1150 Oil Consumption

bikejunky

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Hi there , just thought i would ask peeps about oil their bikes consume, this was prompted by seeing a gs1150 on e bay last week where the seller said he had had several gs 1150s and the one he was selling had just turned over the 100K miles and used about 500 ml every 2K miles. which he stated was exactly the same as a 43K miles bike he had previously owned " they all use that " was the suggestion .

i am new to the oilhead world and have only done 1300 miles on my 2001 gs 1150 single spark non abs and put in 300ml of oil to top up , this was after getting it 1300 miles ago and doing all filters and fluids so i am on track for the 500ml every 2K !

Out of interest the oil i used , there was a question about it on here some time ago, is the german distributed mannol safari 20W 50 cost just over £20 for 4 l , it seems ok and i intend to replace it every 2K, not sure if i need to do the filter every 2K might do that every 4K ( ?)
 
BMW allow for 1ltr oil in 1000miles on the air/oil cooled boxers, so the consumption you quote is acceptable.

You will find, I think - that consumption will go up for periods spent at high load (fast use on autoroutes).

Not sure what spec oil is prescribed for the 1150, but since you have a dry clutch - 20/50 won't be far adrift for any mid-warm weather. I wouldn't bother changing every 2k miles, but if you are hell-bent on that, don't bother doing the filter.
 
I use 10/40 semi synthetic from Mole valley farmers, But let's not discuss oil could be starting something here
 
Certainly no need to change oil that often, 6000 between changes is fine. There are loads of 1150’s on here with huge mileages that will have only had the recommended intervals. They’re pretty lazy engines compared to high revving fours.
 
Whereas I've never heard of an engine being damaged by changing the oil too often, 6k miles is fine - anything more frequent is just flushing money away.

Both my 1150s have tended to use very little oil - except when thrashed down the motorway all day in high ambient temperatures. I have generally found that, by the time I arrive in Dijon (or wherever) on a warm day, I have to put half a litre in the next morning.

Make sure you are checking your oil level the same way each time (apologies if this is teaching you to suck eggs). I tend to stop the bike, put it on the sidestand, remove gloves, helmet etc, scratch arse and rearrange testicles, then put the bike on the centrestand and have a look at the level. This allows a lot of the oil held in horizontal galleries to drain into the sump and gives an accurate reading. That said, check using whatever method works for you - so long as it is consistent - and you should be able to keep a handle on consumption.
 
For most riders, until the engine go's bang the interval for oil changes is either what is recommended or whatever gives peace of mind, so if it give peace of mind to change it at 2k miles that's perfect for you, I certainly change oil well before any recommended intervals.........but then I was an engineer spending most of my life with engines.
 
I've got written down the max oil consumption for the R1150GS at 1.6ml per mile.

Which is 1.6 litres in 1000 miles. (1 litre/1000km)

So anywhere under that figure is OK.

It's anal, but I log my oil consumption and my overall average is 0.36ml per mile. It's been roughly constant all the bikes life, which now sits at 66K.


:thumb2
Ian
 
Before I sold my 1150 in October it was given is usual outing down to Italy. In a little over 3k miles it probably used about 100-150ml - if we assume that the diameter of that circle in the sight glad it's sky of 1ltr - that includes a good stint at high speed for hourson end.

I didn't put any more in when I returned. That 1150 seemed to use very little... My guess is, it was run in properly all those moons ago back in 2005.


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My one uses less on motorway trips than any other time...they are all a little bit different and have their own quirks, get a few more miles in and get used to it and that way you can keep an eye on things, things that are normal to that particular bike :thumb2
 
What's this talk of oil CHANGE?
I thought they ran on a total-loss system.:D
Like many people I keep 500mls of any vaguely appropriate oil on the bike just in case I have a where-did-it-all-go moment when stopped out in the sticks.
Mine only drinks hard when on motorways.
 
My one uses less on motorway trips than any other time...they are all a little bit different and have their own quirks

Sounds like mine, much lower consumption on long runs....


What's this talk of oil CHANGE?
I thought they ran on a total-loss system.:D

That made me laugh. I said the same thing to someone a while back. Maybe they should be run on castor oil. At least they'd smell nice :)


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What's this talk of oil CHANGE?
I thought they ran on a total-loss system.:D
Like many people I keep 500mls of any vaguely appropriate oil on the bike just in case I have a where-did-it-all-go moment when stopped out in the sticks.
Mine only drinks hard when on motorways.

In my youth I had a friend who ran a Triumph Herald which burnt oil big time. He never bothered changing his oil, just topped it up. We took the sump off when it went bang to find the sump full of sludge. His engine had just burnt off the good stuff leaving the crap to "lubricate" the bearings.

John
 
In my youth I had a friend who ran a Triumph Herald which burnt oil big time. He never bothered changing his oil, just topped it up. We took the sump off when it went bang to find the sump full of sludge. His engine had just burnt off the good stuff leaving the crap to "lubricate" the bearings.

John

I believe Triumph marketed that as a design feature... :D
 
BMW allow for 1ltr oil in 1000miles on the air/oil cooled boxers, so the consumption you quote is acceptable.

You will find, I think - that consumption will go up for periods spent at high load (fast use on autoroutes).

Not sure what spec oil is prescribed for the 1150, but since you have a dry clutch - 20/50 won't be far adrift for any mid-warm weather. I wouldn't bother changing every 2k miles, but if you are hell-bent on that, don't bother doing the filter.
I top up once between 6000 mile services. Most miles done on dull motorways between 60 and 80......depending on traffic. I use 20-50 semi synthetic (bug getting hard to get), don't use anything lighter.

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Two 1150's in the garage, mine had a rebuild at just over 90,000 miles after spitting out 1/4 of an exhaust valve, turned 100,000 last year. Room 101's has 93,000 on it, both use oil and I check them regularly and carry some in the top box just in-case. I don't monitor the oil use just top up when required!!
 
250ml per 1000 miles, Morris V-Twin 20w50, 1150 single spark, 64000miles. Mix of riding but no commuting.

Been pretty constant last 30000 miles.
 


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