Guide to Choosing Oil for 4-Stroke Scooters

4-stroke scooters have become a trend in recent years in Vietnam. Although widely used, very few people pay attention to selecting the appropriate oil for their vehicles. This article from Huynh Chau will outline the important criteria to help you properly choose oil for your 4-stroke scooter.

1. Choose oil with the appropriate volume

Select oil that matches your vehicle's volume.

The first criterion when choosing oil is its volume. Each type of vehicle has a different oil capacity, and you can find information about your vehicle model online or directly contact the place where you purchased it for assistance.

Motorcycles in Vietnam typically have volumes ranging from 800ml to 1 liter. Therefore, oils from major brands like Repsol always offer two volume options for each product. Before changing the oil, you need to accurately determine your vehicle's oil capacity; insufficient oil will lead to inadequate lubrication, increasing the risk of overheating and engine wear. Conversely, excess oil will consume more energy during operation, making the engine heavier and reducing power output.

2. Choose oil with suitable specifications

Read the specifications printed on the bottle to select the right type of oil.

Each bottle of oil contains specifications provided by the supplier to help users choose the correct type of oil they need. Among these, three important specifications to pay attention to are the API standard, SAE viscosity, and JASO standard.

The API standard of oil is a classification level used to classify the quality of gasoline and diesel engine oils. For gasoline engines, quality levels are marked as API SA, API SB, API SC... up to API SN, which is the highest level. The higher the oil quality grade, the better the protection for the engine, fuel economy, and environmental protection.

Therefore, you should prioritize oils with a high API rating from SL to SN. Today, reputable and long-established oil brands generally meet the API SN quality standard, notably Repsol. Products from this brand are highly recommended by experts and receive positive reviews from consumers.

SAE viscosity is indicated by the specification xWy, such as 5W40, 10W40, 20W50... This specification indicates whether the oil is thick or thin; each vehicle type is recommended by manufacturers to use specific viscosity levels. You can find this information in the user manual or directly contact the supplier. For everyday commuting needs, commonly used viscosity ratings are SAE 10W30, 10W40, and 5W40.

The JASO standard evaluates oils used for Japanese gasoline engines. Motorcycle oils are primarily