2 stroke quad bike – the correct oil mixture

I’m not sure about you but if it came to buying a kids quad bike. I’d have had not a clue about the oil mixture, or even that you had to mix oil in the first place. Definitely I would have assumed that I could just whack the petrol in and off they went. Turns out I would have also been very wrong and probably blown it up!

Why do you have to mix it?

The shortest answer is simply that it helps to keep the engine lubricated. ( I am fully aware the 5 year old in everyone is now giggling at the word lubricant!), may have stifled a little snigger myself) But it really is that simple! Without lubricant everything can’t work properly. I could bore you with the technicalities , talking about crank cases and more. But realistically all you truly need to know is how to actually mix it and what happens if you use too much or too little oil.

What happens if you put in too much oil?

In a 2 stroke is added to the fuel. If too much oil is added you will cover everything in oil. This can stop it sparking and even if it does spark, It can create a massive amount of smoke or drown the engine.

And if you put in too little oil?

Running a 2 stroke engine with too little oil can destroy your engine.. The oil in the oil/petrol mixture helps to cool the piston and cylinder by keeping them properly lubricated. Without lubrication, the metals inside can melt and potentially grate against each other, permanently distorting them.
In laymans terms it will probably go BANG!

So what is the correct oil mixture?

Getting this mixture correct is vital! If it is incorrect you could damage your kids mini quad bikes or end up with a massive cleaning job on your hands. Nobody wants to be left stuck stripping and cleaning it all. Especially if you aren’t sure what you’re doing in the first place. Generally speaking it has a ratio of 50 – 1. However always make sure that you check the manufacturers instructions as sometimes this can vary.

Thanks for reading. Whilst you’re here why not check out the post about the difference between 12v and 24v batteries on ride on toys. Fountain of knowledge these days!