Could i use SAE 20W-50 engine oil for my Gen 3 Busa?

Jessica Sinclair

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Could i use SAE 20W-50 engine oil for my Gen 3 Busa?

I dropped my bike, when i went to start it i saw a lot of smoke so i shut it down and went to check the oil, i didn't see any oil in the glass.

I live next to SHELL Fuel station, which oil should i buy from there for my Gen 3 busa?
 
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Oh, oh.....another oil thread........

You will receive several opinions and all will be different..

In this case, the owners manual is your friend....stick to the recommended viscosity....

As for brand, I personally run Amsol l or Royal Purple synthetic....lots on here run Rotella as well....

P.S. bikes don't like to be dropped, they do weird things when they do get dropped, one of those things can be dumping oil. However the oil viscosity wouldn't change that.
 
If you had an oil pressure gauge connected you would see 20w50 would give you massively to high oil pressure. You would blow seals and cause oil clearance issues on the bearings when cold. I'm guessing 50psi idle and well over 120psi WOT. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a built engine with clearances set a little losser for some reason.

To my honest I would use factory oil weight and monitor with a oil pressure gauge "AEM X-Series" warm idle between 20-30 is good with WOT being "60-70 psi" is key. Regardless of oil temp. Drop or to high of oil pressure blows engines not temp.
 
If you had an oil pressure gauge connected you would see 20w50 would give you massively to high oil pressure. You would blow seals and cause oil clearance issues on the bearings when cold. I'm guessing 50psi idle and well over 120psi WOT. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a built engine with clearances set a little losser for some reason.

To my honest I would use factory oil weight and monitor with a oil pressure gauge "AEM X-Series" warm idle between 20-30 is good with WOT being "60-70 psi" is key. Regardless of oil temp. Drop or to high of oil pressure blows engines not temp.
Hi. I have used Castrol 20/ 50 for motorcycles for 40+ years no problems. Yes some bikes had built motors and some were stock. I have used them in + 106 degrees and done + 6 degrees.
 
I am going to ride my Harley to pick up a 10W-40 oil like it says in the manual. I dont want to blow up my engine lol.

After i dropped my bike, 48 hours later i tried to start her up but didn't check the oil level in the glass panel, when i saw blue smoke i panicked, went to check for oil, i couldn't see a drop of oil in the glass sight panel.

Is it normal to see no oil in the glass sight panel after a bike drop?
 
I am going to ride my Harley to pick up a 10W-40 oil like it says in the manual. I dont want to blow up my engine lol.

After i dropped my bike, 48 hours later i tried to start her up but didn't check the oil level in the glass panel, when i saw blue smoke i panicked, went to check for oil, i couldn't see a drop of oil in the glass sight panel.

Is it normal to see no oil in the glass sight panel after a bike drop?
I recall your bike was on it's side for a little while before you got help to lift it..

Oil would have leaked into the cylinders causing the blue smoke.....pretty normal after a lay-down...

As for seeing it in the sight window, I can't see that much oil leaking out....it depends how you checked it, was the bike in a vertical position and not on the side stand?

My brother has used 20W50 in his BMW RT ever since it's first oil change with zero issues...I generally use whatever the manual tells me.
 
I checked the bike both on side stand and vertical position. The manual said if i cant get 10w40 i could use 20w50 because of the hot climate in live in.

I got scratches on the left panel and leading edge of the mirror :( my bike is no longer innocent :( it looked like it has been abused by the owner. Also the leaning angle warning stem under the foot control snapped off.
 
I checked the bike both on side stand and vertical position. The manual said if i cant get 10w40 i could use 20w50 because of the hot climate in live in.

I got scratches on the left panel and leading edge of the mirror :( my bike is no longer innocent :( it looked like it has been abused by the owner. Also the leaning angle warning stem under the foot control snapped off.
Strange it would puke out it's oil but nothing is impossible. I've never had a bike on it's side for very long so I am not an expert in this area.

If the manual says it, you are golden and I'd use your own judgement....

Now that bike is yours....scars and all, they are road maps as to where the bike has been and what it has seen...as for the leaning angle stems, most people take them off anyway...
 
I got scratches on the left panel and leading edge of the mirror :( my bike is no longer innocent :( it looked like it has been abused by the owner. Also the leaning angle warning stem under the foot control snapped off.
IMHO there are 2 types - damage from riding, and damage from not riding. So far, I am in the first category, proudly so.
Now that bike is yours....scars and all, they are road maps as to where the bike has been and what it has seen...as for the leaning angle stems, most people take them off anyway...
+1

[EDIT]
About oil in the sight glass ...
My Gen 2 doesn't need to be fully upright very long for oil to appear in the glass. Best practices are to leave it upright for a few minutes to improve reading accuracy, but I'm usually just checking for the presence of oil. This Gen 2 with 30k+ mi on the odo does not 'burn' oil within its 3k mi life, so if I see oil in the glass, it's usually around the same amount of oil since last serious check. Hope this helps.

[ANOTHER EDIT]
This thread from 2010 suggests thinner oil is preferred ...
 
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IMHO there are 2 types - damage from riding, and damage from not riding. So far, I am in the first category, proudly so.

+1

[EDIT]
About oil in the sight glass ...
My Gen 2 doesn't need to be fully upright very long for oil to appear in the glass. Best practices are to leave it upright for a few minutes to improve reading accuracy, but I'm usually just checking for the presence of oil. This Gen 2 with 30k+ mi on the odo does not 'burn' oil within its 3k mi life, so if I see oil in the glass, it's usually around the same amount of oil since last serious check. Hope this helps.

[ANOTHER EDIT]
This thread from 2010 suggests thinner oil is preferred ...
Hi. Jessica. I have been ridding and racing bikes and cars for 56 years. Highlights I raced a F 5000 Lola T 142 in SCCA in the 70's and now building a hopefully 1000 HP BUSA for land speed racing and street use. So I do not know to much about oils. I am working with some of the best people in the USA. In drag and LSR racing. I do know that less than sub 0W oil will make a few more HP. I will never use it. It is not worth a $25,000.00 motor for a few HP. I will be using 20W 50 in my bike. 10W 40 is good too, if it is very hot where you ride go with the 20W 50. I use 20W 50 oil in my Honda Civic that has 481000 + miles on it. It calls for 10W 30 all used 20W 50. Every 3000 miles. On the bike I will change the oil every day of racing when I use VP M1 fuel. Every 500 miles when I use it on the street. Side note the red line is 13500 RPM. How did it fall over? Do you have a rear stand that you check the oil level as it does take some time for the oil to drain back to the pan.
 
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