Project: Free Cambodian moto guide
Project: Free Cambodian moto guide
**Mods, I posted here so that those that don't frequent the Cars and Bikes section can see it too as I intend this to reach as many as possible**
Hello everyone,
To introduce myself "formally", my name is Akira and I am a 28 year old "veteran" of motorcycles. I have been riding motorcycles and rebuilding engines since age 11 and have an unhealthy obsession with machinery in general. "Professionally", I have worked in the automotive industry (mechanic, shop foreman, then owner of a small tuning shop) until 4 years ago when I made a move to Cambodia where I stayed until late 2013. I live in and still reside outside Cambodia but make frequent trips back because my wife is from Prey Veng and lots of the family is in Phnom Penh.
During my stay I encountered a sea of confusion regarding the motoring world of Cambodia and even went through a lot of rocky trials with encounters of fake parts, complete incompetence, being ripped off, learning how things operate here, crashing, etc etc. Needless to say, I wasn't terribly thrilled about the prospect of owning anything here and to be frank, even as a mechanic I still have trepidation regarding motos in general in the kingdom.
But one thing I've been considering is to try and share what I do know about mechanics and "tips" to having a moto in Cambodia in general, as well as maintenance and DIY repairs. All too often I see bad advice being passed around and offered amongst the expat (and Khmer) community, and that is something I would like to help change, if at all possible.
So in essence, I am interested in composing a basic free guide for the Cambodian expat community on moto ownership in Cambodia on the aspects of ownership and maintenance on motos to help take out the apprehension of what can be a very useful and also enjoyable experience of using a two wheelers as one's transportation.
This will be a work in progress and feedback from the community is always welcome in order to provide a better more useful guide as things progress.
So please, any question you have about motos (whether generic, maintenance, repair/troubleshooting, purchasing, etc.) please ask here, PM me, or if you are not a regular poster, email me @ [email protected]
I look forward to this upcoming project as I hope it can help those seeking moto advice and answers.
AE86 (Akira S.)
P.S. I will be leaving Cambodia fairly soon so I wont be available for in person "meets" or "interviews/Q&A sessions".
Here is the basic outline of what I am considering composing.
Basic walkthrough of riding a motorcycle:
Controls
Techniques
Basics of what is available
Types of motos: Automatic, Semi Automatic & Manual
Manufacturers and models available
General misc information (country of origin and manufacture, targeted theft bikes, safety features, etc.)
Basics of ownership
Explanation of documents involved with moto ownership
Registering a new bike
Registering a newly imported bike (used)
Purchasing process (ownership transfer)
Selling process
Basics of pre-purchase inspection
Basics of maintenance and repair
Maintenance intervals and explanations
Checking oil
Light bulb replacement
Brake adjustment
Front and Rear
Filling up tires and determining pressure
Adjusting the clutch
Adjusting the carburetor
Adjusting the chain
Spark plug replacement
Hello everyone,
To introduce myself "formally", my name is Akira and I am a 28 year old "veteran" of motorcycles. I have been riding motorcycles and rebuilding engines since age 11 and have an unhealthy obsession with machinery in general. "Professionally", I have worked in the automotive industry (mechanic, shop foreman, then owner of a small tuning shop) until 4 years ago when I made a move to Cambodia where I stayed until late 2013. I live in and still reside outside Cambodia but make frequent trips back because my wife is from Prey Veng and lots of the family is in Phnom Penh.
During my stay I encountered a sea of confusion regarding the motoring world of Cambodia and even went through a lot of rocky trials with encounters of fake parts, complete incompetence, being ripped off, learning how things operate here, crashing, etc etc. Needless to say, I wasn't terribly thrilled about the prospect of owning anything here and to be frank, even as a mechanic I still have trepidation regarding motos in general in the kingdom.
But one thing I've been considering is to try and share what I do know about mechanics and "tips" to having a moto in Cambodia in general, as well as maintenance and DIY repairs. All too often I see bad advice being passed around and offered amongst the expat (and Khmer) community, and that is something I would like to help change, if at all possible.
So in essence, I am interested in composing a basic free guide for the Cambodian expat community on moto ownership in Cambodia on the aspects of ownership and maintenance on motos to help take out the apprehension of what can be a very useful and also enjoyable experience of using a two wheelers as one's transportation.
This will be a work in progress and feedback from the community is always welcome in order to provide a better more useful guide as things progress.
So please, any question you have about motos (whether generic, maintenance, repair/troubleshooting, purchasing, etc.) please ask here, PM me, or if you are not a regular poster, email me @ [email protected]
I look forward to this upcoming project as I hope it can help those seeking moto advice and answers.
AE86 (Akira S.)
P.S. I will be leaving Cambodia fairly soon so I wont be available for in person "meets" or "interviews/Q&A sessions".
Here is the basic outline of what I am considering composing.
Basic walkthrough of riding a motorcycle:
Controls
Techniques
Basics of what is available
Types of motos: Automatic, Semi Automatic & Manual
Manufacturers and models available
General misc information (country of origin and manufacture, targeted theft bikes, safety features, etc.)
Basics of ownership
Explanation of documents involved with moto ownership
Registering a new bike
Registering a newly imported bike (used)
Purchasing process (ownership transfer)
Selling process
Basics of pre-purchase inspection
Basics of maintenance and repair
Maintenance intervals and explanations
Checking oil
Light bulb replacement
Brake adjustment
Front and Rear
Filling up tires and determining pressure
Adjusting the clutch
Adjusting the carburetor
Adjusting the chain
Spark plug replacement
Reckless driving cucumber - 成
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Akira. I still can't believe you're only 28 years young. You have the maturity and knowledge of a much older person. Damn man. Rock on.
Last edited by DetroitMuscle on Sun Apr 05, 2015 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Anyone who doesn't like Capitalism is a pathetic loser. God bless the USA and no place else.
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^^None of the bikes here have syncros, but I will most definitely add clutch adjustment into the list of write ups.
Reckless driving cucumber - 成
List of reputable service places and body shops for mods.. Great idea . Thanks
Heartfelt gratitude. Looking forward to it.
And to think you do it for free... you must really love what you do.
And to think you do it for free... you must really love what you do.
To all who have replied, (a lot of lurkers) and posters, thank you.
I want to reply to all but I've received so many emails that I don't think I can manage in any timely fashion. Just wanted to post and update saying that I got your emails and have read them. I'll be leaving town tomorrow but I promise to check in and update the articles and keep this project going. In the meantime, I have snapped a few pictures for a "teaser" for up coming updates.
Thank you
Akira.
I want to reply to all but I've received so many emails that I don't think I can manage in any timely fashion. Just wanted to post and update saying that I got your emails and have read them. I'll be leaving town tomorrow but I promise to check in and update the articles and keep this project going. In the meantime, I have snapped a few pictures for a "teaser" for up coming updates.
Thank you
Akira.
Reckless driving cucumber - 成
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I've written a draft chapter to test. Sorry for not getting on something sooner, I've been traveling.
Any feedback is welcome, positive, negative, irrelevant, etc.
If you want to reach me via email:
[email protected]
How to check your oil:
What you will need:
A paper towel or clean rag
*!* SAE 40 oil *!* (40 weight)**
Flat level ground (preferably away from wind and dust)
**40 weight oil is a general safe weight you can use in any BASIC motorcycle here in Cambodia. Of course if you’re running an ultra tight tolerance super sports bike that calls for a different oil, then of course don’t follow this guideline, but for any “normal” motorcycle here like a Honda Wave, Suzuki Viva, Yamaha Taurus etc, you are safe to use 40 weight oil.
*!* Caution *!* Please note, there are two basic types of oil available for purchase.
#1: Basic moto oil. In scientific terms, it’s really just detergent and additive free oil so it’s dirt cheap to buy and dirt cheap to purchase. If you have a motorcycle that you have to shift (semi automatic or manual), you MUST use detergent/additive free oil. If you don’t, you risk gelling up the clutch and ruining it. If you want a fail safe oil, COSMIC oil works in ANYTHING here.
#2: Detergent/Additive oil. This is actually really good stuff, and I highly recommend using it if you can. HOWEVER, only select motorcycles can take it (Automatics and some dry clutch bikes) so I recommend if you don’t know if you have an automatic vs. a semi auto, then just get a bottle of basic COSMIC oil and use that.
First thing is first, this is the standard Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki method (basic semi automatic motorcycle) and applies to pretty much anything in Cambodia. The steps here are going to be outlined on a Honda Super Cub 50, but virtually any motorcycle is the same in Cambodia.
Misc before you begin:
It does not matter if the motor is warm or cold when you check oil. However, if you were just riding your bike, I would wait about one minute for the oil level to level off before checking.
Locate your oil dipstick.
For most motorcycles available in Cambodia, the dipstick is located in this vicinity of the motorcycle. I have “zoomed in” to give you an idea of what to look for.
Before unscrewing the dipstick, I always like to clean the area around it because often times quite a bit of dirt builds up around it. The last thing you want to do is drop dirt down into your engine oil.
Unscrew the dipstick
Wipe the dipstick off FIRST
Before I continue I also like to wipe the rim of the oil dipstick mount. Be careful not to knock loose dirt into the motor.
Take the clean dipstick and insert it back in but do not screw it back in.
Set the dipstick in like so. Do not screw in.
Remove the dipstick.
Check the oil level. If oil completely covers the hash marks, you are full.
From the top of the hashmark (the “X” area) to the bottom is about 100 ml on a Super Cub, but it varies from motorcycle to motorcycle. In general however, do not fill up with more than 50-100 ml at a time as the oil capacity on basic motorcycles does not exceed 800 ml typically.
Common sense, but if your bike is low, fill it up. If it is too high, drain some oil out.
Now when you have finished checking and if necessary, topping off, check your dipstick to ensure the rubber o-ring has not come off and is in place like so.
Sometimes the o-ring sticks to the case and can come off without you noticing.
Screw in the dipstick and tightening it lightly. I just use two fingers and a simple twist when it’s all the way in. No need to excessively tighten it.
That is it.
Questions:
How often should I check my oil?
It’s all down to preference, I like to check every time I fill my bike up with petrol, but many people don’t check at all.
Here’s a general rule of thumb. If you are on a road trip and are riding at a fairly consistent “high speed”, I would check every 2-300 km.
If I need to top off, what kind of oil should I use?
Manufacturer recommendations will vary, but as a rule of thumb in Cambodia, 40 weight oil (SAE 40) is a safe bet for ANY motorcycle in regards to not only top offs, but oil changes in general as well.
Please note, 40 weight is the SECOND number if you see something like this.
10W-40, 20W-40, 5W-40, etc.
The “W” actually stands for WINTER, and reflects the viscosity of the oil in cold (0 C) temperatures. That doesn’t matter here, so all that matters is the second number.
If you see oil that says “SAE 40” or “SF40” or simply “40” on it, then you are safe too.
Misc Trick:
Cool little trick on a Super Cub or Chaly, I like to fill it to the dipstick hole where it overflows. I usually get in a total of 750 to 800 ml on an oil change instead of the 600 ml "capacity". You can ONLY DO THIS ON SUPER CUBS AND CHALYS. If you have any other motorcycle, do not do this.
The reason this is safe is because of the location of the dipstick hole on the Super Cub/Chaly. It sits very low on the motor, so even if one fills it to the edge of the dipstick filler hole, the motor is still safe from overfilling. For those of you motorheads out there, the oil will not be endangered of foaming due to the crankshaft "stirring" it up.
The reason for doing this is because of the extra cooling capacity of the extra oil which promotes longer oil life, a cooler running engine, and in general a longer engine life.
Also, it makes checking oil easier on Super Cubs. Unscrew dipstick and see if there's oil at the edge. If not, fill it up until there is. Done.
Any feedback is welcome, positive, negative, irrelevant, etc.
If you want to reach me via email:
[email protected]
How to check your oil:
What you will need:
A paper towel or clean rag
*!* SAE 40 oil *!* (40 weight)**
Flat level ground (preferably away from wind and dust)
**40 weight oil is a general safe weight you can use in any BASIC motorcycle here in Cambodia. Of course if you’re running an ultra tight tolerance super sports bike that calls for a different oil, then of course don’t follow this guideline, but for any “normal” motorcycle here like a Honda Wave, Suzuki Viva, Yamaha Taurus etc, you are safe to use 40 weight oil.
*!* Caution *!* Please note, there are two basic types of oil available for purchase.
#1: Basic moto oil. In scientific terms, it’s really just detergent and additive free oil so it’s dirt cheap to buy and dirt cheap to purchase. If you have a motorcycle that you have to shift (semi automatic or manual), you MUST use detergent/additive free oil. If you don’t, you risk gelling up the clutch and ruining it. If you want a fail safe oil, COSMIC oil works in ANYTHING here.
#2: Detergent/Additive oil. This is actually really good stuff, and I highly recommend using it if you can. HOWEVER, only select motorcycles can take it (Automatics and some dry clutch bikes) so I recommend if you don’t know if you have an automatic vs. a semi auto, then just get a bottle of basic COSMIC oil and use that.
First thing is first, this is the standard Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki method (basic semi automatic motorcycle) and applies to pretty much anything in Cambodia. The steps here are going to be outlined on a Honda Super Cub 50, but virtually any motorcycle is the same in Cambodia.
Misc before you begin:
It does not matter if the motor is warm or cold when you check oil. However, if you were just riding your bike, I would wait about one minute for the oil level to level off before checking.
Locate your oil dipstick.
For most motorcycles available in Cambodia, the dipstick is located in this vicinity of the motorcycle. I have “zoomed in” to give you an idea of what to look for.
Before unscrewing the dipstick, I always like to clean the area around it because often times quite a bit of dirt builds up around it. The last thing you want to do is drop dirt down into your engine oil.
Unscrew the dipstick
Wipe the dipstick off FIRST
Before I continue I also like to wipe the rim of the oil dipstick mount. Be careful not to knock loose dirt into the motor.
Take the clean dipstick and insert it back in but do not screw it back in.
Set the dipstick in like so. Do not screw in.
Remove the dipstick.
Check the oil level. If oil completely covers the hash marks, you are full.
From the top of the hashmark (the “X” area) to the bottom is about 100 ml on a Super Cub, but it varies from motorcycle to motorcycle. In general however, do not fill up with more than 50-100 ml at a time as the oil capacity on basic motorcycles does not exceed 800 ml typically.
Common sense, but if your bike is low, fill it up. If it is too high, drain some oil out.
Now when you have finished checking and if necessary, topping off, check your dipstick to ensure the rubber o-ring has not come off and is in place like so.
Sometimes the o-ring sticks to the case and can come off without you noticing.
Screw in the dipstick and tightening it lightly. I just use two fingers and a simple twist when it’s all the way in. No need to excessively tighten it.
That is it.
Questions:
How often should I check my oil?
It’s all down to preference, I like to check every time I fill my bike up with petrol, but many people don’t check at all.
Here’s a general rule of thumb. If you are on a road trip and are riding at a fairly consistent “high speed”, I would check every 2-300 km.
If I need to top off, what kind of oil should I use?
Manufacturer recommendations will vary, but as a rule of thumb in Cambodia, 40 weight oil (SAE 40) is a safe bet for ANY motorcycle in regards to not only top offs, but oil changes in general as well.
Please note, 40 weight is the SECOND number if you see something like this.
10W-40, 20W-40, 5W-40, etc.
The “W” actually stands for WINTER, and reflects the viscosity of the oil in cold (0 C) temperatures. That doesn’t matter here, so all that matters is the second number.
If you see oil that says “SAE 40” or “SF40” or simply “40” on it, then you are safe too.
Misc Trick:
Cool little trick on a Super Cub or Chaly, I like to fill it to the dipstick hole where it overflows. I usually get in a total of 750 to 800 ml on an oil change instead of the 600 ml "capacity". You can ONLY DO THIS ON SUPER CUBS AND CHALYS. If you have any other motorcycle, do not do this.
The reason this is safe is because of the location of the dipstick hole on the Super Cub/Chaly. It sits very low on the motor, so even if one fills it to the edge of the dipstick filler hole, the motor is still safe from overfilling. For those of you motorheads out there, the oil will not be endangered of foaming due to the crankshaft "stirring" it up.
The reason for doing this is because of the extra cooling capacity of the extra oil which promotes longer oil life, a cooler running engine, and in general a longer engine life.
Also, it makes checking oil easier on Super Cubs. Unscrew dipstick and see if there's oil at the edge. If not, fill it up until there is. Done.
Reckless driving cucumber - 成
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You da man, Akira!AE86 wrote:^^None of the bikes here have syncros, but I will most definitely add clutch adjustment into the list of write ups.
Anyone who doesn't like Capitalism is a pathetic loser. God bless the USA and no place else.
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