Forum

[Gwilly]

Just to say i agree with Presto, 20/50 in the UK with its changeable temperature is the best thing to preserve the oil pump worm drive, which is fragile enough without trying to force treacle around a cold engine.. However i also agree with all the Simons, black oil is a definite NO NO. vital to change regularly regardless what type you use..

Can't believe Bertie's buddy can be such a plonker!!! Darn just realised i've been drawn into another oil thread... Hey Ho...

[Bullet Whisperer]

The way I see it is while we're putting straight 50 grade [diesel engine] oil into our engines to see if they like it, why not also inflate the tyres to 70 psi, like so many diesel vans and trucks have - after all, it works for them. Mr H must be stocking up with oil pump worms and spindles in anticipation !! Me, I'll carry on putting 20/50 mineral oil into all of them, primary cases and gearboxes included, as, if it works fine, why change something just to find out if it will harm something or not? I shall barricade myself in well now, in readiness for any empty tins of straight 50 that get hurled my way ..

[Norm]

Paul, there is nothing wrong with straight 50 oil in cold climates so long as your throttle cable is routed correctly, the twist grip isn't sticky and the slide works perfectly lol

[simon]

I'm not suggesting a diesel oil although I have no idea what the difference is between it and the straight mineral 50 I use. Hopefully this will only post the once as I truly didn't hit the button more than the once but the iPad seems to have a bit of an issue with this forum.

[Martin]

Athough did considerable mileage on a Velocette Vemon
in rural Ausralia over fifty years ago with BP SEA 50,
just read a few minutes ago Bruce Main-Smith that the
Velocette 24 hour successful record attempt at 100mph
on the Montihery speed bowl they used Castrol 20/40.
Surprised the multi grade oil was around in 1961 and a
lower grade used, and with full bore throttle too.

[Norm]

Gordon, up in QLD the temp never drops enough to cause problems with thick oil

[Leon Novello]

I used Atlantic multigrade 20/50 in my BSA Golden Flash in the 50`s when I rode from Brisbane to Adelaide and back with my wife in a Tilbrook sidecar. The friendly garage man would come out and pump petrol by hand into a large glass measuring bowl (gallons) on top of the pump, poke the nozzle into the tank and release it to run by gravity into the tank and charge me 3 shillings and sixpence. Then we would be off again down the dirt highway in a cloud of dust.

[Presto]

I think the very first multi-grades came in the late 1950s. Btw - on that 24 hour stint on the Velo they put the SAE50 in the gearbox and the multi-grade in the engine.