think I've been using the wrong oil

[Steptoe]

Well we all learn something everyday - just think if fully-synth was around back in the old days then your bikes might have managed 300k without the 5 rebuilds along the way

Funnily enough the engine was the only untouched original part. You carry on reading your manuals and advertising information

 

[Engineer]

Errr yes they do!!
If you read the castrol brochure done in conjunction with BMW you'll see that 20/50 is suitable for the 1200 but if the customer requests it they can have "ultimate " protection by using the 10/60.We've had no issues at all using 20/50

So 10W60 is now the recommended is it??? or is this just another BMW lack of attention to detail: ;-)

So what is the official BMW line - follow the manual, the dealer or the website? or choose anyone of the 3? They all give different information!!!!! They need to be consistent.

In the past there often was good reason for Manuals being slightly out of date because they had to be produced before the product was ready for launch - but not these days as the Manuals are often downloadable and kept up to date and are not printed in bulk.

At the end of the day it really doesn't matter as any decent quality semi or fully synth is probably fine as long as you chose the correct ambient temperature range, i.e 10 or 5WXX if you want to operate below 0°C for any length of time, or XXW50 if you operate at very high ambient temps.

10W50 fully-synth is probably the best one can get, as it will apparently, cover the whole ambient temp range from -20C to 40C or above.

In the Winter 20W50 certainly made my 05 1200GS struggle a bit when starting compared to 10W40 even with the clutch pulled in, which makes one think that it ain't quite as good for low temps, which is exactly what one would expect!

 

[GSmonkey]

Further to my previous post, it turns out the best stir fry oil has a high smoke point. Peanut Oil is the way to go although you can use normal (not virgin) olive oil.

It also appears that I've been using the wrong oil on my roast tatties - apparently goose fat is the oil of choice not lard.

Oil selection is a tricky business.

 

[Engineer]

.........

Oil selection is a tricky business.

It only appears tricky because there is so many old wives tales, pseudo-science and mistakes bandied around - even the gurus don't know, they say 'RTFM' one day and then tell you to listen to the dealer the next!

Even the manufacturer's themselves put out contradictory information!!

However despite the 2010 Manual saying Castrol GPS 10W40 is the recommended oil for the 2010 engine (which I am sure is actually correct) 10W50 fully synthetic is probably better overall if one is willing to pay, the benefits may be slight but you pay your money and make your choice.

 

[Bear]

It also appears that I've been using the wrong oil on my roast tatties - apparently goose fat is the oil of choice not lard.

Oil selection is a tricky business.

We prefer duck fat to goose. Roast the duck one day and have superb roasties (King Edwards are by far the best) the next. A good red Burgundy helps as it's the best neck oil on the planet. As for the motorcycle, anything starting with a 10 or more matches what the handbook says.

 

[skywalker]

The 10/60 I was referring to was Castrol TWS which was for the HP2 sport and developed for use in BMW's M series engines but this according to the spec sheet it has been amended to Power 1 10/50 as have all the 1200's with the exception of the K1300 series which use a different Power 1.
20/50 is recommended for the 1200 if the customer just wants a std oil.
Wonder if roasties taste good cooked in Power 1 or 20/50 or shall I stick with goose fat. Mind u what viscosity is goose fat perhaps Mr Engineer will tell me.
watcha think Steptoe!!

 

[Ogmios]

... Love the way this thread has two entirely separate levels.
One totally serious.
The other completely ridiculous.

I know some day i'll talk of this at an Event and someone will say how good-that-thread-was - and i'll agree .

We could be talking about two entirely different things



.



If i ever do a degree i'm going to study Anthropology and base my thesis on this place.

 

[Bryn]

So for the 1 year service on an 09 1200 , that rarely goes out below 0 deg, has 5000 miles on it... and won't be going anywhere this year much above 25-30 C...

What would you ask the dealer to stick in it....

Mentioned booking a service at Pidcocks for my new bike and they laughed and started waving a 1 litre bottle of 10/50 Castrol at me Just bought a gallon of 10/40 semi from Hein Gericke for the 1150 I've just sold as well )



In the interests of keeping a good thread going