New Member First Oil Change

[scootzilla]

So I just joined the site and am excited to be here! I picked up my 08 Ruckus 3 weeks ago and have allready put over 600 miles on it!!! I am a college sudent and do a lot of commuting around campus and to work and back. I'm sure this has allready been posted but any good tips for the first oil cange? I don't want to screw it up before i make the first payment on it! ;D

[Kami no Chiizu]

I got my Ruckus when I was going to college (back before ASU was a three time national champion, I just like to throw that out), it's wonderful for that kind of stuff (and a host of other things).

Oil change is really simple. Just follow the directions, and make sure not to overfill it or overtighten the drain bolt. Oh, and make sure you get a container large enough to hold the oil that you're emptying out. I'm terrible about stuff like that and made a big mess the first time I changed my girl's oil.

[scootzilla]

Any specific oil? Also I was wondering what type of coolant to use. Thanks for the replys! I love my new Ruck. Best thing to get around school. I find myself just going out and riding town for the fun of it!

[Kami no Chiizu]

Pretty much whatever oil you prefer.

[Dandy Dan]

Regarding the oil, you can use car oil because we don't have a wet clutch like a motorcycle. I would say use good oil (synthetic) and a tad thicker than recommended (i.e. 10w40) to help the bearings last.....something like Mobil 1 10w40 or Amsoil's Powersports 0w40 oil.

[scootzilla]

THanks for the replys guys. Went to the Honda dealer and got te recomended honda oil and the change went off fine. Refilled the coolant to normal level. Is there anything else that needs to be done on the 600 mile change. I don't want to forget anything!

[Dandy Dan]

Uhh....just basic stuff (tire psi, check nuts and bolts, check brakes). Doing a valve gap check soon is a good idea but not really essential unless your Ruckus starts slowing down. Also keep an eye on your airfilter but you shouldn't need a new one yet unless you ride in filthy conditions.

[McKenzie]

Well this is just my two cents worth & maybe all in my head but I agree use a good auto oil... 10w-40 should work great in most parts of North America & I've got in the habit of using pure synthetic oil. Little motors like found on most scooters & mopeds are typically run full-throttle most of the time which is hard on an engine & transmission. Synthetic oils don't break down as fast and the manufacturers claim superior engine protection than fossil oils however it is about three times as expensive. There's also synthetic/fossil blends on the market, possibly a good choice although I've never tried them in any of my bikes. Peace out.

[cooterssrt4]

I asked the dealer and he told me dont ever use synthetic. Because it will cause leaks. I thought that was weird but surely they know more than me

[layoungs]

I've used Mobil 1 since 1982: in 5 Subarus, my motorhome, my Ruckus and my generator --it does NOT cause leaks. What you shouldn't do is put it in an engine with a bunch of miles on it, as it does clean up whatever gunk is in there and that may result in a leak. It's also awefully expensive to put in a vehicle that's already leaking, as it will certainly continue leaking.

[chanito]

This is just "my opinion" using synthetic on a ruckus is a WASTE OF MONEY the oil does get contaminated with gas easily on out high revving engines, so no matter which oil you use it should be change at 600 to 1000 miles interval to keep those crank bearing healthy, using regular dyno oil is good enough, the myth of synthetic prone to leaking is just that a myth, also no synthetic will give you more power or miles per gallons, but if you read Mobil1 site you will think synthetic is magical