drinking oil?

GBgolfman · Sep 12, 2004

What do you think about nearly a litre of oil from the 600 service to 1500 on the clock now. All the other 1150's Iv had didnt drink this much. Run in fairly swiftly but not over the 4,000 rev limit. Since the 600 service been useing 90% of the rev range.

JayGee · Sep 12, 2004

fatboy said:
What do you think about nearly a litre of oil from the 600 service to 1500 on the clock now. All the other 1150's Iv had didnt drink this much. Run in fairly swiftly but not over the 4,000 rev limit. Since the 600 service been useing 90% of the rev range.

If it was a jap bike you'd take it back but it's a beemer and I'm told we have to expect a bit of oil useage untill properly run in, which could be 12000 miles!
A litre in 900 miles sounds a bit excessive, mine went from top of the sight glass to just below half in 1500 miles, I haven't topped it up but I reckon that should be about 1/4 of a litre.
This oil useage is one of the weak points of BMW bike engines and one where I think they need to catch-up with Honda in their precision of engineering. The oil level checking is just a joke and it's really easy to misread the level and put too much oil in.
Having said all that the 12GS is such a fantastic bike to ride that I forgive these little quirks. After a few thousand miles it'll settle down and won't be an issue but at the moment it's as much a pain as lubing a chain!
Cheers JG

AusSteve · Sep 12, 2004

My 1150RT, which I sold before making the move to the UK, also used a lot of oil, which I expect was a result of a very gentle 'by the book' running-in, an issue I have only recently learnt more about thanks to this forum. On one trip from Sydney to the MotoGP at Phillip Island and back (about 2,000km) it used about 2.5L! From memory, the manual says it may use up to 1L per 1,000km, which seems a lot to me, not sure what the new GS 'may' use. Needless to say, I won't be taking such a loving (ignorant) approach to the running-in of my new 12GS when I get it.

Cheers, Steve

Ps. It was this trip that helped convince me that the GS was the bike for me, a realisation made while trying to ride a fully-loaded RT out of the mixture of deep mud and grass they called the track-side camp-site.

laughingBob · Sep 12, 2004

The 1150RT I bought this year went through a Litre in 1500 miles. I've just just completed 4000 miles and used a further Litre. I have noticed that as the miles have gone up the rate of oil being used has reduced signficantly. Over the last 500 miles the level only dropped from the top of the sight glass to about half way down.

The R100GS I had used even more over the running in period, but once it reached 9000 miles didn't need topping up between services.

On the bright side, at least the bike is getting fresh all the time.

laughingBob · Sep 12, 2004

The 1150RT I bought this year went through a Litre in 1500 miles. I've just just completed 4000 miles and used a further Litre. I have noticed that as the miles have gone up the rate of oil being used has reduced signficantly. Over the last 500 miles the level only dropped from the top of the sight glass to about 1/4 way down.

The R100GS I had used even more over the running in period, but once it reached 9000 miles didn't need topping up between services.

On the bright side, at least the bike is getting fresh all the time.

Fanum · Sep 12, 2004

Sounds like a convincing case in support of the 'ring the nuts off it' school of running in.

Mine doesn't use any oil, unless I do a couple of days of 400 miles on the motorway at consistant high speed.

PS If you're not sticking her up on the main (that's CENTRE NLS

) stand, might be a good idea to do so as this will decrease your oil consumption too.

Philip · Sep 12, 2004

mine has used 1/4 ltr in just over 2000 mls since the first 600 ml service. its got 10/40 mineral oil. running in was fairly gentle for first 100mls then normal riding from thereon - normal riding avoided booting it - after 600 has had a good flogging!

Captain Scarlet · Sep 14, 2004

I agree with Fanum. By the time it'd done 7 miles from new I was giving it 7,000 rpm - and it hasn't used a drop!

TST · Sep 14, 2004

Mine has 1300 Km on the clock. Has not used a drop of oil. 1000 Km service not taken yet. Followed factory recomended brake-in.

drinking oil?

GBgolfman

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