Oil Consumption

[Hands Free]

What is typical for a GS?

I bought one of the last std 1150GS's a couple of months ago - it didn't use any oil at all up to the 600 mile service (done at 800), but from then 'til now (2200 miles) its guzzling the stuff (0.8 litre).

The last 400 miles probably account for 0.2 litre - is this usual??

 

[steve1074]

Does anyone know how much oil is needed to go from a 1/4 of sight glass filled back up to halfway? I'm out and about for a few days and have only gone and left the handbook in the car!!!!

 

[(RIP) Mark Dilloway]

Dear Hands Free,

Welcome new person. There is nothing normal about the GS as you will find out by doing a SEARCH.

Dear Steve,

- about 100ml but it depends on how consistent you are on measuring it in the first place. If you have to ask then clearly you don't do it that often. I'm pretty certain that none of the regulars on this board refer to the book - if indeed it contains the information.

M

 

[newman7096]

If you're new to BMW you will find the oil consumpsion dramatic but its not unusuall! Put 10000 miles on it and it'll be fine..

 

[Hands Free]

Thanks - I realise now this is a fairly well gone over subject (novice users..... huh!!).

If only i'd discovered this site a few months ago..........Park Lane.........oil....... Anyway, hindsight's a great thing..........

 

[thesmithy]

Just bought a new ADV ,so far have put just under 1 litre of oil in
and done 630 miles whilst running in at 4000 rpm .

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

My 2004 GS1150 has done 2400 miles and apart from the oil put in by dealer @ 600 mile service..............I've only put in about 0.25litres............but with this one..........
I never bothered running in and it's been far better...........goes like stink........the more you namby-pamby it...........the worse it is............

 

[~Stef~]

Does anyone know how much oil is needed to go from a 1/4 of sight glass filled back up to halfway? I'm out and about for a few days and have only gone and left the handbook in the car!!!!

Not a bloody lot, whilst working on mine I noticed the oil level was low, so I put some oil in, it came up slightly, then I put some more oil in, it came up a wee bit more, repeated above steps till the oil glass was half full and continued working on the brakes. I looked around sometime later and the glass is now FULL of oil

~Stef~

 

[Paul Wakefield]

and the glass is now FULL of oil

Ah - You fell for the old Boxer trick of pretending to be empty. Can do it at any time but particularly after a short run (less than 10 miles) if the oil is not good and hot

I never fill mine up until I've had at least 3 consecutive low readings (if on one reading its apparently low and I've got a long trip, I'll put 100ml to be on the safe side and see how it goes).

Paul

 

[Yonkyo]

I bought a W reg 1150GS a couple of weeks ago with just under 16k miles on her. I’ve now added just over 1000 miles of mostly fast A road & M-way stuff.

I don’t know what made me do it (cause I rarely need to bother on the rice-burners that I own /owned), but thought I’d check the oil………..shit, its down to the bottom of the sight glass.

I’ve put 500ml in, which has brought the level to near the top again.

2000 miles per litre of oil…….is this normal GS behaviour

 

[Foto John]

The ideal amount of oil.....

is just on the dot in the very centre of the glass. This is how my local BMW dealer fills it (BM Center @ Ruddervolde) and also how it apears in the manual.
From the bottom of the oil glass to the centre spot is approximately 100 mls, so it looks like some of you, especially Yonkyo have over-filled their 's I'm afraid. I always park my bike on the centre stand in the garage and take the reading before I go for a ride, I then take the bike for a ride of around 10-15 mins depending on the time of year, but to be sure 3 bars on the oil temp. display (RID). Park the bike up on a flat and level surface, wait for at least 10 mins. and take a reading of the oil in the glass, as now the oil has had time and is warm enough to drain from the oil cooler.
My A tends to use 1 litre of oil to 5000 kms, though it's now just had it's 20,000 km service, so maybe it won't use much at all now!

 

[oblertone]

Another variant !

Just to make things even more complicated; if you put the bike staight onto the centre stand after a run you will get a different reading than if you leave it on the side stand for 10 mins, and then put it onto the main stand ! Don't ask me why but you need to sort out a consistent method that works for you, then adjust quantity accordingly. Confused; you will be !

ps - mine ('97 1100) doesn't seem to use any oil between changes, which is even odder !

 

[Foto John]

Paul, I used to have a '97 R1100GS when I lived in the UK, funnily enough that never used any oil after about 15,000 miles.
T'was the fastest colour though...........red !

 

[CitiZen]

Re: Another variant !

Just to make things even more complicated; if you put the bike staight onto the centre stand after a run you will get a different reading than if you leave it on the side stand for 10 mins, and then put it onto the main stand ! Don't ask me why but you need to sort out a consistent method that works for you, then adjust quantity accordingly. Confused; you will be !

ps - mine ('97 1100) doesn't seem to use any oil between changes, which is even odder !

I've heard that if you leave the GS on the sidestand, some of the oil drains into the lefthand cylinder head.

Of course I could be talking kaka, as I don't own a GS, I just covet them... quite alot.

Now all I have to do is convince the other half & my insurance company & sorted!

Hurrah for my first post!

 

[Deleted account W]

Re: Re: Another variant !

Hurrah for my first post!

Bloody nice chap by the sounds of it too.

Hurrah to you CitiZen.

(not a budhist are we?)

 

[CitiZen]

CitiZen - The state of being achieved by commuting without conflict in London.

What I would like to have when I want to give another 'blind' driver a talking to..

Just another supposition, if you park the GS on the sidestand & the oil migrates into the left hand cylinder head, wouldn't a small amount of oil be burnt whilst the oil migrates back into the main system after start up?

Could explain why some riders get variances in oil consumption.

Thanks for the welcome Whatton