[ashwanth]

Have bought a 2005 Honda Eterno.The vehicle has clocked around 58800 kms and still is solid ! How long can I expect this engine (i love its refinement and its sound is similar to unicorn ?)to run - say atleast another 20k kms?

[Raccoon]

There can be no straight answer to this question as it depends on the level of maintainence and pattern of use. What you could do is to take a compression test. If the reading is close to what its supposed to be, your scoot will go on for quite a while... as long as you really maintain it... which does not mean your just leaving it to the service centre!

[Gansan]

My Splendor has crossed 76950 KM and is still untouched. I expect it to cross 100,000 KM easily.

[phamilyman]

I know a couple of well maintained unicorns that gave up in the late 60/70s

[humyum]

Okay, i ll answer your question with a refrence to a honda bike I have

I have a honda dio, its in bangalore. It has run 1nd half Lakh Kilometers in 7 years. Its first engine overhaul was at 55 thousand km and those 55 thousand km it had run HARD, literally hard and after the engine overhaul its still going strong and the odo stands at 1nd half lakh chillar kilometers

So basically a honda engine will outlast the bike sometimes, rest of my bike is tattered and battered but the engine and tranny is rock steady.

[bharti22shresth]

Used to own have an eterno (dadaji's ride). It clocked 40k in 2 years. It's with a relative now. It's done 62.8k now. Going strong.

If it's been well kept then no worries.

[ashwanth]

All your replies gives me lot of confidence ! Well I don't abuse my eterno and usually stick the speedometer needle at 45 kmph.The first owner has maintained it reasonably well.Am very gentle on clutch and throttle as am learning how to drive a geared vehicle

Dio over 1,00,000 kms -Great ! Now I know what to do with my Brother's Activa in case he wants to sell it off (Has only done 20k kms in 2.5 years!)

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by Gansan

My Splendor has crossed 76950 KM and is still untouched. I expect it to cross 100,000 KM easily.

Cool! Which oil(s) have you used in this period? I reckon a Hero Honda / Honda engine should be good for at least 100,000 km without requiring any work... of course if its well maintained.

Originally Posted by ashwanth

All your replies gives me lot of confidence ! Well I don't abuse my eterno and usually stick the speedometer needle at 45 kmph.

If you think that keeping speeds under 45 will be good for your vehicle, its not quite that simple. Vehicles driven at low speeds and short rides, etc., usually develop other problems like carbon deposition, sludge, etc. The manual cleaning of which would require opening the engine. And mechanics you should keep away from as much as possible, if you value your vehicle!

[Spitfire]

Why bother? Ride it well, service it well. Its a machine anyways. It will not regenerate worn out parts on its own.

Remember Murphy's law?

[bblost]

Don't make a cold engine scream.

[Mpower]

Use a good quality oil and dont skip oil changes. make sure it doesn't overheat and it will just keep chugging along. After all its a Honda.

[kuttapan]

Originally Posted by bblost

Don't make a cold engine scream.

+1. I pity the poor bikes, whose owners start them early in the morning and then rev the jeebies out of the bike, in the name of warming up. If that is the routine followed by the owner, it is a surprise that they continue to run.

Honda engines are pretty reliable and I know couple of Splendors which just ran and ran and ran..All it took was regular service and oil change. Compression does come down a bit towards the 1 lac km mark, but you can still ride them. The best part of it all? They average 60 kmpl all the time !!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by bblost

Don't make a cold engine scream.

+1 to that.

Considering how much easier it is to high-revv a bike than a car, just go easy on the revvs and get 'em oil changes on time. We busted more than just a handful of rx100 engines around the 50k mark in our college days. Couldn't help it, that bike was so revv-happy, you'd need the willpower of God to refrain.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Cool! Which oil(s) have you used in this period? I reckon a Hero Honda / Honda engine should be good for at least 100,000 km without requiring any work... of course if its well maintained.

Always used Hero Honda 4T+, which they change in HHASS by default. I will book the service in advance for the week-end, ensure my bike goes on the ramp closest to the customer lounge and watch the entire proceedings. This oil is a very good synth oil, which is why I naively assumed Maruti will also use such an oil as MGO. If I remember right the bike came with Servo from the factory and the same oil was used during first service. From second service onwards it was 4T+.

Originally Posted by bblost

Don't make a cold engine scream.

Agree. Always warm the engine up for one full minute after a cold start, just by keeping it in idling speed. If it seems to go off, just give enough throttle to maintain the idling revs, never raise it. Ensure a cruising speed between 50 - 60 KM and this will prevent carbon build up.

Originally Posted by Mpower

Use a good quality oil and dont skip oil changes. make sure it doesn't overheat and it will just keep chugging along. After all its a Honda.

Agree. My engine has never given any trouble during these 77000 KM. I have overhauled clutch around 45,000 KM, replaced chain and sprocket around 72,000 KM. Presently on my third rear tyre, second fromt tyre. Bike still returns around 67 KMPL, down from the previous 74 KMPL I was getting till the 65000 KM mark.

But consumes more oil now. I have to keep checking the level every 10 days and top-up if required.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Agree. Always warm the engine up for one full minute after a cold start, just by keeping it in idling speed. If it seems to go off, just give enough throttle to maintain the idling revs, never raise it. Ensure a cruising speed between 50 - 60 KM and this will prevent carbon build up.

Don't idle it for so long.

Start riding as soon as you switch on the bike.
Oil needs to reach its optimal temperature for it to be effective.

Just idling will delay that and you may cause harm to the engine.

Just keep those revs low till the bike has warmed up sufficiently and then take off, fly low.