[donkey]

That's the question...
'Cause Enfields have independent oils for engine, clutch and gear box, Can we use car oil in engine without any risk? There's no risk for clutch slipagge in engine carter  and the anti friction additives of car oils maybe benefits our engines...
Isn't it?

[erob123]

Any info I can get on recommended oil would be good.  I pickup my new 08 Military next weekend.  I will be riding HOT! Houston Texas.   Its the last of the iron heads.  Thanks, Eric

[Vince]

     Modern car oils are made for modern cars with very tight tolerances and very high oil pressure. At best car oils are barely adequate in a bike like the Enfield.   Use a motorcycle specific 20W50.  Search my previous posts for more details.

[Vince]

     See 4-12, 3-3,1-19 ,08 and 11-27-o7

[StL_Stadtroller]

Hooray an oil thread!

For what the iron engine RE's were designed to run on, I would bet money that the cheapest, nastiest, bottom-barrel bargian oil you can find at your FLAPS is about 1-billion-times superior than what it would have had in it "in the day".

I just grab whatever 20-50ish weight oil is on sale. 16,xxx-odd miles on my '01, rolling up on 2,xxx on the new '07.
No lubrications issues, ever.

[Vince]

     Brian, you are right as far as you go. Modern oils are certainly better than ever. Does this mean you should settle for the minimum available today? I'm not saying to get the most expensive racing oil you can find. The motorcycle specific oils I recommend simply do a better job than can believe. You can double your engine life by   up grading  your oil.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

Just to offer a different perspective, this has been debated ad infinitum on the Ural boards. The Ural is similarly old tech, and the factory suggests regular Castrol GTX 20-50. The maintenance CD's show Chevron 20W-50 being used.
The consensus is that because of the frequent oil changes (2500 km, 1500 mile OCI) a good quality auto dino oil is fine.

Now, if we want a good debate, let's chat about K&N air filters.

[t120rbullet]

Now, if we want a good debate, let's chat about K&N air filters.

Is it OK to use synthetic automotive oil on your K&N?
I was under the understanding that being slippery the dirt would just slip right by the filter.
 

[mikail gransee]

20w 50 is recommended for my '95 in the manual. Always buy mineral type not synthetic because I once heard that the synthetic will hold the heat and on an air cooled bike that is not a wise thing. Motorcycle oil is not really required since the clutch is separate. Do use ATF for the Primary Case though and have never had any trouble of slipage after 8K.

[donkey]

i'm talking about to use a 20W50-API SG-JASO MB (MA is the recomended oil for motorcycles with wet clutch for no slipagge) in engien carter.

[LJRead]

Now, if we want a good debate, let's chat about K&N air filters.

Would very much like to hear what you have to say, Ridge Wheeltor, as I just ordered one for mine.  I have a Dell'Orto carb which was standard issue for a Machismo A350 (2002) and it was running with black smoke at idle, no matter what I'd do.  So finally I remove the OEM air filter and now it is in a range where I can at least fine tune (very rich running carb).  Can you comment here or would you be more comfortable starting a separate thread?  I will run without an air filter until the new K & N arrives - air not too bad here now that most main roads are sealed.

With regard to motorcycle oil, I'm using BP 20-50 and it seems fine.  Double life of engine, Vince? I would if I could get what I knew to be a better oil, but this is what we have here and what I am forced to use.  My oil goes by the moniker "something 3000".  There is also a 2000 sold here, which says it is also good for motorcycles, but I sort of think they are very similar, the 2000 and 3000, and the 2000 is only sold by one store at about 15% more cost.  As it is, I pay about $6 U.S. per litre.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

LJ,
The K&N discussion elicits some of the passionate debate similar to the dino vs. synthetic debate.
One can argue the worth of having a permanent filter, needing oiling (time involved) vs the ease of a throwaway paper element, or the problems encountered when over oiling, but that is aside from the main debate.
The main reason many give for the K&N is that it "gives more power". It does this by allowing more air in (and subsequently you re jet to prevent a lean condition). Now think about that. It lets more air in because it filters less. The holes are bigger and if you hold a K&N up to the light, you can see right through many of them. This allows more dirt in. Test have been done where the silicate matter in the oil increases considerably using a K&N. Many on car forums complain about map sensors failing because of the dust let in.
One of the best forums for all questions regarding oil is www.bobistheoilguy.com
These guys are oil nuts and actually test their oil by sending off samples to labs. They have a motorcycle section and an air cleaner section. Do a search on there for K&N and you will find some interesting discussions. To me, the price of a K&N, plus the maintenance does not win out over a disposeable filter. Then add in the possibility of it not filtering sufficiently, and I don't see the disadvantages outweighing the supposed small increase in power. Just my opinion, others may vary.

[LJRead]

Thanks for the post, Ridge.  Funny thing is that last night I ordered a K & N on Amazon, then just moments ago it was canceled by the vendor, no reason given, though they may have seen I was overseas and not wanted to deal with me. I have things shipped to my wife there, but pay for it from here.  S--- happens.

I had read about seeing light through the filter, but assumed that maybe small vortices of whirling air might be internally set up that would fling the particles onto the oil in the filter, but your info on actual tests done on the oil itself seems pretty conclusive to me.  It isn't silicates I would worry here about but the very fine dust that running over coral can raise.  And I can't use the OEM filter (of which I have four) because it restricts my carb to the point that it definitely isn't getting enough air., and I found I can't compensate without maybe ordering in smaller jets.

So what to do?

Damn thing is that when I ordered the air filter i also ordered a kit to renew the filter and they came from two different places, and the kit has already been sent.   I'll only be out maybe $15 with the shipping, but it isn't good.

Think I'll do a little more digging and see what I can come up with.

Any other air filtering suggestions you've read about?  The air is generally clean here, so maybe just run without.  We should be back in the old biking days when they never worried about filtering the air!

Anyway, many thanks,

LJ

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

The newer Urals come with a JR (or is it J&R?) filter that is a permanant filter, gauze, and supposedly goes almost a lifetime without oiling. They are French, and have a good reputation, not as porous as the K&N. Read their website and maybe pick one of them up and still use the K&N treatment kit you have. I have one in my Ural, and while I blow it off with compressed air, have yet to service it. Should be readily available in Europe.

[oldsalt]

I'm with Vince.  For sure don't use oil for a liquid cooled engine in an air cooled engine when the motorcycle spec. stuff is available.  Absolutely nothing less than 50 weight.  In my youth I had a Gold Star that was used for brush bashing.  Used 60 weight.  If my Bullet was going to be rode hard in the summer heat I'd again be thinking about 60 weight.