Leave It To The Experts

Last Saturday’s trip gave me quiet a scare. Halfway to Bukidnon, I was going downhill into this zigzag road on 2nd gear, near the bottom, it seesawed out of control. Good thing I had my hand firmly on both foot break and hand break. When I reached the bottom, after two spurts of smoke, my moped stopped altogether.
I proceeded to press the electric start, to no avail. I used the crankshaft, nada. All the while, I was praying, “god let this thing start”.

Now, I pray. More so on situations like Saturday’s. Thankfully, after about five minutes, it came to life. After a few meters, I sensed something was wrong, I couldn’t get the same power from the 4-stroke 125cc moped, that I was so used to getting. I went ahead nonetheless, lest, it stopped again and that would be alarming on my part.

A kilometer after, I had another scare, I noticed I was low on gasoline. “Darn”. Another prayer “please please let it reach Malaybalay”. After 29 kilometers of stressful negative thoughts, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the familiar sight of “Welcome to Malaybalay”. I immediately went for gas, with the first gasoline station I came across with. I had full tank and thought “that ought to take care of my problem”. Well, I had another problem. When I started the moped, all I got was this, voluminous smoke coming from the exhaust. A gasoline fed moped shouldn’t do that right? Oh no.

One attendant noticed the smoke (who wouldn’t), and came over to where I was standing. He offered to check and help. After a minute check he opened the air cleaner drain. And viola! A half liter of motorcycle oil flowed. The air cleaner drip shouldn’t do that right? It shouldn’t contain air not oil. Oh no. Well, the shop is a kilometer away. And I bargained (begged) the attendant if he could accompany me (pushing any form of transport is the last on my list, unless I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere. There I can push, with my helmet on.) We walked for 500 meters (thanks Renan the good Samaritan), good thing Bukidnon is this one big hilly place, the main road was downhill from there on, so, we went free-wheeling until we reached the shop.

And they found this. Almost two liters of motorcycle oil. It went up to the air cleaner and out of the exhaust that’s why it was belting oodles of smoke. Oh no.
But the mechanic said, I’m fine there was no damage, and asked me who put so much oil in the moped? Uhm, I replied, dunno, my mechanic? (I dare not say I was the one who put additional oil before I left for Malaybalay, sorry Mike hehe). They drained the moped of the excess oil (took out one liter), cleaned the air cleaner and tighten the chain. The mechanic said, i shouldn't worry about the little smoke, it will dissipate eventually.

And off I went. Lesson learned, never ever self medicate, leave it to the experts.