RED transmission oil?

[jfortenbery]

I have a 2004 R1150R I bought about a month ago from the original owner with 4,500 miles. He assured me the 600 mile service was done, but I thought I'd go ahead and change engine oil and transmission oil. When I pulled the transmission plug, I find the oil in there is red in color. The red oils I'm familiar with are Redline and Swepco. Is it common/popular to use these synthetics in BMW's?

BTW, the original owner DID NOT do anything mechanically to the bike, so it would have been done by the dealer OR a BMW specialty motorcycle shop - in essence a "professional" oil change. He also didn't strike me as the kind of guy who would have specified the type of oil - especially if it wasn't stated in the owner's manual. So ... back to my original question ... Is it common/popular among professional shops to use these synthetics in BMW transmissions?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

[dcameron]

I used Redline in my 1150, per my mechanic.

[mnnden]

I would use what the BMW manual calls for, jmop mnn

[Ol' Jeffers]

Irrespective of the colour if the specification of the oil matches
or exceeds that recommended by BMW it would be fine.

[TonyT47]

The only reason the oil is red is because the manufacturer put red dye in it. That way they can charge more for their "special" oil and thousands of testimonials on the web telling of the superiority of red oil proves their wisdom.
As others have said, as long as it meets BMW's specs, it's fine.
Personally, I always use golden brown oil. It's faster, because it's not weighed down by unnecessary dyes.
Cheers,
Tony

[jfortenbery]

Which Redline product is recommended for BMW transmission?

[sjbmw]

A great post from our FAQ section on fluids.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=11586


250 cc's of 75W90 in the final drive.... 1000cc in the transmission.


http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=133&pcid=4

[Boxer]

The Redline Shockproof is what I used to use in my old R1150R bike...transmission and final drive. I bought it at the BMW dealer at that time. Not sure if they still stock it. BMW NA probably made them take it out. Ask Cyclerob about when we removed my final drive that time.

[jfortenbery]

I finally got a confirmation through the paperwork trail that the red oil in the transmission was redline 75W-90. I replaced it, and the lube (which was still dino oil) with Redline Shockproof heavy synthetic.

The bike shifts MUCH better, and is quieter. There was a bit of transmission "ticking" previously under decelleration.

Thanks for all the info ...

Jeff