Lets add some spice to this rusty thread. Why does the GS use more oil than a Jap 4 ?
Mine doesn't seem to
Cheapest Castrol Power1 10w-50 ?
- Thread starter Flipper_Man
- Start date
Mine doesn't seem to
mechcanico lee
Registered user
Suits the boxer smoker just fine then
These oil threads go on for ever .....we have been here before.
The boxer engine hasnt really changed massive amounts since the Luftwaffe stuck them in aeroplanes in 1916...yes thats 1916 .......what oils were around then !!!!!
The boxer engine is no high revver or stressed to death , it doesnt have clutch plate debris carried in the oil , it will run fine on mineral ...it will run fine on semi or full syn you just have to pay more for it .
Its the old " my bike runs a treat coz its been on full syn mega expensive oil "
how would you know it wouldnt of run just fine on GLUG 1 cheap stuff, this is all academic..........whats best ? use the best oils you can pay for or do more regular oil changes with a lesser quality oil ??
Maintain your bike but theres no need to go over the top, just ride it and have fun .
P.S this is not a personal post against you Stretch, just a genaral note.
Falco9
Registered user
Suits the boxer smoker just fine then
These oil threads go on for ever .....we have been here before.
The boxer engine hasnt really changed massive amounts since the Luftwaffe stuck them in aeroplanes in 1916...yes thats 1916 .......what oils were around then !!!!!
The boxer engine is no high revver or stressed to death , it doesnt have clutch plate debris carried in the oil , it will run fine on mineral ...it will run fine on semi or full syn you just have to pay more for it .
Its the old " my bike runs a treat coz its been on full syn mega expensive oil "
how would you know it wouldnt of run just fine on GLUG 1 cheap stuff, this is all academic..........whats best ? use the best oils you can pay for or do more regular oil changes with a lesser quality oil ??
Maintain your bike but theres no need to go over the top, just ride it and have fun .
P.S this is not a personal post against you Stretch, just a genaral note.
Well said, I couldn't agree more......
F9
Stormtrooper
Guest
I live in Aberdeen and the bike technician at my local BMW dealer is one of only three Mottorad Master Technicians.
"Craig Stewart of John Clark Aberdeen holds one of the most respected accolades in the UK. He is one of only three Motorrad Master Technicians in the UK and the only one in Scotland ready and able to take care of your bike ready for the Spring."
I pick up my new 2010 R1200GS on Friday and yes this is my first BMW bike so I know very little about these bikes except what I have read on this forum, so go easy on me!
This morning I phoned my local BMW dealer to book in my 600 miles service and asked what oil they would be using for this service because I've read that some people recommend a different oil like a semi-synthetic for you first and second service until the bike is run in. The girl at the service desk went away to ask Craig (the Master Mottorad Technician) and came back to advise that Castrol Power1 Racing fully synthetic 10w-50 would be used. So even a Mottorad Master Technician is recommending that fully synthetic oil is used right from the start of its life.
I have no doubt that there are a lot of people on here that know the GS like the back of their hand, but how many are qualified enough to advise that semi-synthetic is good enough to be used instead of the recommended fully synthetic or to use Hein Gericke's 10w-50 fully synthetic will do the job only at £8.99 a litre (http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/23_250/products_id/6450)?
I've read that BMW charge £55 for 4 litre of oil which equates to £13.75 per litre. For me, spending over £12k on a motorbike is a significant investment and to scrimp on £19 every 6000 miles on oil (Castrol Power Racing 1 at £55 for 4 litres compared to Hein Gericke's 10w-50 at £8.99 a litre) seems ridiculous! Not many of us scrimp and save when it comes to tyres so do it with oil? Probably because we do not see it?
For the sake of less than £20 per oil change I will certainly be sticking with what BMW recommend.
I was using Castrol Power1 Racing 10w-30 on my 2009 CBR1000RR Fireblade which consumed about 1 litre of oil every 1000 miles! I bought that from Halfords at £32.99 for 4 litres but unfortunately Halfords do not sell 10w-50.
"Craig Stewart of John Clark Aberdeen holds one of the most respected accolades in the UK. He is one of only three Motorrad Master Technicians in the UK and the only one in Scotland ready and able to take care of your bike ready for the Spring."
I pick up my new 2010 R1200GS on Friday and yes this is my first BMW bike so I know very little about these bikes except what I have read on this forum, so go easy on me!
This morning I phoned my local BMW dealer to book in my 600 miles service and asked what oil they would be using for this service because I've read that some people recommend a different oil like a semi-synthetic for you first and second service until the bike is run in. The girl at the service desk went away to ask Craig (the Master Mottorad Technician) and came back to advise that Castrol Power1 Racing fully synthetic 10w-50 would be used. So even a Mottorad Master Technician is recommending that fully synthetic oil is used right from the start of its life.
I have no doubt that there are a lot of people on here that know the GS like the back of their hand, but how many are qualified enough to advise that semi-synthetic is good enough to be used instead of the recommended fully synthetic or to use Hein Gericke's 10w-50 fully synthetic will do the job only at £8.99 a litre (http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/23_250/products_id/6450)?
I've read that BMW charge £55 for 4 litre of oil which equates to £13.75 per litre. For me, spending over £12k on a motorbike is a significant investment and to scrimp on £19 every 6000 miles on oil (Castrol Power Racing 1 at £55 for 4 litres compared to Hein Gericke's 10w-50 at £8.99 a litre) seems ridiculous! Not many of us scrimp and save when it comes to tyres so do it with oil? Probably because we do not see it?
For the sake of less than £20 per oil change I will certainly be sticking with what BMW recommend.
I was using Castrol Power1 Racing 10w-30 on my 2009 CBR1000RR Fireblade which consumed about 1 litre of oil every 1000 miles! I bought that from Halfords at £32.99 for 4 litres but unfortunately Halfords do not sell 10w-50.
Stretchamus
Registered user
Suits the boxer smoker just fine then
These oil threads go on for ever .....we have been here before.
The boxer engine hasnt really changed massive amounts since the Luftwaffe stuck them in aeroplanes in 1916...yes thats 1916 .......what oils were around then !!!!!
The boxer engine is no high revver or stressed to death , it doesnt have clutch plate debris carried in the oil , it will run fine on mineral ...it will run fine on semi or full syn you just have to pay more for it .
Its the old " my bike runs a treat coz its been on full syn mega expensive oil "
how would you know it wouldnt of run just fine on GLUG 1 cheap stuff, this is all academic..........whats best ? use the best oils you can pay for or do more regular oil changes with a lesser quality oil ??
Maintain your bike but theres no need to go over the top, just ride it and have fun .
P.S this is not a personal post against you Stretch, just a genaral note.
Agree entirely, ya can all put in whatever ya want.
However, Price £18.57 for 4L (Bigger savings if you buy 25L) is not exspensive for this Spec. 10W - 50 API SL Jaso MA Fully Synthetic.
Best regards Stretch
rickyxsara
Registered user
£13.48 from BMW dealer last week.
Stormtrooper
Guest
Just spoken to a guy at Opie Oils (http://www.opieoils.co.uk). He get a lot of people asking about this and apparently at the moment you can only get Castrol Power1 Racing 10w-50 from BMW dealers.
Very sly!
Very sly!
Stretchamus
Registered user
Jumping into the thread at the last minute, but what's the point of an adventure bike when the only oil you can put in it has to be bought from BMW dealers? I'm sorry, but if I was on an RTW and in the middle of China, I don't think that there'll be a ready supply of Castrol Power 1 Plus Racing Touring Riding Rockinghorsepoo Double Plus. For goodness sake, you don't even need JASO MA for it because that's for bikes with wet clutches!
For goodness sake, any decent 10W50 semi synth or fully synth should do the job, and seriously, what's Racing got to do with it? This is for an engine that's not exactly sophisticated!
For goodness sake, any decent 10W50 semi synth or fully synth should do the job, and seriously, what's Racing got to do with it? This is for an engine that's not exactly sophisticated!
GPWM
I stick mineral oil in mine
I stick mineral oil in mine
Master technician or not, he didn't build my bike. BMW built my bike and specified Castrol Actevo 20/50 mineral oil. It's an 08 1200ADV and thats what it says in the manual I have to use. Funny then, that when I bought the bike, the only place I could get that oil was a BMW dealer. Thats also what the dealer put in the bike when it was serviced.
Since then, I can now get hold of said oil at a very reasonable price from Opie Oils. However, now BMW are recommending a fully synth oil for my bike, which, funnily enough, can only be bought from a BMW dealer. However, I have not received a recall notice from BMW asking me to bring the bike in for an upgrade to the manual that would allow it to run the new recommended oil.
So, I will continue to use what is says in the manual - 20/50 mineral.
I'm in no way surprised that a BMW master technician would toe the party line and recommend what the manufacturer states - he can't do anything else in his position but I bet he has independant thought and would say mineral is just fine if he was allowed to.
Whenever I go into my local BMW emporium I always ask in a jokey way "so what oil are BMW recommending today for my R1200 GSA?"
We always have a laugh
We always have a laugh
I have to say that's a pretty Luddite viewpoint (and one shared by a number of other posters). It appears to close off all possibility that there has been progress since the manual was written.
Your preposition also roundly ignores that BMW (who built your bike) now recommend something other than Actevo.
But it makes no difference to me .....
Greg
I have to say that's a pretty Luddite viewpoint (and one shared by a number of other posters). It appears to close off all possibility that there has been progress since the manual was written.
Your preposition also roundly ignores that BMW (who built your bike) now recommend something other than Actevo.
But it makes no difference to me .....
Greg
Maybe, but my point is that my engine is the same as it was in 2008 when it was built by BMW. BMW have not informed me that I shouldn't use 20/50 mineral or that it would in anyway harm my engine, just that they now recommend an oil (without any justification whatsoever) that you can't buy anywhere else other than BMW at an inflated price. No doubt the situation will change in a years time when the oil distributors have caught up in the supply chain and the cartel has been broken again.
and BMW start recommending 10/60
and BMW start recommending 10/60
I'm guessing an 0/50 due to forecasted climate change in the northern hemisphere anticipated to occur before the watercooled 1200 engine is launched where from the cycle shall start all over again.
I have to say that's a pretty Luddite viewpoint (and one shared by a number of other posters). It appears to close off all possibility that there has been progress since the manual was written.
Your preposition also roundly ignores that BMW (who built your bike) now recommend something other than Actevo.
But it makes no difference to me .....
Greg
I hear where you're coming from, but at the same time, it's not really likely that BM are going to invalidate your warranty for using the oil that they recommended the year before last. In fact I think it would be illegal if they did.
I still think that it's a bit shameful that people are buying rufty tufty adventure bikes and there's a big problem about having to use exactly the oil specified by BM and not just one that meets the specs in the handbook at the time of manufacture.
It's discussions like this that make me think the next bike I buy will be something like an R100GS PD
But do you still watch a black and white TV?
People should still whatever oil they want to in their bikes. FWIW I don't use what BMW recommend but I know exactly what I use and exactly why I use what I use. But the best choice comes from selecting from ALL that is available and not narrowing it down to the equivalent of a B/W TV.
Greg
People should still whatever oil they want to in their bikes. FWIW I don't use what BMW recommend but I know exactly what I use and exactly why I use what I use. But the best choice comes from selecting from ALL that is available and not narrowing it down to the equivalent of a B/W TV.
Greg
No, I don't watch a B&W TV, but then again I also don't have a 42" plasma because it was obvious that they were an emerging technology and I'm happy to let other people pay for the technology to develop.
I'm with you - people should be free to use whatever oil meets the specification for the engine that was valid when they bought the bike. I just hate the fact that BMW have changed the spec for their oil and people are clamouring to use that and nothing else
I'm with you - people should be free to use whatever oil meets the specification for the engine that was valid when they bought the bike. I just hate the fact that BMW have changed the spec for their oil and people are clamouring to use that and nothing else
But do you still watch a black and white TV?
People should still whatever oil they want to in their bikes. FWIW I don't use what BMW recommend but I know exactly what I use and exactly why I use what I use. But the best choice comes from selecting from ALL that is available and not narrowing it down to the equivalent of a B/W TV.
Greg
But in 2008 when my bike was built, the TV system in the UK was 625 PAL colour (Phase Alternate Line). In 2010 it still is 625PAL. A 1965 Ferguson 20" will work on the same juice as my Pioneer 42" Plasma. They are backwards compatible and work off the same input signal. Even switching over to digital you can still work your analogue receivers without problem. You don't think your digital TV is actually digital do you? Marketing hype - its a codec conversion from analogue. Parts are digits, others are wavelengths and the chain is as strong as it's weakest link.
