The SF250 has crossed 38000km and it was time for a general service and a few additional works
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Tyres change
Both tyres from the Gixxer were worn out by 38k km. This was the second set of MRFs which lasted 20000km and I think that’s rather remarkable. But the tyre was underwhelming for spirited riding and corner carving.
This time, I went for the tried and tested Apollo Alpha H1s of the same spec. Got the tyres from Tyre Guys, Edapally and it cost 11000 Rs including the balancing.
The immediate effects I feel are improved handling and the ease in tipping into corners. The previous MRF did have a flatter profile when compared to the Apollo and was rather unappealing for enthusiastic riding. I also feel the apollos to be more grippy than the MRF.
Front brake pads
The front brake pads of the SF250 were changed to aftermarket ones from the brand Crank1. These are ceramic pads and cost me 1140Rs.
These pads do bite a bit more than the OEM pads but not aggressively. But I do worry that ceramic pads may eat rotors. Only time will tell I guess.
General service
It was time for general checkup and service at 38000km and the following tasks were done as DIY by yours truly.
- Oil and Oil filter change
- Air Filter Change
- Spark plug change
- Chain Adjustment
I have been using Castrol FS engine oil for some time now and thought I’d experiment with other brands as well. Just to see how the SF250 will handle them.
Somewhere down the line, Suzuki has hiked the price for oil filters. Before, it was just 39Rs and now it’s 70. The difference you ask? I can only see an extra blue packing plastic, to be honest. Not sure about the Air filter though, since I had one in stock for some time now.
The Spark plug was next and this is the second time I am changing the spark plug. As per the manual, it’s recommended to change the plugs every 10000km I have changed the plug somewhere near the 24000km mark and I have overshot by a few km this time too.
The new plug is OEM and costs 234 Rs. I did spot a bit of rust in the old plug as well. Is it due to extended intervals or Quality issues? Not sure.
I wanted to try better spark plugs that could stretch the interval, but I couldn’t source it in time and had a ride coming up. When I checked, I saw that NKG CR8EIX or NGK SIMR8A-9 (used in CBR250) are compatible. Experts please do confirm.
Head Cover leak
A month ago, I found that there were oil deposits near the Headcover. Not sure if this is the reason, but when researching, I found that the rubber gasket used in the cover tends to fail if reused after opening up the cover. As far as I know, the cover was only opened up for the warranty fix at Suzuki ASC Calicut back in 2023.
Got the Rubber Gasket and two rubber Washers for the head cover from Suzuki ASC Vytilla and replaced it myself during this oil change.
First I cleaned the area thoroughly to prevent any dust grim to fall within. The cover is held on by two Allen bolts. Loosen the bolt and a slight tap and the cover comes out.
It seems instead of replacing it with a new one, they instead resorted to using old rubber with sealant near the leak prone area and atop the bolt. Although this sealant use is just slightly over the top in my case, I have seen cases where mechanics overuse this and block the oil and coolant passages and invite more trouble. I was also careful and ensured that no dired up excess sealant fell into the engine bits as well.
Promptly removed the old rubber, cleaned the surfaces and replaced it with new rubber parts.
This also would’ve been a good time to check the valve clearance, But I misplaced the feeler gauge somewhere and wasn’t able to find it. There was no noise or anything from the valve side either so I guess I’ll do that on the next oil change or maybe at 50k km.
I also skipped throttle body cleaning this time since the cleaner I ordered didn’t arrive in time and will do it as part of the next oil change.
Ride to Trivandrum
Since the easter weekend was around and I with not many plans, decided to ride to Trivandrum to spend the weekend with a few friends there. I rode from Wayanad with the SF250 and was accompanied by a close friend with his new Honda CBR650R from Kannur.
We Met at Kozhikode and Started The Ride By 7 am. The Route We Touco WAS Kozhikode – Kuttippayoor – odapally – Etttumanoor – kottayam – kottaraka – Trivandrum – Trivandrum.
The Kozhikode-Kuttippuram stretch is the newly expanded highway and it open is in most places. The Kuttippuram- Guruvayoor – Edapally stretch is still developing with a lot of deviations and traffic. Whatever time-saving we got before was lost here. We stopped at a place in Edapally for refreshments and then decided to take the MC road via Kottayam to avoid further NH works in Alappuzha.
From Edapally, we took a detour to reach Ettumanoor to get on the MC road.
The rest of the journey was via MC Road which was also filled with a bit of traffic and heat, but since there were no deviations like the NH, we maintained a considerable pace. We stopped at Changanassery for lunch and and for fuel near Adoor.
The climate was hot for the most part. But as we entered Trivandrum, we were subjected to heavy rain. We didn’t stop to wear rain gear since we thought it might be just a drizzle and by the time we figured it’s not a drizzle, we were fully soaked. So we pushed on to our place of stay.
It took a total of 13 hrs to complete the 480km journey from Wayanad to Trivandrum. We spent two days there and started the return leg on Easter.
The return was also the same route, but my ride ended at Kochi since I had to work at the office the next day and my friend continued to Kannur.
Ride Observations
Since the chain-sprocket change and the oil change, Now I feel the buzz and vibrations noticeably as I near the 7000 rpm mark instead of 6000 rpm. Which resulted in me cruising at 100 kmph instead of 90 kmph. Did the different grade engine oil somehow cause this small change? Not sure and I will be observing a bit more on that regard.
During the open stretches, I did try to check how the SF250 was beyond 7000 rpm and I was able to comfortably reach speed of 120 kmph. But vibrations at the handlebar, seat and footpegs did eventually push me back to 100 kmph this time around.
The average fuel efficiency figure I got for this ride was 38 kmpl. That’s rather impressive for a 250cc bike.
The new Apollos has improved the handling of the already good handling SF250. The tyre is more grippy than the MRFs, so I am able to do a better job at trail braking and am much more confident leaning the bike into corners.
The heat management is still remarkable with the SF250. No unusual heats were felt from the bike, especially with the different grade oil and the radiator fan remained off throughout. I wish I could add an oil temperature indicator to observe the temperature.
Overall, the SF250 performed rather well in this ride.
Will be back with more updates,
Until then, Cherrio!
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