X10 500 DIY Service

[ramjet]

Had a go at servicing my X10 500 over past 2 days. Engine and gearbox oil changes relatively easy as I'd done them before. But beware when draining gear oil that it will drip onto wheel if left on either stand. Best to hold a container up to drain, only 250cc.

Being a lazy sod I wanted to remove as little bodywork as possible. To change air filter I followed You Tube video from R&R and removed whole airbox first

https://www.x9gallery.co.uk/home/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10265&pid=19259#top_display_media

Injection air intake can be removed at underseat hatch (easy) and so can thick breather hose (less easy) (Before starting work I tried to give engine and accessible parts under seat a good clean to stop dirt getting in once hoses and covers removed) The narrow capped breather hose has to be unclipped at cap end but can just be left attached to airbox. When whole assembly removed the narrow hose can be uncapped and drained.

Air filter element is washable but I used a new one soaked in oil. I will clean up the old one so it is ready to go in at next service. I replaced the thick breather hose clip with a stainless jubilee clip, so should be easier to remove next time)

https://www.x9gallery.co.uk/home/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10265&pid=19260#top_display_media

https://www.x9gallery.co.uk/home/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10265&pid=19261#top_display_media

Presuming the valves had never been adjusted, I decided to have a go. Access from underseat and 2 small side panels is tight but workable. The rocker cover can be completely removed but which doesn't seem to be the case with MP3 from viewing You Tube videos. To rotate the engine to tdc you do have to remove the final drive plastic cover which requires some lower left rear bodywork to be undone and loosened. I would recommend an assistant to view the flywheel inspection port alignment as you rotate the engine. I was on my own and was lying under bike on rhs viewing port through mobile phone endoscope and turning ratchet on lhs of bike! When flywheel marks line up you have to check cam sprocket arrow also lines up (see workshop manual as I didn't get photo)

https://www.x9gallery.co.uk/home/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10265&pid=19262#top_display_media

Valve clearances were fine on 3, 1 exhaust valve felt slightly tight so was adjusted. Everything back together after putting in new spark plugs and amazingly started first time into smooth tickover.

I'm sure I could do it in about half the time next time now I know where everything goes. Drive belt is due to be changed soon so that will be the next job. I did have a look on the endoscope and it looks OK, no fraying or damage, so hopefully OK for a while yet.

[chippyzip]

Brilliant! A good job well done! It's a pity that there were no pics to follow, but never mind, a good start!

Graham 

[Dave Milnes]

Always satisfying to do a job properly yourself. Sounds like the X10 has some bodywork advantages over the X9 as far as access goes but on the other hand an X9 can be stripped bare in 20 minutes with no broken clips .

[ramjet]

Thanks guys. I did try to link to a couple of photos, hope you can see them. I will try to put some more on. I forgot to mention mileage was approx. 9300 so really a 10,000 service. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I wonder why bikes in general are designed with such difficult access. Take the X10 air filter, it looks as if it would be easy to make an airbox access panel completely accessible and removeable without removing any bodywork, or the whole airbox. You could easily access/change the air filter in 5 minutes. If it is deliberately designed the way it is to encourage you to take it for a dealer service, then it is going to take them longer too. The more a customer is spending on servicing, the less likely they have money to spend on Piaggio accessories or trading up to a bigger or newer scooter.

Sounds good that you can strip an X9 in 20 minutes, I dread to think how long an X10 takes. I'm getting a lot more familiar with it but still reluctant to remove any of the main/larger bodywork.

[Mike H]

You can get used to it. I've had mine apart several times and got fairly slick at it. A battery power screwdriver is a must, for all the screws. Speeds it up no end. To remove either of the large rear side panels (e.g., get access to air filter) all the back end has to come off. This is especially a pain if you also got the Schad rear carrier which has to come off too. Nevertheless can become a routine.

draining gear oil that it will drip onto wheel if left on either stand. Best to hold a container up to drain

This sounds familiar. I believe I used my old filling jug standing on a thin brick with the spout underneath the drain hole.

Bear in mind in all the above mine was the 350.

[Noggin the Nog]

FWIW: on the 350 I managed to get the lid off the air filter by attacking the finger screws from above(internal access panel removed) or below (me lying down with some good torches to see what's there), whichever drew the least blood.
I managed to replace the rear shocks just by removing the exhaust & those two big round plugs in the rear of the underseat bucket (just don't do both at once   )

[ramjet]

Unfortunately the 500 doesn't have finger screws so complete removal seems to be the easiest way. At this rate by the time I find all the short cuts it will be time to trade/sell!