Oil Consumption?

[birdseye]

Why bother with bike oil? The BM has a dry clutch which is the usual reason for using a bike specific oil. So couldnt we use car oil?

 

[Mouse]

I reckon we could. Castrol GP is £14 for 4 litres - is a decent (branded) car oil any cheaper? I don't begrudge my bike 14 quid every 6000 miles to keep it happy

 

[Jona]

Having filled the oil up to the top of the glass and watched it fall to a quarter full it seemed to have a lower oil consumption as the level fell. (Not sure if it's a linear capacity up the sight glass.)

 

[Paul Wakefield]

3,000 miles (so far) today

Blimey, an average of at least 125mph. Rossi, eat your heart out.

Paul

 

[birdseye]

I reckon we could. Castrol GP is £14 for 4 litres - is a decent (branded) car oil any cheaper? I don't begrudge my bike 14 quid every 6000 miles to keep it happy

Availability - car places are common, bike one's much less so. And I can buy fully synth at our local store for £12 for 4 litres

 

[Mr K]

Another 0.25L added at 4,661.
0.5L in total since 1st service.........

I'm lovin' it!



How come nobody overtakes?

 

[Reggie]

Mine needed 400ml top up at 5,500 miles.

Regards

Reggie AKA The Cameraman

 

[gavin]

Mines using none, or if it is it's not enough to notice/measure, after it's 6,000 mile service i'm going to use fully synthetic Castrol R4 10w50 SG rated.

 

[JAY]

Er - why use synthetic? Seems a bit OTT on something as agricultural as a boxer engine!

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Just come back from a four day thrash to the Pyrenees and back at the weekend on a 1000 mile GS12.

Covered 2200 miles, M-ways there and back and the speed rarely droping below three figures. Not a drop of oil was used which both surprised, and pleased me

Andres

 

[gavin]

Er - why use synthetic? Seems a bit OTT on something as agricultural as a boxer engine!

Because it's a better oil than mineral, for many reasons.

 

[JAY]

But why better? Sure, I run my Audi diesel with fully synthetic just so I can run a couple of years without oil changes but changing the BMs oil every 6000 miles it just seems a waste of money. The engine was designed to run with normal mineral oil so what is the point?

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

But why better? Sure, I run my Audi diesel with fully synthetic just so I can run a couple of years without oil changes but changing the BMs oil every 6000 miles it just seems a waste of money. The engine was designed to run with normal mineral oil so what is the point?

I agree with absolutley Jay.
Paraphased below are my views on the matter (from an earlier thread):

You are perfectly right when you talk about molecular strength / stability being better with synth oils but that is not the only issue.

My experiance has been with racing and tuning Rotax lumps that run similar engine technology to Boxers, ie a lot of roller bearings and very few plain / needle bearings.
Also, like a Boxer the rev ceilings and internal tolerances are nowhere near as high as on a 4 cylinder race rep where you may need a higher shear strength etc.

Despite a number of manufacturers that use the Roatx lumps claiming that fully synth oils should be used (deals with oil companies anybody?) Rotax advocate mineral oils only.

I have seen first hand the damage a synth oil will cause to an engine like this. The oil is just too good/slippery and can allow ball races to slip rather than rotate causing premature and catastrophic engine failure.

Now I'm not saying by any stretch of the imagination that a synth oil will cause that to happen to your Boxer just that there are more issues involved than the usual 'mantra' receited re. the superiour performance of synth oils.

FWIW I intend always using a good quality mineral oil and just make sure it's reguarly changed. I see nothing to be gained by using a synth oil, not mechanically and certainly not financially.

BTW I'm well aware of what a contentious issue types of oil can be so am not trying to pick an argument, just putting forward a point of view bassed on my own personal experiance

Andres

 

[gavin]

BMW use fully synth in the gearbox of the 12GS, so they don't have an issue with roller bearings.

 

[kiwiAdventure]

BMW use fully synth in the gearbox of the 12GS, so they don't have an issue with roller bearings.

Who told you that

 

[Dave Price]

I've always been told that it's the gearbox that is harder on the molecular structure of oils, rather than the engine.
At least with our BMs they're seperate items and can use specific oils for the task.

 

[gavin]

Who told you that

Who told me what?, that rollers are used in the gearbox, or the gearbox oil is synthetic?

 

[Rod]

I had to INSIST on mineral oil when my 1200GS had it's first service at Vines a few weeks ago. My friend had his first service done by Vines last week, and when he asked them to use mineral oil they told him...............they are now told by BMW to use mineral oil & not semi synth !!

 

[gavin]

I had to INSIST on mineral oil when my 1200GS had it's first service at Vines a few weeks ago. My friend had his first service done by Vines last week, and when he asked them to use mineral oil they told him...............they are now told by BMW to use mineral oil & not semi synth !!

Until it's run in, which it wouldn't be at the first service i.e. 600 miles.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

My dealer, Pidcocks, say that following BMW's revised reccomendations, they keep to mineral oil 'till 12,000 miles and then switch to semi-synth after that.

Andres