After having owned a splendor for 4 years from 1998 and having clocked about 45000 kms, i can say that I have mastered the art of maintainence as well as riding. So far I have not suffered any major problems except for the usual like shocker oil seals bursting due to bad quality of roads and brake shoes changed.
I will give below the pros and cons of the bike as well as it’s maintainance tips.
Pros:1)very comfortable to ride for long distances as seating geometry is excellent.2)excellent fuel average in the range of 60 kms+. please note that more fuel average can be achieved but at the cost of engine life.3)location of parts and accessibility superb.4)best suspension on 2 wheels though a little on the softer side.5)instrument cluster most attractive.6)build quality, paint, plating, and quality of fasteners used top class.
Cons: Low engine life being a four stroke and also because power is developed at a very high engine rpm of 8500 and at a high compression ratio of 9:1.engine life factor:1.31
For the benefit of readers: Engine life factor is calculated as: 100000/max rpm of engine x compression ratio of engine. So higher the elf the longer the engine will last.
Riding tips .After starting the bike shift gears quickly and never rev the bike in 1st gear as the first gear is very tall. Immediately shift to 3rd gear at speeds above 20km/hr.the secret for high fuel average is to keep the bike on the right gear at the right engine speed.
Maintainance: check engine oil each day before starting the engine and top up if low.always use choke before starting and after starting the engine do not accelerate when bike is idling.after starting the engine immediately put the bike on the side stand and close the choke.this will bring all the engine oil to the magneto side and help in quick lubrication of timing chain and gear box and valves.let the bike idle for at least 5 minutes before taking off and keep the clutch lever pressed while the bike is idling as it will increase the life of clutch.always keep the drive chain correctly adjusted and well lubricated.never use grease to lubricate the chain, as it will attract dirt.use engine oil.always keep the silent block bushes well lubricated as they take the full load of the pillion rider and will also prevent premature tyre wear.every week remove pieces of glass, stones and flints from the rear
and front tyres.
Always keep the fuel tap in off position even if bike is not used for 1 minute and before parking the bike for long period’s always close fuel tap and let the bike idle till the engine dies naturally, this will burn all the stored fuel in the carburettor and this will increase the life of carburettor float and prevent it’s breakage. A new float costs rs 500.00.once in a month lubricate the speedometer cable at both ends as it will keep the cable smooth and prevent it from breaking.lubricate the clutch lever and the spring and the cable on the crankcase cover or else the clutch spring will break.keep the main stand axle, side stand spring, well oiled.and finally always use genuine oil mitsubishi 4t+ and change religiously at 2000 kms.always keep air filter clean.for those who can afford, use nulon, a teflon based additive and add it to the engine oil after the engine oil has been changed, this will increase the life of piston and rings and give the critical start up protection.nulon costs rs 70.00 for a 50ml tin and is effective upto 30, 000 kms.new owners should use nulon only after running in of the engine is complete after 5000 kms. Follow these tips and the bike will easily clock 55000 kms before it requires a over haul.