ZS177MM technical data

[Nika]

Hi all, I am interested in Asiawing NC250.

It was not easy to find the info, but according to the manual, it declares a service interval at 1000 km (= approx 600 miles).

If I understood well, the NC250 engine is the same as the RX3 engine. How come the service intervals are not the same - here I found that the RX 3 service interval is 2000 miles = (approx) 3200 km?

Also - I read that NC250 should be maintained either by milage, or by hours. If so - what about RX3? Or are we back at the bike purpose and the riding style / twist of the throttle?

[Huck369]

I think the maintenance intervals comes down to the type of riding the Asiawing NC250 is an Off Road/Racing bike, and will be ridden harder than an adventure bike (which some never see dirt) hence the shorter intervals on the Asiawing NC250...... IMHO

[Nika]

That makes sense. I was thinking the same way.
But it opens new questions: does that mean that one can prolong the service intervals on crf450x or any dirt bike, if he rides it gently?
Also - the dirt bikes are maintained by hours, not milage. In some period of time, the engine should be rebuilt. The piston should be replaced etc.

Does anyone have any info about ZS177MM durability? Let's say that the motorcycle is driven like an adventure bike - RX3. Asphalt, some dirt from time to time, high revs only occasionally...?

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Nika

That makes sense. I was thinking the same way.
But it opens new questions: does that mean that one can prolong the service intervals on crf450x or any dirt bike, if he rides it gently?
Also - the dirt bikes are maintained by hours, not milage. In some period of time, the engine should be rebuilt. The piston should be replaced etc.

Does anyone have any info about ZS177MM durability? Let's say that the motorcycle is driven like an adventure bike - RX3. Asphalt, some dirt from time to time, high revs only occasionally...?

The NC250 is a different animal to a CRF450 engine, so trying to compare service intervals is apples to oranges. The CRF450 engine is basically a race engine in design and purpose. It has very short service intervals because of how it is designed and built as well as its intended use - tight tolerances and lightweight components being run on the edge of their durability.

If you aren't racing, then yes the service intervals can be more relaxed, assuming the engine isn't being run on the ragged edge all the time. That said, even Honda made some changes to the construction of their 450 engine for their up and coming 450 dual sport to help increase service intervals and reliability for road use.

The NC250 engine is built more like a dual sport engine and less like a race engine. It just happens to be placed in a dirt bike chassis that people race. Due to that added abuse, they likely decreased the service intervals to help prolong the engines life. This is not unusual, and something that I often practice with my own bikes. If I take my VFR out and hammer on it all the time or go to a track day, I will change the oil far more frequently than Honda's recommended 8000 mile oil change interval - an interval derived from regular riding/touring on public roads. The reason service intervals are shorter on "race" or high abuse applications tends to come down to the oil itself. That abuse puts more heat and shear load on the oil, breaking it down faster - and subsequently requiring more frequent changes to help maintain proper lubrication. This can be seen in practice with us guys that have air cooled CG engine bikes. The addition of an oil cooler makes a drastic difference in the condition of the oil after just a few hundred miles, and can allow for longer intervals. The shedding of excess heat actually increases the life of the oil, meaning we can extend our intervals from say 500 miles to 1000 miles.

In short, if you are going to be using said bike on the road for commuter duty, then yes you could get away with more relaxed service intervals like those found on bikes like the RX3.

Another way around this is to run ester based synthetics. I run Motul 300V in my VFR, which is essentially a racing oil. A bit more expensive, but it also holds up better to high RPM abuse and high temps a lot better (it's designed purpose), meaning it lasts longer in the same application over more conventional oils. Hands down it is the best oil I have ever used in a bike to date.