Suzuki VanVan 125 (2003-2016) Maintenance Schedule

This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the Suzuki VanVan 125 (also known as the RV125), the first veneration of the compact do-it-all bike made by Suzuki.

The Suzuki VanVan 125 is based on a very simple 125 cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine. It has a single overhead cam and two valves. The engine is carburettor-fed. Final drive is via a six-speed gearbox and chain.

In 2017, Suzuki introduced the Suzuki VanVan 200, replacing the original VanVan with a larger, fuel-injected engine.

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Suzuki VanVan 125 Service Intervals

Maintenance intervals for the Suzuki VanVan 125 are every 2500 miles or 4000 km, or every 20 months (an odd period) — whichever comes earlier.

At every service, you need to change the oil and check the valve clearances, plus do a host of other checks. You change the spark plug every second service.

More detail in the maintenance schedule below.

What you need to service the Suzuki VanVan 125 (RV125)

The Suzuki VanVan 125 didn’t change significantly during its long tenure, so the parts below are applicable for every year in it was released.

Part	Suzuki VanVan 125 spec
Engine oil	Suzuki recommends 10W-40 oil of API rating SG or higher and JASO rating MA or API rating of SG or higher. They recommend Suzuki Performance 4 motor oil, but a decent alternative is a mid-grade synthetic like Motul 5100 10W-40.
Oil filter	Use a Hiflofiltro part HF132, a high-quality drop-in replacement that you can change with a normal wrench.
Spark plug	The standard spark plug is a NGK CR8E or Denso U24ESR-N.
Air filter cleaner.	Use a non-flammable air cleaner solvent to clean the air filter (e.g. the K&N Air Filter Cleaning Kit)
Air filter	The part number for the air filter is 13780-13G02. (THis is the same part for the later model)
Chain maintenance	Use a Motul chain care kit to maintain the chain.
Brake fluid	Use a DOT 4, e.g. Castrol DOT 4 Synthetic.
Cable maintenance	Use Protect all cable life to keep those cables maintained.
General greasing	Use Lithium soap-based grease.

Suzuki VanVan 125 — Maintenance Parts

Maintenance schedule for the Suzuki VanVan 125

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Suzuki VanVan 125. It is re-ordered slightly from the manual for convenience, but has the same basic content.

Notes

Keep servicing it every 2500 miles / 4000 km as needed, following the pattern shown.
You have to replace the fluids periodically, like on any motorcycle — brake fluid every 2 years and rubber hoses every 4 years.
Since the VanVan 125 / RV125 is no longer sold, the break-in schedule is omitted.

Legend for the maintenance schedule

I = Inspect, clean, adjust, replace, or lubricate as necessary
R = Replace
T = Tighten

km x 1000	4	8
mi x 1000	2.5	5
Months	20	40	Every
Engine oil (Motul 5100 10W-40)	R	R
Engine oil filter (HF132)	–	R	2 oil changes
Air cleaner (13780-13G02)	I	I	Clean as necessary
Spark plug (NGK CR8E)	I	R
Valve clearances	I	I
Brake pads	I	I
Drive chain (Motul chain paste)	I	I	Clean/lubricate every 600 miles (1000 km) or as needed
Brake fluid (Castrol DOT 4)	I	I	Replace every 2 years
Brake hose	I	I	Replace every 4 years
Throttle cable play	I	I
Idle speed	I	I
Clutch cable play	I	I
Steering (smooth operation)	I	–
Front fork	I	–
Rear suspension	I	–
Tires (tread depth, wear)	I	I
Chassis bolts and nuts	T	T
General lubrication (Lithium soap-based grease)			Lubricate every 1000 km (600 mi)

Suzuki VanVan 200 maintenance Schedule

Tyre sizes and pressures

The VanVan 125 has fat tube-type tyres.

Here are the recommended tyre sizes and pressures for the Suzuki VanVan 125.

Wheel	Tyre (Tire) size	Tyre (Tire) pressure
Front	130/80-18 M/C 66P, tube type	125 kPa / 1.25 bar / 18 psi
Rear	180/80-14 M/C 78P, tube type	125 kPa / 1.25 bar / 18 psi

Tyre sizes and pressures for the Suzuki Van Van 125

The same tyre pressures are recommended whether 1 or 2 up. But adjust as you feel is suitable for your level of cargo or the road conditions.

Suzuki kept the tyre sizes constant for the VanVan 200.

About the Suzuki VanVan 125

The original VanVan was the 125 — the ultimate do-it-all simple backroads scrambler from Suzuki.

But what made the VanVan 125 special? Simple — its simplicity. This is an unpretentious bike with very few features, the only one being that it does what it looks like it does, and it’s also pretty cool looking.

The VanVan 125 is based on a 125 cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine. It has a single overhead cam and two valves. Fuelling is via a Mikuni BS26 carburettor, and the final drive is a six speed gearbox.

It makes peak power of 9 kW or 12 hp at a surprisingly high 9500 rpm, but nobody is really counting horses.

Suzuki dropped the sixth gear for the VanVan 200, interestingly.

One of the more unusual things about the VanVan 200 that often gets mentioned is the unusual tire sizes, both front and rear. This means that, hypothetically, if you’re in the middle of nowhere and you need new rubber, you might find it more difficult than on a traditional dual sport like the DR-Z250.

The Suzuki VanVan 125 has, as you might expect, non-adjustable suspension and a front disc brake but rear drum brake.

One thing people often mention alongside the VanVan 125 is that its build quality is a little on the … not so good side. Even though it’s marketed as an off-roader or beach buggy, it’s not uncommon for people to find examples of rust on the chassis or forks if it’s exposed to harsh elements too much.

However, the RV125 has a very under-stressed engine and is known for lasting a very long time.

Maintenance on the VanVan 125 is easy, which is lucky, as it comes up really often – every 4000 km or 2500 miles. A valve inspection is recommended at every one of those intervals.

Valve adjustment for the RV125 is via a lock nut and manual adjuster, so bringing it within spec is very easy.