In Pakistan, mechanics sometimes put you in delusions; they make you practice and take precautions that don’t benefit anything but just make your life more difficult and troublesome. Here, we’ve cleared the bushes and burst and confirmed all the myths in the local market.
Caltex Havoline 20w40 Runs 1,000 Km
Havoline 20w40 is the most commonly used engine oil in 70 and 125cc bikes. Some mechanics suggest that Havoline runs about 1,000 km. Technically, that’s not true. Havoline is a low-quality mineral oil that only lasts 750 km max.
You can indeed take it to 1,000 or even 1300 Km, but it’ll only start damaging the internals of the engine after 750 Km. The word damage here doesn’t mean instant damage, but if you keep repeating this practice, you might need to do the ring-piston work after 4-5 years for the engine that could have lasted 6-8 years.
Myth Busted!
You Need to Get Your Bike Tuned After Every 1,000 Km
No, that’s simply not true. Do you know what tunning is? It’s when you clean the plug, wash the filter, grease the clutch paddle and throttle wire, lubricate and adjust the chain, and wash the magnet cover. YOU JUST DON’T NEED TO DO THIS AFTER EVERY 1,000 KMs.
These mechanics just find a way to make simple money from you. You can tune the bike after every 3,000-5,000 Km. An oil change is necessary, and make sure to do it on time, like after every 1,000 Km or whatever your oil manufacturer suggests. Moreover, lubricate and adjust the chain after every 800 km, and it’s all set.
Myth Busted!
Don’t Ride the Motorcycle with Half Clutch
The clutch plates are designed to either fully engage or fully disengage. When you ride with the clutch halfway, the plates are constantly rubbing against each other, generating excessive friction. The friction from riding the clutch generates heat. This excess heat can cause the clutch plates and surrounding components to overheat, leading to warping or glazing. Over time, this can result in the clutch slipping, where it fails to transmit engine power to the wheels fully. Therefore, you can either fully release the clutch lever or press it fully!
Myth confirmed!
You Can’t Use Semi or Fully Synthetic Oil in CG, Pridor, and CD
Who says? Mechanics says!
While these bikes are based on very older technologies like 1979, and at that time, there was no concept of synthetic oil. They are designed for regular mineral oils, but there’s no technical reason preventing the use of synthetic oils. Semi or fully synthetic oils offer better lubrication, higher temperature resistance, and longer service life compared to mineral oils. They can provide better protection for the engine, particularly in high-temperature conditions or during prolonged use.
Moreover, modern synthetic oil is designed to keep the engine in good condition, even though it was designed for mineral oil as well. The problem is that most mechanics aren’t literate enough, so they live in the delusion that synthetic oil isn’t good for CG, Pridor, and CD bikes.
Myth Busted!
Accelerating From 2nd Gear
The mechanic says that if you are on a signal and it turns green, you can start accelerating the bike from the 2nd gear instead of putting the bike on 1st gear. The mechanic guys say that it doesn’t damage the engine. In fact, it does. Manufacturers are not dumb that they offer 1st gear. Accelerating from rest in 2nd gear puts extra strain on your engine and transmission. It also puts immense stress on the connecting rod and the gear itself because 2nd gear is designed to be shifted during the running process and not to move the bike from rest. The same goes for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, so change the gears wisely and on time.
Myth Busted!
