oil what type!

[willy]

as a new GSA owner what type of oil is the best to use
on other twins eg harleys i'v used castrol car engine oil

anything wrong with using castrol magnatec 10w40 in the GSA
magnatec is a semi-synthetic oil for cars available in australia

love it should have bought one years ago


cheers andrew

 

[Greg Masters]

Castrol recommend GPS - but for the life of me, I can't think why! GPS is designed for bikes with wet clutches (which the Beemer doesn't have), so GTX Magnatec should be just fine since it is an API SJ/CF spec oil.

I've been using it - it's OK for me.

GFI

Greg

 

[BBB61]

I put Magnatech in at my last oil change too. I don't see why it should be a problem on a bike with a seperate engine and gearbox.

Bob

 

[gavin]

the manual states an 'API SG' spec oil, not 'SJ'.

 

[Greg Masters]

Gavin

Under the American Petroleum Institute standards for engine oil for Spark-ignition engines, SJ is a higher standard than SG.

Greg

 

[gavin]

API SJ oil is NOT approved for use in BMW motorcycles, the 'SJ' rating does not guarantee the required levels of wear protective additives. Checkout:- http://www.gunsmoke.com/scot/k12/sj_oil.html

Gavin.

 

[Greg Masters]

API SJ oil is NOT approved for use in BMW motorcycles, the 'SJ' rating does not guarantee the required levels of wear protective additives

Gavin, you're quite right - but it's not the full story.

The API rating started with SA in the 1940's and the ratings have been upgraded over the years. The higher (alphabetically) the rating, the better the lubrication properties for petrol engines.

Although my bottle of Magnatec shows that it's an API SJ rating, it's now been upgraded to the new SL rating.

The reason that BMW (and other motorcycle manufacturers) only recommend SG is that that is the highest level WITHOUT friction modifiers. Friction modifiers will affect the performance of wet clutches (including overun clutches in starter motors etc). As far as I can see, none of that affects a BMW bike engine.

FWIW, BMW GB don't recommend fully synthetic either (for reasons that I'm not at all clear about) but are prepared to recommend a semi-synthetic. Maybe it's because they know that the sheer-stability in fully synthetic oils would push out service intervals to frequencies that would have their dealer network screaming!!

Greg

 

[gavin]

It's all very confusing Greg, BMW don't advise the use of fully synth, yet BEL-RAY make a fully synthetic that is API SG rated but no higher, so surely that's ok?, are BMW contradicting themselves?, for whatever reason.

 

[Greg Masters]

Yes, I agree, totally confusing!

I'm just about to do an oil change on my bike and was going to put in Mobil 1. However, I think that I'll now use Castrol R4 Superbike (fully synth). I really can't think of a good reason NOT to use an SG synthetic.

Greg

 

[Andy Leeds UK]

Yes, I agree, totally confusing!

I really can't think of a good reason NOT to use an SG synthetic.

Greg

How about if it comes with a picture of a bike on the bottle it costs £7 a litre more? R bikes use car oil, F bikes need bike oil. Just a case of clutch types. If you are pushing the service intervals or ride hard, a brand oil might be worth it, but I've use ASDA and Motosaves own for years with no noticable wear, changing at the 6000 miles or as long trips require.

I was once forced to put Mobil super synthetic bike oil in the URAL. That was a bit upsetting for someone who's tewrminally tight

Andy

 

[Greg Masters]

I admit that I did wince when I saw that 4 litres of Mobil1 was nearly 35 quid in Halfords (but that still a lot less than my dealer charges for semi-synth GPS!).

Greg

 

[Jimb]

Assuming its newish

Castrol GTX or any equal type of car oil until its stopped using oil ( 15 -20k miles) then Mobil 1 after that and it just will not wear.
Full or Semi snyth Gearbox & final drive after 6000 miles.

 

[carlhowe]

I'm using castro 10-40 magnetec at 3000 mile changes. (on offer at Macro - about £12.50 a go (plus VAT).

Mine seems to have nearly stopped using oil (200ml in last 3000 miles) and its only done 6k so far.

 

[gavin]

I'm with you on this one, Greg, my first (600 mile) service is this Sat. at SPC. They are going to put GP mineral in it, at the 6000 mile service i will ask if they can use GPS semi synth, and when it's fully run in (whenever that is!), change to R4 fully synth, all Castrol oils, and all 'SG' rated.

 

[JTalbut]

Mine seems to have nearly stopped using oil (200ml in last 3000 miles) and its only done 6k so far.

That's what I thought about mine, then I thrashed it for 2000 miles around France and used (hmm, why doesn't anyone say "burned"?) about a litre.

I've been using Castrol Act>evo 4T to top up whatever Balderstons put in (I'll be asking them what that is when it has it's 12K service next week).
I chose that one as it's SG rated and not fully synthetic, which received wisdom appears to believe best between 6K and fully run in.

Why has noone mentioned the temperature ranges of oils?
By my understanding GTX is not actually suitable for the range of temperatures we get in this country.

 

[Greg Masters]

JT

They gave me a litre of the stuff ........

Mark

....and how much did that cost you?




Greg

 

[willy]

thanx for the info
spoke to a an ex castrol rep today he said the magnatec would be as good as castrol gps as the clutch does not run in the gearbox oil
so i'll use the magnatec and save about 50% $
as it will help keep service cost down as i change engine oil every 5000 km

cheers andrew

 

[ajd]

On a slightly different tack within the same subject, is there a case for a minimum period (or distance) between oil changes? I mean, does oil need to "wear in" to reach a maximum lubrication/viscosity/cooling function/transport of swarf function etc.? If not, then the corollary is that in a theoretically perfect situation it would be best to operate a total loss oil system like my grandfather's 1920 Indian, where new oil is dribbled onto the moving parts and then spewed out onto the road.

 

[Greg Masters]

Provided that the oil is not so cold and thick that it can't be properly circulated, new oil is best. With age, sheer stability falls off and metal to metal rubbing protection is compromised.

Greg

 

[Kenny Rodkiss]

don't forget that when the ambient air temp is above 20c.that BMW recomend oil with more than 40sae. ie 15/50.
It is still an air cooled motor that uses the oil to help cool the exhaust valves and a 10/40 could over heat and start to break down if you are cruising warmer countries.