Final drive oil

[Bear]

Has anyone investigated an alternative to the ludicrously expensive Castrol SAF-XO? Castrol's website describes is as a fully synthetic SAE 75W90 to API GL5 which I can buy from Halfords for half the price. The Castrol product appears to be for bus and truck transmissions rather than motorcycles so is there some magic to it or is BMW specifying a very exotic lubricant rather than proper maintenance?

 

[ebbo]

Maybe that particular final drive need all the help it can get

Just a thought

 

[sockpuppet]

To be honest for the sake of £7 on the service of a £10k bike is it really worth taking the chance, unless you do monster miles and need to change 5 or so times a year. IMHO of course.

 

[nedflanders]

For the sake of a few pounds do you really want to be wondering if it was the oil that caused your final drive to destroy itself, best of sticking to whats recommended mind you I worry if the car air vents aren't all pointing in the same direction

 

[MartinL]

Has anyone investigated an alternative to the ludicrously expensive Castrol SAF-XO? Castrol's website describes is as a fully synthetic SAE 75W90 to API GL5 which I can buy from Halfords for half the price. The Castrol product appears to be for bus and truck transmissions rather than motorcycles so is there some magic to it or is BMW specifying a very exotic lubricant rather than proper maintenance?

Nothing exotic, there are lots of brands that will be suitable as long as the specifications are the same or better. Manufacturers recommendations generally have as much or more to do with commercial tie ins as they do with engineering. The oil in question is specifically formulated for final drives - e.g. crown wheel & pinion type systems as opposed to general gearbox duties so is ideal for our application. The synthetic base makes it stable over a wide temperature range and long service life, both important factors in our final drives with their relatively high revs and small oil capacity. Any similar specced full synthetic should be OK but as they guys pointed out are you that bothered in the scheme of things?

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

............ mind you I worry if the car air vents aren't all pointing in the same direction

Thank god I'm not the only one

Andres

 

[gavin@iow]

Has anyone investigated an alternative to the ludicrously expensive Castrol SAF-XO? Castrol's website describes is as a fully synthetic SAE 75W90 to API GL5 which I can buy from Halfords for half the price. The Castrol product appears to be for bus and truck transmissions rather than motorcycles so is there some magic to it or is BMW specifying a very exotic lubricant rather than proper maintenance?

http://www.redlineoil-europe.com/gearoils/product.asp?product=Heavy_Shockproof_Gear_Oil_00059 - I put this in my GS at 1000 miles, it's now done 13,500 miles and coming up to 5 years old (june '04), i expect the final drive has failed already,...but this stuff is so thick, it's probably holding everthing together!

 

[Steve E]

Comma Oils( part of Mobil Oils) make a very good semisynthetic 75/90 gear oil for about £22 for 5 litres. At that price you can afford to change the oil more frequently if you like. Comma oils say that it is a direct replacement for the Castrol SaF.

Personally I use BP 80/90 hypoid gear oil because that is what the trains that I work on use.


You pays your money you takes your choice.

Steve

 

[Bear]

I suspect that SAF-XO is recommended because the final drive is filled for life. Whether this is to save a few pounds every service or because a draughtsman forgot to put the drain plug on the drawings is open to speculation. Apart from BMW dealers (its recommended for all BMW final drives, not just motorcycles) I can't find anyone locally who stocks it.

 

[Pukmeister]

Ludicrously expensive?

£15 for a litre from my local dealer (Bahnstormer Motorrad) , and you only need 220ml to do a fluid change.

Do it annually for overkill and it still works out at less than £4 a pop.

 

[Bear]

I'm more than a little reluctant to use oil from a bottle that's been open for 3 years. If I was changing the oil every year then I can't see why something less exotic would be suitable.

 

[Pukmeister]

The oil is not hygroscopic, but hey it's your call.

 

[bmwrich58]

Has anyone investigated an alternative to the ludicrously expensive Castrol SAF-XO? Castrol's website describes is as a fully synthetic SAE 75W90 to API GL5 which I can buy from Halfords for half the price. The Castrol product appears to be for bus and truck transmissions rather than motorcycles so is there some magic to it or is BMW specifying a very exotic lubricant rather than proper maintenance?

We on this side of the Pond use this............