2021 TBR7 Pre-First Start Oil Dirty-Shavings On Drain Plug Magnet
 

My 2021 TBR7 arrived on a pallet, in a crate earlier this month. It was, of course, unassembled, so I'm almost certain it hasn't been started for the first time yet.
TBR7s come with a very cheap, magnetic drain plug now and the magnet was full of black shavings.
The pre-first start oil seemed dirty also. Not like the crystal clear shipping oil in Collin at 3 Petal Devils' video. I'm a noob so any input/advice is much appreciated

Here is a good thread on it I wish I had seen before I got my bikes. I would modify what I said to include changing the oil before it is ever started and again after 5 minutes etc, etc. Some would consider it overkill but buy a gallon of Rotella and have at it however it makes you feel good. Breaking in an engine has to feel good.


http://www.chinariders.net/showthrea...les#post359902

Changed before start up, then ran for 1/2 hour. Then 100 miles,then every 300 miles after that. 1100 miles and loving this TBR7

Overkill.

Come to think of it , Collin at 3 Pedal Devils did say he was expecting to see it much worse. Either way, I sure appreciate all of you guys' insight. I won't get through this without it that's for sure. Thank y'all.

Remember, there will be a certain amount of steel shavings mainly from the transmission parts as they wear in.

That's true. Thanks.

Not overkill at all, shipping oil should be changed before starting the bike the first time. Change at 50 miles, change at 100 miles, then every 300 miles after. Please do not mislead anyone or even insinuate that any fluids that come with any Chinese bike are quality. They are junk and have been tested and proved as such. Actually, no one knows exactly what comes in these bikes, fork oil is the same viscosity as engine oil. It does not even resemble motor oil or fork oil. Brake fluids should be flushed and changed as well. Anyone saying anything otherwise is a fool. >:(

Harsh but true. What came in mine looked like something McDonalds would throw away when they cleaned the fryers. There was crud floating in it!

Remember that these are not automobiles and there is no filter. They are spinning about twice the speed of a car engine and since they are air cooled they run hotter than your car ever dreamed.

They are designed to do it, but they need proper oil, especially for the clutch, which is also in that oil bath.

You have bits of new engine shavings, bits of clutch compound and bits of transmission chip floating in there.

Three changes before the 1000K mark is not a bad idea.

Yes your odometer reads in KM, not miles.

BTW, my handling improved 100% when I pulled the forks and replaced the shipping oil. It was the same gray/green crap as was in the engine for shipping. Additionally, I discovered that there was 100ml in one side and 150ml in the other. They need around 200ml in each side.

.
Collin on 3 Petal Devils put 225 ml. Do you think that's too much?

I put about 225 in my Magician forks, and it rides great.

Fork oil
 

For inverted forks, 300-350ml per fork tube.
For regular, drain from the bottom, 225ml per fork tube.


Get a measuring cup when you drain to see how much you are pulling out per tube.

I do know Collin at 3PD pulled drastically different amounts out of each. He put Teflon tape on the drain plugs when he put them back in too. That seems essential.

LOL! I bet you change your underwear 4 times a day too. :D

The saying "When in doubt, consult your owner's Manual" is quite true!

The oil change interval is 3,000 km. That is 1,863 miles. *** AND *** that is based upon conventional oil. I intent to change mine TWICE that with fully synthetic oil.

Thru regular oil analysis, I finally changed my big rig Volvo engine's oil, whose nominal oil change interval was 20,000 miles with dino oil after 130,000 miles. Said truck I bought at 500,000 miles and sold it at over 1,000,000 miles! :hi:

There are a number of different approaches to maintenance. It is not an exact science, with only one correct way to do things. And anyway, overkill beats neglect.

Can't you just agree to disagree, without being disagreeable?

He tends to disagree with others quite a bit according to his past post. No biggie to me, it's my bike, I ride it, I'm the one who takes care of it and am the one ultimately responsible for any problems. I have seen what comes out of it stock. Whatever... like you said "overkill beats neglect." I'm sure there will be some comment back about this post. Some have to have the last word. :lmao:

My feeling about the maintenance schedule is that it has always been difficult to source internal parts for these China bikes and it is getting more difficult by the day. You don't just run down to the bike shop and give them the part number from the manual and go home and do the repair that afternoon.

I do not have either the skill or training to do bottom end or transmission work on these bikes, and no shop in 500 miles of me will touch a China bike for repair.

With the inflation rate and increased shipping charges we are now facing we can expect the future cost of a new engine to be more than the present price of a new bike, within months.

Oil is cheap and easy to find. It only takes one quart, and even the top grade wet clutch application oil costs less than $10 a quart. I am presently paying $6 at Autozone.

$10 worth of oil and ten minutes of my time every 1500KM is not a big deal or something to dread.

A Honda CG might run forever with minimal upkeep, our "clones" will not, that is proven. Most of us can barely keep them on the road what with electrics, transmission, clutch and carburetor issues. The reason for the existence of this forum is to keep them going!

Better to maintain it than have a shed decoration.

Amen to that
 

Amen to that. I'm with you. I wouldn't be shopping for 2+ years and then finally breaking down and buying an unassembled china bike if I could afford an already put together, low maintenance Japanese enduro.
Being the opposite of a mechanic, this is hard but I'm pulling it off, actually enjoying it, with all the awsome support from you guys. I make good money but I've got a family that's way more high maintenance in the financial/health cost areana than any China bike.
I felt guilty buying this for myself. I'm certainly going to take the best care of it I can, adhering to the much appreciated advice of the gracious dudes across this great country that are taking the time to help and guide me. Thank you so much y'all.
I want it to last as long as possible. No, I don't change my underwear 4 times a day. Can't afford to. But if these guys advise me to change my TBR7's underwear 7 times a day I'll probably do it.
Btw, what exactly is "wet clutch oil".

Any oil that shows the JASO MA or MA2 rating in its list of certifications on the back.


Motorcycles have wet clutches, that is the clutch is bathed in oil and that is the same bath of oil that services the engine. There are additives in modern car oil that you do not want to get all over your clutch. Things like friction modifiers that will cause the clutch to slip. Therefore you should not use ordinary car motor oil in your bike.


MA/MA2 rated motorcycle oil is also certified to handle the shear load placed on the oil molecules which is much greater than that found in e.g. a car engine, because the motorcycle's transmission gears are also lubricated with the same oil as the engine and clutch.


If you are cheap (and aren't we all), Shell Rotella T4 and T6 diesel engine oil (!) is JASO MA2 rated in the 5w40 and 15w40 weights. It is available in a lot of places in big gallon or even 2.5 gallon jugs for not much money, compared to specialty motorcycle oils, and meets the correct specification for use with pretty much any bike.

I thought that's what it meant. Thanks for that. I used the T4 after I drained the shipping oil.

Thanks for the explan. I thought Rotella was just car oil.