2011 Honda PCX125

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ccap41

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Mar 23, 2015
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Southern Illinois
Hey guys/gals,
I've had my little scoot for a few years now and I'm curious about the motor oil. The manual recommends a 10w-30 *non energy conserving* oil. I've been using 5w-30 *energy conserving*. From what I thought I knew the *non energy conserving* part was for motorcycles utilizing the wet clutch and it can potentially cause slipping, my motorcycles I've always just followed the manual. Am I doing any hard by this? I'm currently using 5w-30 Pennzoil Platinum. I figured it didn't matter because it doesn't have a wet clutch, or even a true clutch anyway.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks!
 
I believe your manual contains the generic Honda 2 wheeled vehicle advice. Energy conserving = Friction modifiers, which are bad ju ju for wet clutches. But as you have observed, your vehicle is not so equipped. I doubt you will have any issues. The oil you are using should have adequate antiwear properties.
 
I own a 2011 Honda PCX 125 scooter. I've just used 10w-30 synthetic oils. I've tried them all, none made a difference I could see or feel.

Right now I have 10w-30 mobil 1 EP in it. I change every 2,000 miles or so. Been thinking of going longer since I'm at 13,000 on the odometer and wear metals should have tapered off long ago. (scooter has no filter, just a metal strainer)

It has a dry external clutch, use whatever oil you want that is modern and quality. It has roller bearing rockers, which is awesome to see at this price point.
 
Originally Posted By: OriginalRocket
I own a 2011 Honda PCX 125 scooter. I've just used 10w-30 synthetic oils. I've tried them all, none made a difference I could see or feel.

Right now I have 10w-30 mobil 1 EP in it. I change every 2,000 miles or so. Been thinking of going longer since I'm at 13,000 on the odometer and wear metals should have tapered off long ago. (scooter has no filter, just a metal strainer)

It has a dry external clutch, use whatever oil you want that is modern and quality. It has roller bearing rockers, which is awesome to see at this price point.


That was basically my thinking on the subject. I just change mine once a year because it isn't a ton of miles(1500-3000). I only have 5500miles on the odometer.

Yeah this scooter is a steal for the price. fuel injected, water cooled, combined brakin system..a lot of tech for something in this category and price point. I just wish mine was one of the newer 150s for the extra speed.

Oh, also, do you think I SHOULD be running a 10w-30 over a 5w-30? I didn't think it mattered and considering a lot of my trips are short I thought the 5w would help flow and lube things up slightly quicker while it isn't fully up to temp yet.

Thank you for your input guys!
 
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Originally Posted By: ccap41

Oh, also, do you think I SHOULD be running a 10w-30 over a 5w-30? I didn't think it mattered and considering a lot of my trips are short I thought the 5w would help flow and lube things up slightly quicker while it isn't fully up to temp yet.

Thank you for your input guys!


I've run 0w-30 in the cooler months. Noticed no difference in sound or MPG. Made me feel good though! By cooler I mean 40F- 55F. I won't change it early though, I'll keep whatever Oil I have in it until 2,000 miles. But I usually start and end the riding season with a 0w-30.
 
Well, in general, any xW30 oil will have just about the same viscosity (read: difference is negligible) at startup above freezing, and I guess you don't ride below that.
10w-30 is good even in -20°C, 5w-30 in -25°C.
There's nothing wrong with what you do, but you would probably get the exact same results with Rotella 10w-30, with more money to spend on gas. Just my 2 cents.
 
Your scooter's oil capacity is 0.8 liters of oil. Since you have NO OIL FILTER, and your scooter spends most of it's time spinning >6k RPM's, I'd recommend you never go much beyond 1000 miles on an oil change.

I change my scooters oil at around 600-800 miles. I only run Mobil 1 in my scoots. I usually run a 10w30 (shear stable) or any 40 weight (0w40, 5w40 TDT, or 10w40 HM)

Honda scooters are notorious for dragging the Crank/Rod in Oil if you overfill them at all....slightly below the full mark on the dipstick is key. I usually run mine right between the "full" and "add" marks.

Remember when you check the oil, you do NOT screw the dipstick into the crank case. Just stick dipstick into the motor...do not tighten it one bit.

You will notice huge improvement in performance if you keep the oil in the middle of the hash marks.
 
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Originally Posted By: Phishin
Your scooter's oil capacity is 0.8 liters of oil. Since you have NO OIL FILTER, and your scooter spends most of it's time spinning >6k RPM's, I'd recommend you never go much beyond 1000 miles on an oil change.

I change my scooters oil at around 600-800 miles. I only run Mobil 1 in my scoots. I usually run a 10w30 (shear stable) or any 40 weight (0w40, 5w40 TDT, or 10w40 HM)

Honda scooters are notorious for dragging the Crank/Rod in Oil if you overfill them at all....slightly below the full mark on the dipstick is key. I usually run mine right between the "full" and "add" marks.

Remember when you check the oil, you do NOT screw the dipstick into the crank case. Just stick dipstick into the motor...do not tighten it one bit.

You will notice huge improvement in performance if you keep the oil in the middle of the hash marks.


Really? That often? I guess if I look at it as a car motor running at 6k for nearly its entire life I wouldn't expect long change intervals either..

Oh I'm all about not over filling things.. that's a huuuge pet peeve of mine. I did already know about checking the oil on this but thank you anyway!

Also, how do you know what RPM it's spinning at? or is that just a guess based on other scooters and how the cvt works?
 
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Originally Posted By: ccap41
Really? That often? I guess if I look at it as a car motor running at 6k for nearly its entire life I wouldn't expect long change intervals either..

Oh I'm all about not over filling things.. that's a huuuge pet peeve of mine. I did already know about checking the oil on this but thank you anyway!

Also, how do you know what RPM it's spinning at? or is that just a guess based on other scooters and how the cvt works?


I run magnetic drain plugs in my Honda scoots, and you'd be really surprised at the amount of crud on the magnet after 600 miles. This grit is just floating around in your engine. No thank you!! So I change oil often.

Valve clearances will have to be fixed regularly if you go too long between oil changes.

I have tachs on my scoots, which is necessary when you tune your CVT with different variables and weights. Your PCX spins at 6k rpms when you barely moving. I think it's restricted at 9500 rpms and more than likely your scoot spends >90% of its life >8k rpms.

Change oil often. With practice, it should become a 10 minute ordeal.
 
I've put over 13,000 miles on Honda scooters over the last 10-years or so.

I change oil every 1000 miles, use Rotella T6 or Delo 5w-40, add a shot of Moly at each OCI, and use a UCL in the gas.

No trouble, no hiccups, no problems at all. Like was mentioned above, these engines see some serious (continuous) rpms, and have no filter - hense the reason to change often.

Also don't forget the rear-end oil change as well. I use Syn 75w-90 and change it out every 3,000 miles. Only takes a few ounces, and only a couple minutes as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Phishin
Originally Posted By: ccap41
Really? That often? I guess if I look at it as a car motor running at 6k for nearly its entire life I wouldn't expect long change intervals either..

Oh I'm all about not over filling things.. that's a huuuge pet peeve of mine. I did already know about checking the oil on this but thank you anyway!

Also, how do you know what RPM it's spinning at? or is that just a guess based on other scooters and how the cvt works?


I run magnetic drain plugs in my Honda scoots, and you'd be really surprised at the amount of crud on the magnet after 600 miles. This grit is just floating around in your engine. No thank you!! So I change oil often.

Valve clearances will have to be fixed regularly if you go too long between oil changes.

I have tachs on my scoots, which is necessary when you tune your CVT with different variables and weights. Your PCX spins at 6k rpms when you barely moving. I think it's restricted at 9500 rpms and more than likely your scoot spends >90% of its life >8k rpms.

Change oil often. With practice, it should become a 10 minute ordeal.


Magnetic drain plug sounds fantastic for all applications but this one in particular. Where could I buy one of those? I have no clue what the threads are off the top of my head.
 
1000mile OCI just seems so short. Mostly because I double checked my maual yesterday because I was curious what it said and it says 5000 mile intervals.. I mean it's less than a quart of oil so I really don't mind changing it, and it's easy.
 
Originally Posted By: Phishin
Lawn_care is dead nuts on. 1000 mile OCI's will be just fine. He's using an HDEO (5w40) diesel oil. Great choice.


You could've stopped with saying i'm 'Dead Nuts'. lol
 
Originally Posted By: ccap41
1000mile OCI just seems so short. Mostly because I double checked my maual yesterday because I was curious what it said and it says 5000 mile intervals.. I mean it's less than a quart of oil so I really don't mind changing it, and it's easy.


Like was stated earlier, these are high-revving engines with the CVT. The engine runs pretty consistently high rpm's - a condition which will turn many ordinary oils to water in no time. Plus - if you bang against the rev-limiter very often, you're going to have fuel dilution issues as well. This is another reason for the 1000 mile OCI and using an HDEO (which are designed to tolerate more fuel dilution than the average PCMO).

When you hit the rev-limiter, it cuts the spark = no combustion. That excess fuel has to go somewhere, and not all of it exits through the exhaust. Change oil after hitting the limiter a few times and you'll see what I mean.

If there was a proper oil filter, I might run an HDEO 2000 miles in one of these, but that's a pretty big maybe. Without a filter to 'filter' out the particles floating around, it's the main reason to change more often. I don't like grit floating around freely in my engine any longer than it has to.

Even though these engines are liquid cooled, they are still small, enclosed, high revving, and run pretty dang warm as well.

+1 on the magnetic drain plug, I run them in all of mine.



Disclaimer: I don't recommend hitting (and activating) the rev limiter on a regular basis, these things spin enough rpm's as it is. But we all know it happens.
smile.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: ccap41
1000mile OCI just seems so short. Mostly because I double checked my maual yesterday because I was curious what it said and it says 5000 mile intervals.. I mean it's less than a quart of oil so I really don't mind changing it, and it's easy.


I know. But there are THOUSANDS of Honda scooter enthusiasts on dozens of forums and the 600 mile OCI is for the guys trying to get MAXIMUM life out of their engines. 1000 mile OCI's seem to be great as well.

This is what I run for a drain plug: http://passwordjdm.com/PasswordJDM-Magnetic-Oil-Tranny-Drain-Plug-Package-Honda-P1643C455.aspx

Yeah, $20 for a drain plug. Your engine will thank you. Do what you want, but I highly suggest you stay to 1000 mile OCI's....I don't care what the manual says. If you go to 4-5k miles, expect major problems all the time.
 
Well, I have no issue running 1000 OCI really. And I would definitely say I want it to last and to last well. I guess I'm already 1/4 of the way to my next oil chance then! lol And honestly.. Even expensive oil costing $10/qt is still cheap.. and using 0.8qt per change is almost a freebie after 4 oil changes anway.

You guys are spot on with the no filter and needing a magnetic drain plug. Do you know if all Hondas use the same threads? Because there are very reasonably priced plugs for Honda in general. I'll look into the threads and compare.

Oh yeah I saw a dyno of the pcx150(assuming it is the same as the 125) and it looks like it revs between 2500-12,500rpm. I was looking around for exhausts, just for the heck of it, and came across the dyno from Akrapovic.

Pcx150 Dyno
 
Well, seeming how there are some PCX owners here.. What kind of mileage are you guys getting? Also, what else have you done to the little PCX? And modifications, tire suggestions, fuel suggestions?
 
Originally Posted By: ccap41
1000mile OCI just seems so short. Mostly because I double checked my maual yesterday because I was curious what it said and it says 5000 mile intervals.. I mean it's less than a quart of oil so I really don't mind changing it, and it's easy.


you don't have a true filter of any sort on that motor...do you really want to have all the contaminants and metal particles circulating for longer than 1000 miles?!? your oil change is also your engine flush! I liked the fact that Geniune Scooter Company incorporated the use of screw-on filters in their Buddy's (125, 150, 170) and Blur's (150, 220); I believe their 4-stroke Stella's (shifty & auto) get element-style filters

as far as $20 for a magnetic oil plug...the magnet in the oil plug will become your filter to remove much of the ferrous metal particles from recirculating through the engine; seems like a fair trade off to me
wink.gif


back to oil...if you feel 1K mile OCI's are a bit short to warrant using full synthetic oil then you could substitute conventional or synthetic blend motorcycle oil (watch for sales) or opt for heavy duty engine oil (Shell Rotella T-5 10w-30, Chevron Delo 10w-30, Motorcraft Diesel Engine Oil 10w-30)
 
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