Description
When to replace the piston?
To find out when the piston on your motorcycle, scooter or moped needs to be replaced, it's best to check your bike's manual. You can also keep an eye out for certain symptoms such as loss of compression, loss of power or oil consumption (only for a four-stroke piston).
Extending Piston life
To extend the life of the piston and reduce cylinder wear, it is recommended that you replace the piston rings on an alternating basis. This method maximizes piston life and improves engine performance.
It is important that you replace cylinder gaskets and piston circlips each time you disassemble the cylinder and piston. Failure to do so can result in oil leaks and engine damage.
Aluminium cylinders
Aluminium cylinders are more powerful than cast iron cylinders, but require more regular maintenance and must be combined with different components such as a reinforced crankshaft and a larger carburetor.
How to run in an aluminium cylinder?
Aluminium cylinders should be run in for about 200 kilometers , and you should use a fully synthetic engine oil.
Note: To ensure optimum performance and reliability, it is advisable to measure the squish clearance. Just have a look at our tutorial How to adjust squish clearance.