oil level

[fashion250t]

got a 250cc cfmoto fashion250-f and was wonder if anyone ne wof the right way to check the oil level

[richardthescooter1]

I keep mine in the middle of the hash marks

Attachments:

[50cc]

Middle when not screwed in, end of marks when screwed in.

[richardthescooter1]

Yes, thanks 50cc (I forgot to mention that)

[leo]

Dec 7, 2012 10:29:50 GMT -5 fashion250t said:

got a 250cc cfmoto fashion250-f and was wonder if anyone ne wof the right way to check the oil level

place scoot on centerstand before checking either the engine oil or final drive oil.
the engine oil is full at the top of the hash marks on the stick with the stick not screwed in and the front tire on the ground.
make sure the scoot is on level ground before checking.

[richardthescooter1]

Good point leo, I'm forgetting everything.

[scootnwinn]

Dec 7, 2012 17:56:05 GMT -5 @leo said:

Dec 7, 2012 10:29:50 GMT -5 fashion250t said:

got a 250cc cfmoto fashion250-f and was wonder if anyone ne wof the right way to check the oil level

place scoot on centerstand before checking either the engine oil or final drive oil.
the engine oil is full at the top of the hash marks on the stick with the stick not screwed in and the front tire on the ground.
make sure the scoot is on level ground before checking.

That is the correct method and reading. If the level is correct it should read too high on the stick when screwed in.

[chaz12]

Yes, it is going to give you a false reading, if on unbalanced ground.. Remember too, if changing the oil, that your scooter is not going to hold a complete quart of oil. It holds about 80% of a quart.

[whid]

May I ask... does hot or cold matter? A just run engine vs. first thing in the a.m. when oil has settled?

[ce]

That's a very good question, even though we assume it doesn't matter to any consequence.

None the less, when you get home from a ride, check the oil soon after engine shutoff. Then check it precisely in the morning and see if there is a measurable difference.

We will await your conclusion.

[whid]

Ruff! Bark... Ruff ruff... That's dog for " Yippy, I LOVE to play fetch" I'll be back with the stick in a few
hours... LOL

[jazzman]

You asked the question and very easy to verify the outcome so you have been selected to take on the science project..LOL

[whid]

Woof..Woof! That means "I did it, I did it" LOL and in true pup fashion. When they do stupid things and your hear that unmistakable .. Arrrhh! I'll get to that in a sec.

So.... Checked the scoot that had not been started in 15 hrs or so. Level was at the very top of the notching unscrewed and a bit up the stick as it begins to widen when screwed in. Did a run to the store about 3-4 miles away. Engine was good and warm... as it is 49 outside today and waiting for the scoot to warm up before leaving took a bit.
So.... Checked it after parking and sure enough, it was half way up the notching unscrewed, and just almost at the top of the notching, screwed in.
There was a slight difference but as mentioned, I'd say non consequential. And we never change the oil at this temp... Just warm with recent circulation.
So.... here's the puppy part, as I'm not a Big Dawg yet with the scoot, as I was with my 1600 Vulcan.
I decide on the ride home, to see how much of the oil is in action up in the engine while running. I had run my engine many times on the Vulcan without the oil cap on... so this could be that extra trick like catching a Frisbee or rolling over.... LMAO
ArrreHHH!
My conclusion is this:
Almost a qt. in a 250 is a whole different world than 3.1 in a v twin 1600.
The difference between hot and cold / just run vs. sitting overnight is 3 diamond shaped notches.
and never open the dip stick/fill hole while engine is running!

[skuttadawg]

MOSt scooters you insert the dipstick but on my CFMoto Echarm I was told to screw it in and you may need to on your Fashion . Drain out all of the oil and only put in what the specs call for then look on the dipstick

[whid]

Thanks Skuttadawg.... There in-lies most of the problem. I've yet to see the actual specs for my scoot.
Seems this in not like a 2006 Nissan Titan SE or 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic that has a very specific
owners manual etc. etc. This animal seems to come under many, many names and varieties. The stamped plate on my scoot say Jonway YY250T and has the 244. Yet the borderline useless manual that came with it has MC-54-250 on it. The dealer sent me a link showing me my options. And it looks just like what I payed for but was called something entirely different.
I bought this sight unseen and never had even sat on a scoot before. Been on bikes all my life and was fully aware of Chinese vs. Taiwanese vs. Japanese. My wallet dictated my only option so went with it.
This forum is the most accurate users manual I have found yet in all my web searching. These guys are good... real good.

[skuttadawg]

Did you get the owners manual ? Dang they no longer have the manual posted online

[whid]

I got one for another version of this scoot.. Rokata 54-250 i believe it is. But even if i got the scooter that went with my manual.... What I have in my hand here, may as well be a photo album of the designers family... border line useless. Just common sense stuff... arrow to seat, labeled SEAT. and rear brake handle.
Some of the descriptions are down right comical.

[whid]

I've seen some excellent exploded views and descriptions posted on here tho... but still a bit uncertain if that's what under my plastic really looks like. I've seen a few post of others doing their PDI and stated what scoot it is (same as what I believe mine to be) but their radiator is in the middle of the bike... I've seen mine in front thru the grill.

[whid]

whoa.... I mean "Howlllll" ! I became a Big Dawg.. with 15 posts... Maybe that dipstick while engine running stunt was better than catching a Frisbee.... LOL

[Bytor]

Leo is right, I check the oil after I know the engine is warm, then shut down for maybe 5 min. Pull the dip stick out and wipe off, reinsert to the threads then pull out and check the level. Do that at least twice to verify the first reading was accurate. I do the same with my car. Also it should be on a realatively flat surface, not a steep sloping driveway.

[leo]

Dec 16, 2012 22:15:09 GMT -5 whid said:

Thanks Skuttadawg.... There in-lies most of the problem. I've yet to see the actual specs for my scoot.

the specs for your engine and final drive can be found by searching for '85-'88 honda elite 250.

[skuttadawg]

Its a Honda Helix clone not Elite

[scootnwinn]

i seem to remember the manual for the 85-88 Elite is used for the Helix as well Don't hold me to that though

[ce]

Well done, whid-dawg, there's a lot of other stuff you should never do, but with your can-do attitude, your inquisitive nature, and your perserverance in the face of obstinate resistance, I think you'll find all to be revealed soon enough.

For more fun exploded diagrams, search out Roketa parts at Goldenvale, and after a little study here in the technical annals, you'll be one of the few who's bold enough to adjust your valves with the engine running, replace your rollers with sliders, mount a Big Shot exhaust with a 125 jet in your 30mm carburetor, and generally diddle about to achieve an extra half-horsepower and 3 miles per hour.

It's what Dawgs do for fun.

Or you can just flog that 244 to the edge of performance capability until you smell smoke and anti-freeze and you shudder to a halt. It'll take a few years, but by then you'll have a hankerin' for a badass Linhai 257, with a horizontal head, yeah, that's right 16 horsepower and 8 20x12 16gram rollers, well, actually I think the best formula was 4 12 gram rollers and 4 16 gram sliders.

I told my buddy I was running a high performance scooter.

He says: High performance. Scooter. Right.

Yeah, well he don't know sh!t anyway.

[leo]

Dec 17, 2012 12:28:28 GMT -5 skuttadawg said:

Its a Honda Helix clone not Elite

i don't know what kind of 244cc you have but mine is an almost exact copy of the '85-'88 elite 250.

i was also told mine was a helix clone.

be advised that honda manuals WILL NOT cover your entire bike, just the engine and final drive.

[whid]

Thanks ce! YES! I'm itching to get sliders in this baby. I'm loving this scoot, just sure could use a bit more kick off the line... Instead of the ole foot hp. (as if your scoot was out of fuel and you were foot powering it off the road or in the parking lot.... LOL Real scootin.. hehe).
I hear the sliders will assist in that area greatly. I love tinkering and fiddling so I have found the perfect item to sink that into. As long as it's completed by Monday at 5 am when I need to leave for work, all of 3 miles down the road.
Just trying to get her broken in first.... I'm only at 160 miles with 3 weeks of riding every day. My whole life is in about a 4 sq mile box. I assume it's not a good idea to start doing those mods till after you have broken in. Please advise if you know differently.
But, I have spent mass amounts of time doing other stuff to her. Vibration dampening being my main focus.
I have fixed the mirror blur and the drum line rear trunk thus far. swapped all soy sauce and sweet n sour sauce.. Just the brake fluid to go.... and am gearing up for the big PDI this weekend with the start of my vacation.
Can anyone confirm on hose dia? I'm told the vac is 1/4 and fuel 5/16 or even 3/8. It would be nice if it were consistent so I can just buy a big roll of what i need. I did buy 6' lengths of the above said diameters. Man that looks big. I've not seen anything that size under my plastic. And I have no clue how much i'm going to even need!!! Any idea??
Got my quality Fuel filter, most of my clamps, di electric grease and tons of silicone.
I got my blade fuse to lose the glass china it has now.
Picked up the raved about Star Tron fuel additive to flush out what may be lurking in the system now from 160 mile thru the Chinese noodles. There may even be a dissolved recipe for Mongolian beef moving through my fuel system right now... lol I got it from a dealer that I wrongly assumed did a PDI.
I would like to covert to all LED's (except headlight, maybe move up to 45w on those) to help accommodate the extra LED's i intend to install. I've been directed at some pretty sweet LED's but require ordering online. Anybody have any luck with the Auto Zone offerings of the 1156/ 1157?
I don't know if they have the wedge bulbs I will need. Need to also figure out what solid state flasher I will need to cure the hyper flashing on the front turn signals once replaced with LED. And would like to add a fan led to my cluster.
Also disconnect the alarm wire from drawing on the battery at rest. and do away with the stereo.
The little rechargeable system I put together to take to the pool blows the scoots system away. So I was planning to just install it on the scoot and recharge when needed. Valve stems must happen soon...

Please advise on anything else I need to be aware of.

[ce]

You're on a roll, Daddio, and yer leavin' no stones unturned.

Get the LEDs from Hong Kong on ebay, like $15 for 20 of the T10 wedges, green, white, red blue, it's awesome.

And carry on with the break in to 1000 miles, you'll get to know the scoot and there's no lack of performance as it is now, the 244 is plenty capable, so just ride and research when it's too cold, dark or wet to ride.

Your tubes should be 3/16, and you should get new 3/16 Y's and T's at Auto Zone because the couplings may be 1/8 inch stock, and that restricts the flow especially to the vac line of the fuel pump.

All this tinkering will make you very familiar with the operation and maintenance, so when you get to tuning, it's half in the bag.

Read all you can here that's 244 specific, anything that could go awry has already been addressed, and Leo is a major authority on Honda Clones.

I rode a couple Linhai 260's for about 10,000 miles, one was lost in a wreck, one blew out,up, and away, and one is still running, and faster than it's ever been at 9,000 miles. My buddy who is real hard on equipment was in the saddle when all those scoots went down, so don't blame me

I'm all about the Kymco's these days, you can get cheap 250's for about 2 grand, and it's a whole.....'nother.....level. I have an Xciting and a Grand Vista that are my daily rides, even down to 20 degrees these days. Then there's the 500 X, and of course the Silverwing. For some reason the upper tier scoots are harder to work on, those inscrutable orientals on the mainland like things simple, and so do I.

So for now cut your scooter teeth on that Shanghai Slit Skirt, then move to the Big Leagues in Taiwan, baby!

[whid]

great input.... had no clue about the Y & T's About how many do you guess I will need?

and for clarity... is the Vac same as the fuel dia. ? 3/16? and about how many feet will in need?
Once i start this, i have no transportation to the auto store for more stuff... I rather have more and not need it... than need it and not have it....

[whid]

Leo.. Thanks for your guidance as well.... so the nipples on the carb and fuel pump and tank will all be 3/16 ID?

I wonder if the other sizes recommended where with the intention of clamping hard at the junctions. That doesn't feel quite right to me.... But you guys are the experts in my eyes... so I will follow your instruction to a T or Y... lol

I'm guessing I don't need to go to EFI pressure lines... just normal fuel lines.
And
I was told you can use fuel line as Vac line... but I'm also guessing fuel is a lot thicker and will be tougher to route thru the assembly. What do you recommend here?

[whid]

Oh.. P.S. Mine looks to be the 244 CFmoto i think it was..... If that helps...