Reposted from our blog article regarding Maintenance:
Oil is one of the single most important aspects of a 4 stroke motor. It's what keeps everything moving and revolving smoothly. We have found that oil changes every 1000 miles keeps the Ruckus motor running at top shape. This minimizes deposit buildup and keeps things running smoothly. Engine oil lubricates and cleans the inside of a motor, and as it gets used the effectiveness of oil decreases. The Honda Ruckus has a smaller engine area so buildup can happen fast in these areas. This is why we believe a shorter oil change interval is recommended for these small motors. On our shop builds, we do oil changes at 500 mile intervals with 10w-40 full synthetic oil. This is because we like to pound on the Ruckus motor with high RPMs and build up and oil breakdown can help sooner. We also change the crush washer behind the oil drain bolt to ensure no leaks develop at the drain hole. After you have started racking up the miles on your Ruckus, it is also wise to gave the motor a good cleaning. Not only will this make your Ruckus look cleaner but also help you detect any oil leaks that may be forming and address them if needed.
