Oil Consumption ?

[Rob Farmer]

So where does everyone get the 20w50 oil from? Cant find it except the dealers which is 200 miles away!!!!!! can only seem to get castrol 10w40 gps from halfords....... and it drinks the stuff. not much choice around here.....

Motorworks.

Pidcocks mechanic told me not to use semi synth until the bike had done at least 25k. They put 10/40 in unless the customer complains of the bike being noisy in which case they use 20/50.

Go for Castrol GP, cheaper and not such a high consumption.

 

[pomm001]

If it was watercooled, then the tolerances could be much tighter. This would result in the engine burning less oil, but as it's air cooled, allowances have to be made for differential expansion rates due to greater temperature variations.

In general i agree with the above statement

but just to cheer you all up
My gaffers 2 litre AUDI fsi pertrol car started off from new using 1 lire per 600 miles.
Oh it will get better sir once its run in, ........
70,000 miles, 3 cylinder heads, four sets of plug top coils and 8 recoverys later it hasnt.
So the GS aint too bad considering its low tech, low stressed engine

 

[beermonster]

So where does everyone get the 20w50 oil from? Cant find it except the dealers which is 200 miles away!!!!!! can only seem to get castrol 10w40 gps from halfords....... and it drinks the stuff. not much choice around here.....

Don't worry about it mine has generally needed topping up every 600 miles or so, but sometimes it decides to use none? Just remember to check it each week. As for 20/50 I have used it but most just used 10/40 mineral, Halfords sell motorcycle (10/40 mineral) so there should be one near you. Bung it in every 6000 miles that will do. If you want to spend the extra on semi synth fine but the hand book only reccomends mineral so the choice is yours.

 

[smilee mark]

The Changing levals of oil....In a BEE EM

What i do (and it might not make sense) To check the oil after a ride I ride into the garage and put it on its centre stand with the motor still running ,I let it idle for another thirty seconds and then turn it off. That way at least the reading is consistent. I used to check it five minutets later religiously , I would then check it again in the morning when the oil was cold and monitor the change. I have now learnt the adjustment to make when it (the oil) is cold and top up appropriately, I will use this system again if i change the oil type at the moment works well for me.

 

[bustupbiker]

...
At around 2,000 miles, I changed to mineral oil, and that was the end of my oil consumption woes. It's now done 11,000ish miles, and I NEVER need to top up between changes.
...

Which kind of oil do you use?

Valveoline vr1 racing 20/50 mineral oil.
Bought from local motor factors, 4x4lts tubs in a cardboard box £28.

 

[FatAl]

So where does everyone get the 20w50 oil from? Cant find it except the dealers which is 200 miles away!!!!!! can only seem to get castrol 10w40 gps from halfords....... and it drinks the stuff. not much choice around here.....

Rock Oil make a semi-synth 20/50, I've used it for quite a while in various airhead BMW's and my R1150GS. Castrol GPS is motorcycle specific oil, you don't need to use that in the air/oilheads, because they have a seperate clutch and gearbox.

 

[Dellis]

My old 1150, a 2001 model, used around a litre every 3,000 miles until it had done about 19,000 then it stopped using oil as if a tap had been turned off! My current 1150, a 2003 model which I bought last November with 1,800 miles, hardly uses any oil?

I haven't come to any conclusions but there again I haven't given it much thought...

Dave

 

[ELIMINATOR]

Rock Oil also do a 15-50 semi-synthetic, the 15 part in theory makes for better cold starts, as it's thinner.

 

[Jhenshall]

Mine used a bit for first 5k miles then started using more! 2k later, clutch started to slip. Turned out oil seal leak into clutch, oil caused clutch to break down.

New oil seal and clutch under warranty.

Still uses a little (now 24k miles) but much slower.

 

[Bazza]

Is it ok to mix different 'makes' of oil..... ie 10w 40 gp with halfords own 10w 40 ....... i know the dealer uses the castrol gp stuff but is rocking horse sh*t up here to get hold of?

 

[JDH]

Is it ok to mix different 'makes' of oil..... ie 10w 40 gp with halfords own 10w 40 ....... i know the dealer uses the castrol gp stuff but is rocking horse sh*t up here to get hold of?

Have the same question myself, anyone advise please.

T.I.A

John

 

[steveh]

I've only had two engines that used oil...

the current GS12

My now sold Subaru impreza wrx

both had a fairly good appetite for the stuff and both are boxer/parrallel type config....just a coincidence?

 

[ovenpaa]

Motorworks.

Pidcocks mechanic told me not to use semi synth until the bike had done at least 25k. They put 10/40 in unless the customer complains of the bike being noisy in which case they use 20/50.

Go for Castrol GP, cheaper and not such a high consumption.

Scary, I got a free litre of Putoline semi synth when I picked mine up from Peterborough so that is what I use.

How can BM dealers give such different information?

BTW used maybe 250cc's over 2500 hard miles a couple of weeks ago and has 8500 on the clock.

 

[Tsiklonaut]

Previous 1998 1100 did 1.5 litres per 17,000 kilometres. Current 1998 does 0.5 litres per 7000km, so pretty same.

Oh, btw, I use the cheapest dirt car semi-synth 10W-40 oil you can find With some expensive shite it'd probably doesn't use even a drop, but why the hassle? The oil i'm running with the same consumption is about 5X or more times cheaper anyway, while there's absolutely no point puting quality oil into boxer that has redline around 7K rpms and you're using mostly lazy 3-5K rpm on normal riding, thank fek it's is no 15K rpm, wet clutched and the same oil gearboxed sportsbike. I consider this amount of consumption ideal me bikes have with that oil

PS: i wouldn't TRUST the bike that uses no oil at all. Think, how much it acctuallly needs, big twin like the boxer, or is it better to have dragged engine due insufficent oiling, like japanese bikes blow their camshafts, tensioners etc?

Cheers, Margus

 

[Beaker]

I've used nothing but castrol gps (as used and recomended by dealer). Im still topping up every 500miles. On 21000miles now and shes still drinkin. What is the correct way of checking the level ? I've been leaving on the centre stand and checking in the morning. and how is it a mate of mine buys a 02 gs1150 with 11,000miles, every morning smokes like a bastard still uses no oil after a 1800mile trip

 

[jonnie comet]

how is it a mate of mine buys a 02 gs1150 with 11,000miles, every morning smokes like a bastard still uses no oil after a 1800mile trip

..just like mine then.......see my previous reply, within this thread...