Does your scooter have a wet clutch? Have you found yourself low on engine oil and wondered if you can use some motorcycle oil in your scooter?

Any oil is better than no oil! Yes, use synthetic motorcycle oil for the best results. Most scooters have a dry clutch, so oil is not an issue. Don’t be tempted to use car oils. They tend to become foamy at high revs and cause you a problem.

Is scooter oil different from motorcycle oil?

They are very similar, and as long as you choose an oil with a JASO ( Japanese Automotive Standards Organisation) certification, you should be fine to use it in your scooter.

The difference comes when you need to add oil to your transmission, do not use motorcycle oil to lubricate your scooter transmission.

Scooter oil and motorcycle oil are typically 10W 40 or 10W 30 oils. As long as you have a decent brand of oil, then you will be safe to use without causing problems to your engine.

For maximum protection, use synthetic oil for better lubrication and thermal dynamics for dissipating heat from the engine.

Keep in mind some scooters on the road have 650cc engines, so things have changed from the days of riding a smokey Vespa or Lambretta to pick your girlfriend up.

What oil should I use in my scooter?

Choose a brand you feel comfortable with. Maybe Mobile or Castrol is your preferred choice. 10W 40 or 10W 30 JASO MB is the oil specified for your scooter.

Branded engine oils offer a little more than lubrication, and they provide your engine with durability due to the guaranteed protection levels of the oil.

Be sure to choose the JASSO MB; these are suitable for scooters, while the JASO MA is designed for manual motorcycles.

If your scooter is your daily ride and you eat the miles commuting, it’s recommended that 10W 40 synthetic oil is used to provide maximum protection to your engine.

The 10W 30 synthetics will provide you with adequate protection for your engine for light use.

It is essential to point out that you should not under any circumstances use motorcycle engine oil JASO MA to lubricate your gearbox. It could cause untold damage and render the scooter economically unviable to repair.

Can you use any oil for a scooter?

No. Using any oil for your scooter will cause excessive wear and premature damage to the engine components.

It is vital to use the recommended oils for a scooter which are likely to be 10W 40 or 10W 30. These oils have the correct viscosity to protect your engine.

The JASO ( Japanese Automotive Standards Organisation) certification is recommended when selecting a scooter oil; you can be sure it has undergone rigorous tests to be certified as suitable for use in your scooter.

JASO MB is formulated especially for scooters, while JASO MA is used on manual motorcycles.