QLINK MOTOR BLOG

High Octane Fuel Makes Engine Last Longer and Perform Better

QLINK recommends that all of our units be run on high octane fuel (93 octane). We recommend this because all of our power sports units run on engines with high-compression ratios that are more prone to pre-ignition and detonation than average car motor. Using the incorrect fuel for your motor can cause serious damage to your unit that will turn into a costly non-warranty situation. 

 

The first thing to know is the definition of an Octane Rating in terms of fuel; the Fuel Octane Level is the measure of resistance of gasoline to pre-ignition and detonation (commonly referred to as “engine knocking”) in internal combustion engines (like the one on your QLINK unit). The Octane Rating of fuel does not measure the quality of the fuel or necessarily guarantee increased performance should you use it; it measures the fuel’s ability to resist pre-ignition and detonation, which would cause serious engine damage.

 

Detonation is when the fuel in an engine ignites at too low of a temperature.  This sends powerful shock waves through the combustion chamber before the piston reaches top dead center, causing force on the piston that works against the connecting rods and crankshaft. This force is converted into dangerous strain and heat that is absorbed by the engine. These premature shockwaves also force the unburned, boundary, lubricating layer of fuel/air mixture off of the walls of the combustion chamber, causing distinct rings of carbon build up on the piston and cylinder wall. These rings are only distinct when burning low octane fuel.

 

So how does a higher octane fuel prevent pre-ignition and detonation? The higher Octane Rating the fuel has, the more Activation Energy it has, and since Activation Energy is the energy required to start a chemical reaction, a Higher Octane Fuel will take more heat and pressure before it ignites, which will translate into more time for the piston to reach top dead center before the fuel will ignite and send shockwaves through the chamber.  With this correct timing the piston can properly absorb the shock, and turn it into useful power by working with (not against) the other movable engine parts!

 

An Octane Rating of 87 means that the fuel is made up of 87% hydro-carbons with a very high resistance to detonation, or very high detonating temperature; and 13% of the fuel is made of hydro-carbons with a very low resistance to detonation, they are very reactive to temperature and pressure. As the Octane Rating of a fuel goes up, so does the percent of the fuel made up of resistant hydro-carbons, translating to proper ignition timing and resistance to detonation.

 

As you can see, since all QLINK units have high-compression ratios, meaning they work with high amounts of pressure and heat, QLINK must insist that you spend the extra dollar to fill up your tank with the highest rated gas at your local station in order to prevent pre-ignition and detonation; this is the only way to prevent serious engine damage that would be deemed non-warranty due to the use of improper fuel.

QLINK UTV/ATV TIMING INSTRUCTION

Many dealers asked us how to time cylinder head if they ever need to repair cylinder head. The tricky part of replacing cylinder head is to make sure it is timed correctly. There are some marks on the cylinder parts that you have to match in order to let it run smoothly. Fail to match those spots will cause noise when the engine is on. QLINK technical team has made the video to show you how to time UTV/ATV correctly. The video used Rodeo 500 as an example, but it will be almost same procedure when you do FrontRunner 500/700. However, this repair should only be performed by skilled repair shops or dealership. QLINK does not recommend consumers doing it by themselves. Below please see the video for instruction.

Engine Break-In Procedure

The most important time in an engine’s life is the first 600-1000 miles (950-1600 kilometers), or the break-in period. How the bike is driven in this period will determine how the engine will run for the rest of its life and how long it will last. New engines have not had time to seat the compression rings to the cylinder walls, this is the main purpose of the Break-In Period. There is a lot of controversy out there about the proper break in method for a new bike and, as is the case, we decided to do some research and get with our QLINK technicians as well to see what they recommend as the best Break-In Procedure. We have outlined what we have deemed the best way below!

 

In general, with any unit, it is important that you vary the speed and RPM (take them up and down) that the engine is driven at for the first 600 miles (950 km) without pushing the unit too hard by red lining it or driving with the throttle wide open. Do not attempt to reach top speed within the break-in period. Below is a chart of the speed/RPM that QLINK recommends you should not exceed during this time:

 

Engine CC	Break-In Limit
50 cc	25 mph
150 cc	40 mph
200-250 cc	50 mph
400 cc +	4,000 RPM

 

To avoid possible damage to the engine, QLINK also recommends that you do not put your new unit through any long term highway use within the first 600 miles (950 km).  Remember, this break-in period is allowing your engine to set perfectly within itself; this will result in small metal shavings in your engine oil as its continuous motion creates a smooth path for the movable parts. For this reason, we require an oil change at least 600 miles (950 km) into your engine’s life; however, many enthusiasts feel that changing the oil within the first 200-300 miles (350-500 km) is ideal since the bulk of the Break-In should be done at that point and running that metal filled oil through your engine could lead to serious issues.

 

While many people feel that the Break-In Period is bothersome and want to just get out on the open road, you must remember those first miles on your bike are the most crucial. Taking it slow and breaking the engine in properly will provide optimal performance and the biggest reward for the bike, and for you, in the long run!

Oil Changes Keep Your Vehicle Up and Running

Changing the oil is one of the most fundamental steps in caring for all motor vehicles.  Often times, small problems due to old, sludgy oil or the use of improper oil will snowball into much large issues that could have been easily avoided. The first step in oil maintenance is getting to know about your vehicle. Does your QLINK unit have a screen or an oil filter? Does it have a separate compartment for gear oil or does it share its engine oil with its gears? 

The four main types of engine oil to use on your unit are 10W-30, 10W-40, 20W-40 and 20W-50. 10W-40 is the most recommended by our QLINK technicians. However, you must also take the temperature of your area and how it affects the oil into consideration. In warmer areas you may want to move to a thicker oil, such as 10W-40, and in very hot climates it is good to move to an even thicker oil such as 20W-(40 or 50).  You can look to your owner’s manuall for a detailed chart on this.

 

QLINK recommends performing the first oil change at 600 miles and then the rest should be done at about 1,800 mile intervals. For that first oil change your engine should take about 1.0 L of oil and then only 0.8 L consecutively after that.  You also need to know if your unit has an oil screen or an oil filter. For QLINK units, only the XF 200, XP 200, FrontRunner 700/500, and Rodeo 700/500/400 have an oil filter, which should be changed each time the oil is changed. All other QLINK models have an oil screen, which can be cleaned out in solution and replaced until about every third oil change, then it should be replaced with a new one.

The other thing that you should change regularly is the gear oil. This is usually separate from the engine oil and oil labeled “Gear Oil” should be used. The only QLINK units that share engine oil with the gears are the XF 200, XP 200, Legend 250, and the Rodeo 90; these units do not have separate compartments and you should not worry about changing the gear oil on them. For all other units, QLINK recommends that you change the gear oil whenever you change the engine oil, however, many people find it okay to only change the gear oil every other time (we recommend doing this when the oil is slightly warm, but not hot, to allow for complete draining).

 

Remember, every engine is slightly different and your climate can have an effect the engine and the type of oil it needs.  Always check with your owner’s manual or dealership if you have any questions at all in reference to your oil.  QLINK always recommends that you have dealership or repair shop to perform any maintenance or repair for your vehicle. Without correct procedure, you could damage your vehicle and void warranty. It will also be a good idea to keep record of all your maintenance just in case we need for warranty purpose.

QLINK Battery Crossover Guide

Lately more and more customers asked us what type of battery they need to replace the old one on their QLINK bikes. There are many batteries in the market, but to pick up compatible batteries for your QLINK bikes, you will need the model numbers of current batteries to crossover other brand's batteries. As a result, our Inside QLINK team made the chart below outlining the batteries we use on QLINK bikes. You may just tell your local battery store the model number of your battery and they should be able to find the compatible battery for you. To avoid ordering wrong batteries, you can also order directly from QLINK Online Store.

Type	Model Name	Battery Model	Voltage/Amp
Motorcycle	Legacy 250	YTX7A-BS	12V 10Ah
Motorcycle	Sapero 250	YTX7A-BS	12V 10Ah
Motorcycle	Legend 250	12N9-4B-1	12V 9Ah
Scooter	Commuter 250	YTX7A-BS	12V 10Ah
Scooter	Pegasus 150	YTX7A-BS	12V 6Ah
Scooter	Siena 150	YTX7A-BS	12V 6Ah
Scooter	Achilles 150	YTX7A-BS	12V 6Ah
Scooter	Hawk 50	UT4L-BS	12V 7Ah
Scooter	Axon 50	UT4L-BS	12V 7Ah
Scooter	Star 50	YTX4L-BS	12V 3Ah
UTV	FrontRunner 700	UB12350	12V 35 Ah
UTV	FrontRunner 500	UB12350	12V 35 Ah
ATV	Rodeo 700	UB16CL-B	12V 16Ah
ATV	Rodeo 500	UB16CL-B	12V 16Ah
ATV	Rodeo 90	CB7L-B	12V 7Ah

If you have further questions about your battery, please refer to your vehicle’s Owner’s Manual or an Authorized QLINK Dealer. You can find a dealer near you by typing your zip code into our Dealer Locator at the top right of www.qlinkmotor.com!

Getting Battery Ready

When asking around about what shops do in order to charge and prepare a battery for the initial set up of a vehicle, we received a large variety of answers. Like many other things in the technical world, different mechanics like to do things in different ways.  After sitting down with our QLINK service department and talking about this issue, we have come up with what QLINK feels the best way to get the maximum charge and performance out of our new batteries; which I outlined below!

1. Take the battery and fluid to a designated area that is stable and free of clutter.
   
2. Carefully pour the battery fluid into the battery.
    
3. Leave the cap off of the battery and let it sit for approximately 30 miutes. The acid will need this time to work out its bubbles and settle down.
   
4. Put the cap on the battery and hook it to a trickle charge. Let it charge up like this for at least 8-10 hours.
   
5. Check the charge of battery to be sure that it has reached its full potential. If it has not, it may need a little longer on the charger.
   

After following this procedure, the battery should be good and ready to go! 

 

 

Reset Oil Light On Commuter 250

Many Commuter 250 riders find themselves bringing in their Commuter to get the oil in the engine checked out due to a little oil light on the dashboard that comes on.  The first thing you need to know is that this does NOT mean that there is a problem, this is just the Commuter’s way of letting you know that it is about time for a routine oil change.  When you have completed this routine oil change you can get the light to turn off and reset itself by following the steps below.

1. Place the key in the ignition and turn it to the 'On' position.
    
2. Press and hold down the 'Hour', 'Minute', and 'Trip' buttons on the instrument panel all at the same time.
    
3. After several seconds, you should see the engine light turn off. Now you can release these buttons.
    

If, for some reason, the Engine Oil Light will not turn off, please repeat this procedure or contact your QLINK dealer for assistance.