time?

[BLACNWYTE]

Originally Posted by SpeedForNeed

My activa 125 is now almost 9 years old. 32k on the odo. A few months back it failed to start and I gave it to a local mechanic who cleaned the carburettor and changed oil and air filter.
....
The parts they are going to replace are in the images. Is it possible for so many parts to get worn out at the same time?

From your post I gather that except the air filter none of the other items were ever replaced in the 9 years of ownership. If that is the case, I wanted to say that rubber parts even when unused tends to wear out by 7-8 years. They will become hard, brittle and tend to crack. It's prudent to change your drive belt and clutch by that time. Believe me, a good clutch in a scooter gives day and night difference in ride quality and power delivery.

From the picture there seems too much dust accumulated in the air filter that has been supposedly used only for a few months. If your riding conditions are not too dusty, then there is a good chance that your local mechanic didn't replace the old air filter. And if that's the case, I'll not be sure as to what all repair/ work he did. Maybe the minimum work would have been done to get the scooter back to riding conditions.

As for the clutch and drive belt, better to replace the 9 year old rubbers. My clutch lasted to around 45k kms and 6 years and I rode with a bad clutch for another 9k kms which I wish I hadn't. Performance dropped and fuel efficiency dropped and it became so hard to accelerate on inclines that when I gave it for replacement, in the 7th year of ownership, the service technician told that the rubber parts in the clutch had been pulverized. My drive belt snapped (most of the teeth came off) at around 43k kms and 5 years. It also had become hard and had cracks in it. I regularly use Blu for 20-30 kms a day and even then the parts hardened. Unused or sparingly used rubber gets hard and crack sooner.

Regarding the brake shoe, there seems to be life left in it and you can ask the technician if it's absolutely necessary to replace it now or can you use it for another 6-8k kms. If that's the case then you will need to replace it after about 2 years, depending on how much you ride from now on.

My advice will be to not think about the losses and get the parts replaced. Then enjoy the scooter without worrying about any part failure while riding.

Coincidentally, I had given Blu for service yesterday before I saw this post. I'll update the details soon here, regarding what all were replaced this time. Old scooters do need one or the other replacement every year.

[SpeedForNeed]

Thank you BLACNWYTE. Finally I took the decision to change all the recommended parts. It feels smoother than before. Incl AMC and emission cert came to 7150.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that the mileage was also very low. I started the day with 5 bars and probably travelled 15 kms and it came down to 3 bars.

[BLACNWYTE]

Eighteenth Service Update.

Blu had unceremoniously rolled on to his 8th anniversary in October 2024 end. And as a part of the process to make the full service of Blu an annual affair, I decided to push the service to December 2024. In between I regularly check the oil level and change it about every 4000 kms. I tighten/ adjust the brakes as and when required and generally keep the scooter clean. So far Blu had been running fine.

At the last oil change, I had reported about the low oil level and I was regularly checking the oil level and till about 2-2.5k kms since the oil change, there was no major difference noticed but when I checked at the 3.5k mark the oil level was half way down on the dip stick. I checked for drips where Blu was parked but couldn't find any. So this was a seeping leak from the head gasket, as it had happened before. So I decided to get Blu serviced at HASS at the earliest and not wait till December end.

Gave Blue for service at the same place (now my usual place) as last time (EVM Honda, Neeramankara, Trivandrum) on 07/12/2024 (Saturday). Even though I had a booking this time, I was the 49th person in queue for giving the vehicle and this too after reaching at around 8:15 AM. Upon casual enquiry, they told me that they get around 150-200 vehicles for service.

I had to wait for about 45 mins for my turn and I told the SA about the problems I was having with Blu. I asked him to firstly check the play in the handlebar hub, then the oil leak from the head gasket and then the brakes. Just by seeing that the screws were tightened to the maximum on the brake cable he informed that the shoes might need to be replaced. I had expected it since the last replacement was at 31k kms and Blu has run another 34k kms after that.

So I okayed all the works along with the regular engine oil change and left. The SA informed me that if any other additional works were required, then they will contact me and I approved.

By noon the SA called and informed that, there is engine oil leak from the gasket and it needs replacement. Same thing has happened last year during service. Further, the GB oil also needed replacement as there was leak due to gasket failure. Brake pads were worn out and also some oil had gotten into the drum so the pads had to be replaced. I approved all the works and he told that he will call back once the works were completed.

At around 4 PM I get the call informing all works have been completed and the vehicle is in washing. I enquired about the bill and he told that I would get it by Whatsapp. I was expecting around Rs 2.5k but surprisingly, it costed me Rs 1612/- only. I had an un-availed service in my last AMC and I think they included it in this service. Anyway, I got Blu back and it was perfect.

The play in the handle is gone, ride and engine sound is smooth and new brakes, crisp and tight. I have ridden it for only about 50 kms after service and everything is good except that, the fluctuating speedo needle has made a strong comeback. Even on smooth highway roads the needle keeps dropping down and sweeping up frequently. I'll try and ignore it for the time being but I might take it back to HASS once my OCD overcomes my will.

The Odometer stands at around 65600 kms as on date.

[BLACNWYTE]

Fluctuating Speedometer Needle - ISSUE RESOLVED

I wanted to get the issue resolved after a couple of weeks into using Blu, but a busy work schedule and other personal commitments meant that the issue took a backseat.

In about the second week of January, I was seriously considering changing the entire wiring/ sensor for the speedometer and told my better half about the same. To say she wasn't even not at all interested in the matter will be an understatement. She told I was acting crazy and instead should drop her off at work and the speedometer issue is not an issue at all.

I don't know whether to put it this out here in the open lest my wife sees this, but, I think we should listen to our better half at times because I would not have believed what happened next would have ever happened otherwise. (to help the context, I and my wife take our respective two wheelers to office mostly and if we have to travel together its always the Car or else her scooter, because Blu's suspension comfort is worse that that of an autorickshaw running on rims). While we were travelling to her office, I observed that the speedometer needle was rock steady on the bad roads and was indicating normal speed. No fluctuations whatsoever. I was dumbfounded but dared not to tell my wife for the fear of hearing, 'I told you so, see you are crazy'. I purposefully rode through bad patches to see the needle budge but nothing happened other than my wife telling me off for trying to destroy her spine.

I half expected that the issue resolved by itself, unlike last time the handlebar bearing had to be replaced. But after dropping my wife off and on the ride to my office, the fluctuating needle returned in full fury and was dropping to zero even at the slightest imperfection on the road. It was even dropping to zero during acceleration and sometimes staying at zero for more than 5 -10 seconds. Now, I was even more confused. In the evening, on the ride back from office, the erratic needle behavior stopped once my wife took the pillion seat. Now I was thinking, was Blu afraid of my wife and behaving nicely. Absurd thinking, right?

So, in theory, whenever Blu is fully loaded, the speedometer worked fine and during single person rides t it danced away to glory. To test my theory I volunteered to drop my wife off at her office from then on. (now I really wish she doesn't read this). She was happy as she did not have to deal with rush hour traffic and I was happy to test out my theory or conduct my little experiment.

So over the next couple of weeks, I did this and confirmed that under full load, speedometer was working fine and during solo rides and idling the needle behavior was erratic. I also observed steady needle most of the time when the engine is cold. So, I threw out the initial conclusion of bad sensor/ wiring and arrived at a new conclusion -'loose contact'.

The next possible free day (last Saturday - 08/02/2025) I took Blu to the regular HASS (EVM Honda Neeramankara, Trivandrum) for the repair works and asked the technician to check for loose contact in the speedometer and check the oil level as I was fearing another leak from gasket. Also, I purchased a new floor mat (push lock type) as the old one was hard and not locking into the holes on the floor.

By afternoon on 8th, the technician called and said it was indeed a loose connection and they have tightened it and there is no oil leak. So, Blu was ready for pick up. I went there by around 5:30PM and took Blu. I had to wait for half an hour as they had ten Blu for washing just as I asked for it. However, as soon as I was out of the HASS and on the road Blu spluttered and died.

Initially I thought it must be due to the water from pressure washing. So let it sit for about 10 minutes and then tried. Self was working but Blu won't start. Same issue with the kicker- no response. Now I was at a traffic signal and there were traffic cops nearby. They also enquired about the issue and tried to help kick start Blu. No success.

I hadn't even checked out if the issue was resolved with the speedometer now I have a new problem. I parked Blu on the side of the road and walked back to HASS to report the issue and get a mechanic to come and take a look. By then it was well over 6:30PM and all the staff except for a couple of SAs and watchmen had gone home. The SAs were not at all helpful and they simply asked me to bring back Blu to the HASS and they will sort it on Monday as they are not open on Sundays.

I called up my BIL and he came and we pushed Blu to the HASS and left. On Monday morning itself I called up the HASS and informed of the issue and since I didn't have any appointment they said it might take them till Tuesday to resolve the issue. I was speechless at the logic that they needed me to take an appointment to fix an issue created by them. They swore up and down that they have not done anything to Blu other than fixing the loose connection and checking oil/ engine gasket. Well, on Tuesday (yesterday) after repeated calls to the front office and SA finally, I got the call back saying Blu was ready and the issue was loose spark plug. I didn't want to get into who loosened it in the first place so I just took permission from office and collected Blu. I didn't want to keep him with HASS any longer.

I took a longish test ride and the needle was rock steady. Finally, I was at ease like, Thanos after the snap(?). So, for some time now I have become the official chauffeur for my wife and today I wanted to test Blu after the repair. I am very happy to inform that all issues resolved. Now I'm scheming as to how to make my wife take her own ride to office tomorrow onwards.