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[Reds]

Guys,

What is the best engine oil for my 1960 350 bullet ?


Reds

[Bullet Whisperer]

Hi Reds, buy yourself one can of a good quality mineral 20/50 oil. Use it for the engine , gearbox and primary case - even the forks, if you need to. That really is all you need. Regards, Paul.

[papasmurf]

The gearbox as well? Could you expand on that please.(I am somewhat puzzled, given the vast difference between 20/50 and 80 or 90 which have extreme pressure additives.)

[Mark M]

Reds, you said the PO (Previous Owner) gave you a file of info? I'd keep using what he was, certainly until (if!) you need to rebuild anything.

REgards, Mark

[Bullet Whisperer]

Papasmurf, this is a Redditch Bullet we are talking about, not that it makes any difference. My Indian Bullets have 20/50 in everything and get plenty of stick on it. The Redditch gearboxes had a list of engine oils you could put in them. I put 20/50 in mine and they get a hard life, with no ill effects. Modern 80/90 gearbox oils are usually very thin, more like hydraulic oil compared with the old fashioned EP90 of yore and to avoid internal drag I use such oils in the 5 speeders on our racing Enfields, but R.E. never recommended that stuff anyway. Of course if anyone wants to muck about with grease and ATF, and fork oil, go ahead, but it will cost more, for no gains. Regards, Paul.

[papasmurf]

EP80/EP90 thin!!!!!! They will hardly pour out of the bottle.

[Bullet Whisperer]

The stuff from our local filling station is like piss !!

[papasmurf]

I would be VERY suspicious of thin EP80/90. ( I always have both "in stock" due to having three shaft drive motorcycles as well as the Enfield. (The additive I put into the Electra X (ish) gearbox which cured the getting into neutral problem when stopped is 120 grade. There is a reason that came in a squeezy bottle, it is the only way to get it out.)

[Reds]

Thanks guys

Il go with what Mark m said I looked through the paperwork in the folder and he used ducking amd 20 w 50w which from what I found in the history is what it has had put in it for years.

Reds

[Beezabryan]

Hi Reds, Asking "what oil" here is opening a big can of wriggly worms. Everyone has their pet lubes, they all have very plausible reasons for disagreeing with each other and the end result to the asker of the question is total confusion.
Following the previous owner is best particularly where there is such documentation as you are fortunate to have.