Oil advice please

[g.s.john]

have you noticed the diference in price between 20/50 and 10/40 semi syn
methinks this has more to do with the recomendation and dealer profit margins,and they are playing on your natural reluctance to do damage to an expensive bit of kit

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Oil types and viscosities

I have never managed to work out how to read the oil level- so I have never had to put oil in - anyway I can't unscrew the cap - so I don't have any problem. My handbook is in a foreign language anyway. My bike goes in to be serviced once a year (I can understand a calendar) and my delaer seems to know where to put the oil in and all I have to do is know which way to put my credit card into his machine. My pin number is the same as my registration number so no problem there either.
Is this bike supposed to be difficult to live with or something?

 

[jtw000]

One of the main reasons I bought this bike is because it's known to be bullet-proof. The more I read on here the more I feel like i'm riding a plastic bike with a glass engine. Are they really this frail or is this just nonsense I should ignore? I ignore it anyway but curious to know.

 

[DavidHale]

the BM engine is a very old air cooled design that was developed on early oil specifiations. Because it is air cooled it will have larger clearances than a modern water cooled engines. Larger clearances often require heavier oil, hence the -50 spec.

I thought the enigine in a 1200 was oil cooled? And whilst the layout of the engine is very old the actual design and engineering is very modern?

 

[alimey4u2]

 

[Our Gee]

Seems like we are getting different messages from BMW. I have now heard from both BMW and Castrol and they have informed me the Castrol Power 1 Racing 10w-50 is now the preferred Oil for use in BMW Motorcyle Engines "across the board". Not withstanding the extra cost of this new "Super Oil" my main conern is the "half a sightglass" drop in oil level 300 miles after changing to this Oil. I told BMW of my Low Mileage (less than 6000) but they didn,t comment on this. I have been requested to monitor mileage / oil usage and report back. BMW have told me that benefits associated with the New Oil are, "Smoother Running", "More Power" and wait for it, "Less Oil Consumption" !!. If you read the Blurb on the New Oil Container it tells you that this is "an advanced fully synthetic oil" for Sport, Supersport and "Race Replica Bikes". They then go on to tell me that with this oil fitted my RT will gain "three bike lengths" over 1.8 km distance. Have BMW lost the plot, my Bike is a low revving Tourer with a Dry Clutch and Separate Gear Box.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

The real answer

I have been requested to monitor mileage / oil usage and report back.
Yes, that sounds like good advice; Try it for a 100.000miles over ten years. You wil then be in a positon to argue with the designers - but by then oil properties will have changed anyway even if the old boxer motor is unaltered;

 

[MattSwain]

Can you mix and match?

Quick related question on oils...

Mine's got the 20W/50 and after 11k miles still has a thirst for the stuff. I'm heading off to Italy in a few weeks on it. I'm going to take a litre of 20W/50 with me. If during the trip I use more than this can I top up with more regular oil which is likely to be more readily available or do I need to stick rigidly to the 20W/50 if that's what's in the bike. Ta for any advice.

 

[WindyChuffer]

...My pin number is the same as my registration number so no problem there either...

thx for the tip !

 

[Brian ROSEN]

'can I top up with more regular oil which is likely to be more readily available' ...no problem; look in your handbook.

 

[Bryn]

Quick related question on oils...

Mine's got the 20W/50 and after 11k miles still has a thirst for the stuff. I'm heading off to Italy in a few weeks on it. I'm going to take a litre of 20W/50 with me. If during the trip I use more than this can I top up with more regular oil which is likely to be more readily available or do I need to stick rigidly to the 20W/50 if that's what's in the bike. Ta for any advice.

You'll get 20W/50 anywhere between here and Italy... just take the litre and pick some more up at a fuel stop if you need to

 

[John Armstrong]

You'll get 20W/50 anywhere between here and Italy... just take the litre and pick some more up at a fuel stop if you need to

Well in Belguim, Germany and Austria on the route I went a month ago there must have been hundereds of thirsty GS's before me, as I didn't see any at the fuel stations.

 

[Wapping]

You'll get 20W/50 anywhere between here and Italy... just take the litre and pick some more up at a fuel stop if you need to

Well in Belguim, Germany and Austria on the route I went a month ago there must have been hundereds of thirsty GS's before me, as I didn't see any at the fuel stations.

Of course it may not be exactly 20-50 that el patron is offering from his shelves but any similar multi-range four stroke oil, sold - for sure - in garages, motor factors, supermarkets and similar emporiums the length and breadth of Europe will do..... Mix with confidence or spend the days worrying....

 

[MattSwain]

Right in that case I'll take a litre of Castrols finest treacle and stop worrying about it running out!!! Cheers.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

French supermarkets

You will find a huge range of motor and motorcycle accessories in the bigger supermarkets; You can choose from a range of oils at your leisure. You may well get ripped off at the garages.

 

[MattSwain]

I think that's the law of supply and demand at play, you're out of oil and we're the only place for miles with any, wotcha gonna do?!!! No different at UK garages.

 

[Wapping]

I think that's the law of supply and demand at play, you're out of oil and we're the only place for miles with any, wotcha gonna do?!!! No different at UK garages.

By Jove, Geeves, I think you may have cracked it

 

[tricky463]

oil again!

just been on the phone to two bmw dealers and have had conflicting advice.

Apparently castrol racing 10w50 is the recommended oil as it has apparently been designed specifically for BMWs.

when i stated to the guy that in Halfords yesterday it said nothing about bmw but instead mentioned high performance sports bikes he just re-iterated that castrol and bmw work together.

this is different to the 10w40 advice i was also given just yesterday and also different to the 20w50 (easier to find rocking horse s**t oil) recommended just a month ago.

i will therefore use BMW recommendation as i am sure that neither of the oils will muck up the bike which has done 16k.

so I am glad that has cleared up the confusion for you all.

 

[PanzerPilot]

Hi,
This oil thread's gonna run and run!
Well anyway, I changed the oil and filter and gear box oil on my 7000 mile '08 GS Adventure today, it's serviced at the dealer but I changed it as the engine got seriously hot a few weeks back and I fear the oil got a bit of a kicking.
Anyway, I just looked in the handbook and it says for 'operation at moderate temperatures' of -10 Centigrade to +30 Centigrade I can use SAE 10w/40 so I have used Castrol Power 1 GPS 10w/40 which is part synthetic. Interestingly, I have the BMW workshop manual on CD and it says on there that GPS 10w/40 is the recommended oil. My engine seems to like it anyway, and as it is thinner than 20w/50 it gets to the bearings faster on a cold start. Most engine wear occurs in the first ten seconds after a start..... Oh, and the gearbox, I put in Castrol SAF-XO (75w/90 fully syhthetic) gear oil, which I might change every 1000 miles to keep my gear shifts nice and smooth and slick.
Rich.

 

[Steptoe]

Hi,
This oil thread's gonna run and run!
Well anyway, I changed the oil and filter and gear box oil on my 7000 mile '08 GS Adventure today, it's serviced at the dealer but I changed it as the engine got seriously hot a few weeks back and I fear the oil got a bit of a kicking.
Anyway, I just looked in the handbook and it says for 'operation at moderate temperatures' of -10 Centigrade to +30 Centigrade I can use SAE 10w/40 so I have used Castrol Power 1 GPS 10w/40 which is part synthetic. Interestingly, I have the BMW workshop manual on CD and it says on there that GPS 10w/40 is the recommended oil. My engine seems to like it anyway, and as it is thinner than 20w/50 it gets to the bearings faster on a cold start. Most engine wear occurs in the first ten seconds after a start..... Oh, and the gearbox, I put in Castrol SAF-XO (75w/90 fully syhthetic) gear oil, which I might change every 1000 miles to keep my gear shifts nice and smooth and slick.
Rich.

You Sir are an admans dream