Royal Enfield Bullet oil change...

ron_9191 · 24th June 2008, 16:40

Hello BHPians,

I am sure anyone who owns a Bullet goes through this, frequent engine oil changes. Now I don't know whether this is the scene with other Bulleteers but for me the engine oil goes black every 3000kms on the odo.

Now again I've heard that synthetic oils can last longer than that. So can I use synthetic engine oils on my Bullet. Because I ride a lot on it everyday and it is in fact a pain in the butt to drain out the engine oil every 3000km. Please advise.

Cheers!

Ron

simply_sunny001 · 24th June 2008, 16:59

3k kms is right interval for oil change in Bullet.

yes you can use synthetic oil in your bullet and it should do well till 5k kms but no experience of that.

still i feel the cost of Synthetic oil is still not justified if compared to mineral oil (in case you are not driving the vehicle to its limits very very often)

for normal driving,mineral oil should do good.

BTW how fast you complete 3k kms ?

ron_9191 · 24th June 2008, 17:06

Well normally in a month and two weeks or so...

jkdas · 24th June 2008, 17:37

You can get Synthetics for your Bull. But hope you know that they cost 600 or so per lit.

I think its the only bike to have same oil for shocks too.

Sankar · 24th June 2008, 18:25

3000km is the right time to change your engine oil. Use any good quality 20-50W engine oil.

Synthetics are good and they can be used for a longer duration...but the changing interval i cannot tell you because i myself don't know about it.

I have used Synthetic oil in the bike and I have come back to Mineral oil as i didn't find a marginal difference in performance for the extra money i was spending.

jkdas · 24th June 2008, 18:28

How much does Bull need?

I remember seeing Mobil semi-syncs for 400-500rs for 4.5lit in Bangy.

Sankar · 24th June 2008, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkdas

How much does Bull need?

I remember seeing Mobil semi-syncs for 400-500rs for 4.5lit in Bangy.

2.25 liters for the engine. 420ml for the clutch, i don't use the 2050W oil in clutch case.

Those are not semi synthetics that you saw, they're ordinary mineral oils by Mobil.

ron_9191 · 24th June 2008, 19:33

Well I going synthetic for the next oil change, I hope the old bull likes new wine

mohang_j · 24th June 2008, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron_9191

Hello BHPians,

I am sure anyone who owns a Bullet goes through this, frequent engine oil changes. Now I don't know whether this is the scene with other Bulleteers but for me the engine oil goes black every 3000kms on the odo.

Now again I've heard that synthetic oils can last longer than that. So can I use synthetic engine oils on my Bullet. Because I ride a lot on it everyday and it is in fact a pain in the butt to drain out the engine oil every 3000km. Please advise.
Cheers!

Ron

If you have CI engine you can go for 20w50,but if it is AVL stick to 20w40.By changing oil at 3000km you can keep the engine in very good condition.In my experience bullet engines get max benefit with frequent oil changes compared to any other engines.Also don't forget to change oil filters they cost very less, but if you fail to do so the damage is max.In my opinion Synthetic oils are waste in bullet because it requires frequent change than good oil.

Sankar · 24th June 2008, 21:11

I agree with the frequent oil change suggestion.

I'll tell you why there is a disadvantage in prolonging the oil change interval in the Bullet by using a synthetic oil.

Synthetic oils have long change intervals and they don't degrade as easily as mineral oils. And oils they keep the metallic particles and dirt in suspension so that the oil filter can do it's job of catching all these contaminants. And as you know the Bullet has an oil filter just for namesake. It's a cotton cloth wrapped around a tubular metal piece with lot of holes. It's a very crude and inefficient filter.

So all these contaminants suspended in the oil is not caught by the filter. And the oil will keep the contaminants that is not removed by the filter in suspension and takes it around the engine forever and ever till you change the oil and pour in fresh oil.

So long oil change intervals provided by the synthetics is actually doing a bad thing for the engine. Synthetics and long intervals would've been great and acceptable if the Bullet had a modern oil filter. In this respect AVLs are better because it has a comparatively modern filter.

mohang_j · 24th June 2008, 22:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sankar

In this respect AVLs are better because it has a comparatively modern filter.

Yes they have better(?) filters,but the design makes them useless.Since it runs lean temperature in motor is high and if you neglect filter even for short time oil flow to the engine reduces a lot and leads to premature motor failure.We should ensure that we buy genune Purolator filter(i think thats the only manufacturer for bullet, if you know any other please let me know).

Born 2 Be Wild · 25th June 2008, 01:28

Frankly speaking i am no expert in technacalities of the engine, but when i had completed 14500 kms on my bike i opted to use Motul 300v synthetic just to see what the hue and cry about synthetic oils is.

Paid 650 a litre, and till now the only difference i have felt is that there is a consistency in the performance and overall smoothness and that the bike now having done 18400 kms on the odo still runs with the same smoothness it had initially after the oil change.

mohang_j · 26th June 2008, 11:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Born 2 Be Wild

still runs with the same smoothness it had initially after the oil change.

Problem with bullet engine is it will have lot of small metal particles due to ware & tare,these particles when mixed with oil act as fine grinding paste/liquid.By changing oil frequently we will make sure those particles come out of engine.Engine will not get proper oil circulation if these particles block the oil filter

ron_9191 · 28th June 2008, 23:48

Well guys thanks a lot for all your views. I think Sankar is correct in one way. Coz I have a CI engine and it comes with a namesake oil filter. And I believe that can be really dangerous to go for a longer mileage with the same oil. I really didnt think about the ancient oil filter that goes with these bike. But whether you like a Bullet or not, I personally think its a great machine. Partly because of its reliability and partly because there is nothing in the world that comes in its class today. It is truly a classic.

arpandiv · 29th June 2008, 00:04

Oil colour has NOTHING to do with the performance / viscocity of the oil itself.
Use castrol GTX/Magnatec for engine oil.
Use ATF for clutch oil.

24th June 2008, 16:40	#1
ron_9191 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 388 Thanked: 294 Times	Royal Enfield Bullet oil change... Hello BHPians, I am sure anyone who owns a Bullet goes through this, frequent engine oil changes. Now I don't know whether this is the scene with other Bulleteers but for me the engine oil goes black every 3000kms on the odo. Now again I've heard that synthetic oils can last longer than that. So can I use synthetic engine oils on my Bullet. Because I ride a lot on it everyday and it is in fact a pain in the butt to drain out the engine oil every 3000km. Please advise. Cheers! Ron
	() Thanks

24th June 2008, 16:59	#2
simply_sunny001 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: London & Rohtak Posts: 1,340 Thanked: 18 Times View My Garage	3k kms is right interval for oil change in Bullet. yes you can use synthetic oil in your bullet and it should do well till 5k kms but no experience of that. still i feel the cost of Synthetic oil is still not justified if compared to mineral oil (in case you are not driving the vehicle to its limits very very often) for normal driving,mineral oil should do good. BTW how fast you complete 3k kms ?
	() Thanks

24th June 2008, 17:06	#3
ron_9191 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 388 Thanked: 294 Times	Well normally in a month and two weeks or so...
	() Thanks

24th June 2008, 17:37	#4
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	You can get Synthetics for your Bull. But hope you know that they cost 600 or so per lit. I think its the only bike to have same oil for shocks too.
	() Thanks

24th June 2008, 18:25	#5
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,766 Thanked: 9,054 Times	3000km is the right time to change your engine oil. Use any good quality 20-50W engine oil. Synthetics are good and they can be used for a longer duration...but the changing interval i cannot tell you because i myself don't know about it. I have used Synthetic oil in the bike and I have come back to Mineral oil as i didn't find a marginal difference in performance for the extra money i was spending.
	() Thanks

24th June 2008, 18:28	#6
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	How much does Bull need? I remember seeing Mobil semi-syncs for 400-500rs for 4.5lit in Bangy.
	() Thanks

24th June 2008, 19:33	#8
ron_9191 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 388 Thanked: 294 Times	Well I going synthetic for the next oil change, I hope the old bull likes new wine
	() Thanks

24th June 2008, 21:11	#10
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,766 Thanked: 9,054 Times	I agree with the frequent oil change suggestion. I'll tell you why there is a disadvantage in prolonging the oil change interval in the Bullet by using a synthetic oil. Synthetic oils have long change intervals and they don't degrade as easily as mineral oils. And oils they keep the metallic particles and dirt in suspension so that the oil filter can do it's job of catching all these contaminants. And as you know the Bullet has an oil filter just for namesake. It's a cotton cloth wrapped around a tubular metal piece with lot of holes. It's a very crude and inefficient filter. So all these contaminants suspended in the oil is not caught by the filter. And the oil will keep the contaminants that is not removed by the filter in suspension and takes it around the engine forever and ever till you change the oil and pour in fresh oil. So long oil change intervals provided by the synthetics is actually doing a bad thing for the engine. Synthetics and long intervals would've been great and acceptable if the Bullet had a modern oil filter. In this respect AVLs are better because it has a comparatively modern filter.
	() Thanks

25th June 2008, 01:28	#12
Born 2 Be Wild BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Roaming Posts: 813 Thanked: 1,367 Times	Frankly speaking i am no expert in technacalities of the engine, but when i had completed 14500 kms on my bike i opted to use Motul 300v synthetic just to see what the hue and cry about synthetic oils is. Paid 650 a litre, and till now the only difference i have felt is that there is a consistency in the performance and overall smoothness and that the bike now having done 18400 kms on the odo still runs with the same smoothness it had initially after the oil change.
	() Thanks

28th June 2008, 23:48	#14
ron_9191 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 388 Thanked: 294 Times	Well guys thanks a lot for all your views. I think Sankar is correct in one way. Coz I have a CI engine and it comes with a namesake oil filter. And I believe that can be really dangerous to go for a longer mileage with the same oil. I really didnt think about the ancient oil filter that goes with these bike. But whether you like a Bullet or not, I personally think its a great machine. Partly because of its reliability and partly because there is nothing in the world that comes in its class today. It is truly a classic.
	() Thanks

29th June 2008, 00:04	#15
arpandiv BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 445 Thanked: 61 Times View My Garage	Oil colour has NOTHING to do with the performance / viscocity of the oil itself. Use castrol GTX/Magnatec for engine oil. Use ATF for clutch oil.
	() Thanks