BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

oil filter p/n 11427673541 , but check Beemerboneyard for theirs. I get em sent over to Aussie ,cheaper even with postage.

Don: Re..
"You want to do the oil check in a repeatable manner, under repeatable conditions. Cold in the AM before starting the engine means the oil trapped in the oil cooler, and the oil dribbling off the engine parts has all reached the sump. That is when you want to check the oil.

The BS about warming the engine up, chanting some obscure old-wives-tale-song, waiting 10.25 minutes, then standing on your head to check the oil is exactly that - BS."

I am all on board with the "repeatable manner", this is how you judge your oil comsumption. Only a check under the same circumstances will give you an idea if you truly are using oil from check to check.

I do not favor the "first AM oil check" as a good way to determine your oil level. Remember the classic "oil check" was done by the pump jockey on a HOT engine 2 minutes or so after shutdown. Dipsticks and oil sight glasses were indeed calibrated for this circumstance. BMW and many/most mfgs state in the owners manual to check the oil at operating temperature a little while after you finish a ride. Sure pump jockeys are gone in most locals, but "Check every time you fill up" is also often still recomended in your owners manual. Sure, this is a liablity issue for a mfg. who does not want to warranty motors that are run dry, but that does happen.

I run a 800 mile day from time to time. I don't want to run my sump dry from an oil leak because my "AM oil check" was good to go and thus I never looked at the sight glass ONCE on those gas stops. In fact I look at that glass every time I dismount... I have riden and wrenched BMWs since 1972. I have had more than one oil leak, but never yet have I run one dry.

ammolab wrote:I am all on board with the "repeatable manner", this is how you judge your oil comsumption. Only a check under the same circumstances will give you an idea if you truly are using oil from check to check.

I do not favor the "first AM oil check" as a good way to determine your oil level. Remember the classic "oil check" was done by the pump jockey on a HOT engine 2 minutes or so after shutdown. Dipsticks and oil sight glasses were indeed calibrated for this circumstance. BMW and many/most mfgs state in the owners manual to check the oil at operating temperature a little while after you finish a ride. Sure pump jockeys are gone in most locals, but "Check every time you fill up" is also often still recomended in your owners manual. Sure, this is a liablity issue for a mfg. who does not want to warranty motors that are run dry, but that does happen.

I run a 800 mile day from time to time. I don't want to run my sump dry from an oil leak because my "AM oil check" was good to go and thus I never looked at the sight glass ONCE on those gas stops. In fact I look at that glass every time I dismount... I have riden and wrenched BMWs since 1972. I have had more than one oil leak, but never yet have I run one dry.

Whatever. Do what you're comfortable with - if you do it in a repeatable manner. The early BMWs you worked on didn't have an oil cooler, or a seperate oil circuit for cooling the oil (complete with it's own pump) or an oil thermostat. And you checked the level with a dipstick.

If you look at where the oil level on a hexhead engine is when you change the oil with the specified amount (and it's cold oil you're putting in unless you've cooked it on the stove), you'll find it's right at the top of the window. If you start the engine, run it for a bit then shut it off and wait 2 minutes - where is it now? You'll find it's no longer at the top of the window because some is trapped in the oil cooler circuit, and some is up on the engine parts and hasn't found it's way back to the sump. Mine is usually about 1/2 way to 2/3rds up the window. Do I add any oil? Nope.. since after an hour or so, the level is right back where it was right after I changed the oil.

Since I know the correct amount of oil is in the engine when I've just poured it in - that's the level I'll go with.

Look at where the window is in the sump, and where the oil pickup is. For the pickup to see air, the oil level would have to be several inches below the bottom of the window. In that case - it would be showing no oil cold or hot or overnight or 2 minutes after shutting it off.

Nothing wrong with looking at the level whenever you get off the bike, as long as you realize that the level won't really reflect how much oil is in the engine. Some is trapped in the oil cooler, and some is still dropping off parts up high and the cylinder walls. I usually also do a level check if it's been a long ride - but it's a case of if there is oil in the window, it's good to go. The oil is well above the level of the oil pickup for the two oil pumps. Having experienced a case where there was a large oil leak (a punctured oil filter) - I do know I'd notice it. The rear wheel tends to loose a lot of traction when it's oil covered.

YMMV - and I'll keep checking mine just like I do.

Don: Hot oil does not get "trapped" in the oil cooler, those coolers have to FLOW oil to be of any use at all.
It surely drains hot into the sump when you shutdown and check your oil as per the BMW manual. If it drains out
on an oil change as you say..it drains out on shutdown as well.

And on your oil changes....that cold, new oil does not flow back quickly into the sump, sure. It is "trapped" in a lot of
places, and you must refill the oil cooler as you say, I get that. But when HOT it will all find its place in the sump in the 5 min it takes to fill
up or put up your helmet and gloves, jacket etc.

Like you say...just about any method of "checking oil" will keep you running down the road, but I have 4 BMWs in the
garage right now, been riding a K75C for 26years with no dipstick. The oil window predates the R1200R by many years, and all the manuals have similar instructions for "oil level check".

"Shutdown HOT, 2to5 min for draindown and check the oil."

But we are both good if we don't have any seized BMWs parked out in the back yard

I have to agree with Don on this one, to check first thing after an overnight park. What I do not understand is BMW telling me to run a potentially low oil level up to temp, to then check it, ok so it should be done at the end of a day's use but we all know that is not always practical for many reasons, normally I am in a hurry to get on with other things and do not want to fluff about waiting. Anyway as long as there is oil in the sight glass at any time of the day I am happy.

hi all
i check mine when hot , 5 mins after stopping ,level ground ,oil expands when hot . even when oil is at bottom of sight glass ,still a lot of oil in the sump . one of my old 1150 gs used to use a litre per thousand miles , after 20000 mile stopped using oil . i would not worry to much as long as you can see oil in the sight glass hot or cold .

The Castrol "4T" is Castrol Actevo - X-TRA 4T part synthetic motorcycle oil - SAE 20W-50 and it exceeds API SG + JASO MA2 standards.
I buy it at Cycle Gear for $5 a quart - much cheaper than at the BMW dealer.