From Taiwan with Rain

Wednesday, November 28, 2007, I got a package. It is a rain coat from Taiwan, I don't know the brand is. What I know is, this rain coat made a 100% PVC and pretty elastic enough. So this coat must be water proof. Here is a picture of it:



I try to wear this coat, if this is suit for me and how comfort is it.

1. Size
This rain coat is big enough. I think this pants can fit two men as big as I am. I'm 171cm and 73kg.

2. Comfort
I try to sit using this rain coat. The pants are stretching upward about 10cm, but this is normal. When I try on the seat; this coat can hold my body, and I don't sense any slippery on the seat using this coat. This is very useful when on a heavy rain. Because while you're riding and your pants is slippering, it can danger your life.

3. Water Blocking
Let see the front side of the suit.

As we can see, there is a layer in the inside that hold the water if the water crossing the first layer. So total is three layer blocking.

4. Fabric Joint
As you can see on the bottom of the pants, the joint is very special.

Look, the joint is form like a circle. This mean, it double the joint. This is the critical part on the rain coat, because if this spot is not strong enough, it can rip streched by a rider leg.

Last thing is I don't like the neck part.

It don't have any button that seal my neck. So, water can through from the neck.

4000 Kilometer with Amsoil

Monday, November 26, 2007, I arrive at home at 10.45PM. When I look at the trip indicator, it shown at 10,011km. That mean Amsoil has been pass the 4000km trip. This is the right time to see the oil quality. Amsoil recommend the user to use it doubled from factory default. My scooter factory recommend changing oil interval is every 2000km.

I want to check the oil quality right now, but my body refused it. I'm too tired to do the job.

1. Oil condition
Tuesday, November 27, 2007, I wake up at 5.30AM and go to the garage. I open the dipstick and pour some oil and see the color.

Left is the oil concentration. As you can see the color is dark but not to dark. When I tried to flattened the oil (right picture), I can see there is still gold color. That mean, I can still using this oil farther more.

I now that this is not a good test. Because, used oil has to be check in the lab before I can used it for some more trip.

This is the oil, when I flattened it more

As we can see, this is still good enough.

2. Oil Level

The oil level is still on the maximum. That mean I don't have to added some more.

3. Engine Noise
The engine sound is no change at all, still as low when I first time tried this oil. I'm pretty comfort with the sound. I think this is the lowest engine sound I ever had.

4. Power and Torque
The power is a little bit down, not much. Usually when I stay on the 5600RPM, the speed is about 60kmh. But now I need 5800RPM to get to 60kmh.
The torque is no change at all. I can climb 40 degree hill on tandem with my wife without any difficulties.

Changing The Brake Fluid

Saturday, November 24, 2007, at 2.30 AM, I want to change the brake fluid. Because it already reach 10,000 km and it is time according to the factory default.

This is the tools that I need for this job:

1. Waste container
2. 4mm clear pipe
3. Scissor
4. Wire Brush
5. 12mm socket
6. Medium sized screwdriver
7. 14mm ratchet
9. 8mm ratchet
10. 5mm hex socket

First, remove 5 screw that hold the rear cover handle bar and 1 screw in the front cover. Split the front and the rear plastic cover by slide the clip inside the rear top cover and pull the rear cover (NOT THE FRONT!!!). Now I can see there is 2 screw inside that unite the front cover with the handle bar.

Remove the screw with the screwdriver and the mirror too with 14mm ratchet. Don't forget to remove the mirror driver with 14mm ratchet.

Open the fluid reservoir cap with screwdriver.

On the disc brake caliper, put the 8mm ratchet on the fluid drainage nut and the pipe on top of it. On the end of the pipe, put the waste container and cut the pipe with the proper length with scissor.

Loosen the drainage nut. Pull the handle brake again and again. Make sure that the fluid is empty and tighten the drainage nut.

"Remember, the brake fluid is very abrasive!!! You must clean the fluid as fast as you can if it contacting the paint surfaces."

Lets clean the brake pad. Open the two nut that holding the caliper that stick with the absorber using 12mm socket. Using 5mm hex, remove the bolt that hold the pad. Remove the pad and clean it with wire brush. After that, put the pad and the caliper as it was.


Fill the reservoir with a brand new brake fluid. I prefer DOT-3, because it softer than DOT-4 when I pull the handle brake. Pull the handle brake again and again while make sure that the reservoir is fill with the brake fluid. This process is to make the fluid reaching the caliper and presses the air outside of the reservoir. Do it until you are sure that there is no air inside the hose.

This air is extremely dangerous if there is, because when the caliper work, it produce heat and this heat distributed to the fluid. If this continue occur, then the fluid can boil. Hot air can force the fluid can not push the caliper piston when you pull the handle brake.

After there is no bubble come out inside the reservoir. Change the clear pipe on top of the caliper with the clean one. Pull and hold the handle brake, then loosen and tighten the drain nut with 8mm ratchet as fast as possible. This step will make sure that we thow useless air that trap inside the hose. See the clear pipe, if there is only fluid, then it done.

Put everything together, and I'm ready to roll out.

Electricity Problem

Friday, November 23, 2007, at 9.30 PM I pickup my wife at her office. after running on a low fuel, finally we've got to the gas station. I fill my scooter with some of fuel. After that I turn on my scooter and push the starter button. But there is no reaction, even when I tried to turn on the turn signal. There is no electricity!!!

I should turn it manually with the kick starter right now. After it turn on, I run my scooter a long way home. I can see that the all of the electric circuit system isn't work properly. I should fix it as soon as possible, but I can't fix it right now, because it already late. Hey it 10.30 PM when I arrive at home.

Saturday, November 24, 2007, at 10.00 AM I deliver my wife to her office again with my another scooter. After that I buy a wire about 2 meter length just in case that there is something wrong with the wiring system.

At 2.00 PM I prepare some tools to fix the electricity system. Here it is:

1. Multimeter that has Ohm gauge
2. Medium sized screwdriver
3. 10mm socket with the extension

First thing we should do is, open the baggage. Remove four bolt with the 10mm socket and one big screw with the screwdriver in the baggage.

Remove the baggage from where it position. Look at the bottom of the battery and you will see a bolt that hold the box battery.

Remove it with the screwdriver and slide the box until you can see the two bolt that connecting the battery with the wire.

Remove the two bolt with the screwdriver to make sure that there is no electricity flow in the wire. So we are sure that everything is safe.

Open the red wire fuse box and check with the Ohm meter (multimeter).

Oh no, the ohm meter needle isn't move at all. I check the black wire fuse; the needle is moving. My conclusion is there is something wrong the fuse. But the wire in the fuse isn't break either. I unattached the fuse and try to discover the problem.

When I unattached it, the top metal part of the fuse is popping off. That mean the fuse wire is alright, it just slacks. Haha, I laugh at it. Only a slacked fuse cap!

I tighten the cap and keep it in case of emergency. I put a brand new fuse to the fuse box and try to turn on my scooter. It work!

Installing Rear Backrest

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, I got a package, white box, not too big. I know what is inside of the box is. It kymco original accessories rear back rest for G3. I order it not so long ago.

I want to put the rear backrest for my scooter because my wife always complaining about the comfortness of this scooter. She said that this scooter seat and foot rest make her can not stay in a long period of time, differ from the other one.

At 5 am, I prepare 12mm socket to install this parts. I'm sorry that the image here taken after the parts had installed.

1. Open the baggage and remove 2 bolt that hold the rear bar.


2. Put the brackets on the bar and tighten it with the bolts
3. Put the backrest on top of the brackets and tighten it with the nuts


Job done. I'm pretty satisfied for the result.

From front, it will look like this:

Rear view:

And last from the side view:

Nice isn't it.

How To Adjusting The Valve Clearance

Saturday, November 3, 2007, I wake up at 6 am, I want to adjust the valve clearance. I need to do this because my scooter power is weaken. Lets prepare the tools needed to do this task.

1. Medium sized screwdriver
2. Medium sized flat-blade screwdriver
3. 10mm socket
4. 16mm spark plug socket
5. 9mm ratchet
6. 3mm hex socket
7. 0.10mm feeler gauge blade

Remember this; valve adjustment should be done in a stone cold engine condition and every 5,000 kilometer.

Oh one thing to remember, this tools is for my scooter. May be in other scooter model, the tools are differ. This is the step to adjusting the valve clearance on my scooter:

1. Open the baggage.
2. Remove the four bolt (two in the lower front, and two in the upper back) with 10mm socket in the baggage, and remove the screw inside the front part baggage.
3. Remove the baggage and remove the front plastic part infront of the baggage that has a hanger.
4. Remove the cylinder head inhalation hose on the top.
5. Remove six bolt that hold the valve cap with a 10mm socket.
6. Loosen the tie screw that hold the hose in the lower section of the cap and remove the hose. Don't forget to keep the cap in a safe, dry and clean place.
7. Remove the spark plug cap and remove the spark plug using the 16mm spark plug socket.

On the left side of the cam, you will see a gear that has 3 holes (1 in the middle is bigger than others).

8. Turn the kick starter until the middle hole of the gear position are horizontally between two rocker arms. This mean we put the condition on TDC (Top Dead Center).

First we adjust the in valve then the ex valve.

9. Put the 9mm ratchet on the rocker arm nut, and the 3mm hex socket on the valve trigger. Turn the ratchet counter clockwise to loosen the nut while holding the hex.
10. Put 0.10mm feeler gauge between the trigger and the valve stems. Turn the hex until the trigger pull the feeler. Don't turn the hex too much, just make sure that the gauge didn't move by the pressure of the trigger.
11. Tighten again the nut with the ratchet while holding the hex. And make sure the trigger didn't turn while we tighten it.
12. Remove the gauge.

Do exactly as the in valve to the ex valve.

After finished, put everything together as it was with a backward procedure as we open it.