MThomas,
After almost 64,000 miles and almost 9 years of riding my 2002 R1150R I learned many things.
Let me give you the data you need to understand your bike's mysterious engine. We are trying to help you here but you seem to be way too influenced by your own conclusions because of what the oil window tells you, like, magically,
without any signs of a leak or massive clouds of blue smoke the bike just used
a LOT of oil on your last ride. The bottom of the oil window
does NOT mean the engine is almost out of oil and needs oil to be added. The truth is that there is just over 3 Quarts of oil in the sump! CenterRedDot of the oil window (it contains 3.75 quarts!)
does NOT mean the engine needs oil to be added!! There even seems to be a mystery of what a lighter or darker oil window means and how it correlates with side or centerstand, engine cold/warm/hot, engine running or turned off. Not knowing anything about the particulars or obvious quirks of the OilHead motor allows you to not understand the concept of Cold/Cool/Warm/AlmostHot oil REMAINING IN THE OIL COOLERS, VALVE COVERS, Cylinders, all internal moving parts and substantial crankcase inner wall surface areas. Those oil radiators and large internal surface areas RETAIN a LOT of oil, making the oil window a big fat LIAR . . . UNLESS you understand WHEN and ONLY WHEN it is telling you the TRUTH. The only way oil will drain from the oil radiators (air replacing the oil), on the sidestand, is when the right side oil cooler top hose connection
metal pipe fitting finger touch test
is SO hot that you MUST immediately "let go of it." That indicates the oil thermostat is OPEN, allowing the oil to drain from both radiators into the crankcase sump. You, like many other new-2-BMW riders also insist on adding oil when the centerstand oil level is AT the CenterRedDot of the oil window, which is 3.75 quarts in the engine. They add oil, like you did, in spite of the fact the engine was
not hot enough because the 1 hour ride was during the winter or the bike not put on the sidestand for 10 plus minutes then the centerstand for 15 plus minutes. In very cold rides or shorter trips, to get the engine HOT enough use the lower transmission gears to maintain 4,000+ RPMs for your road speed for the last 10 minutes from your final destination to force/obtain a higher engine operating temperature. I always trusted an overnight drain for the final centerstand interval, after a proper burned finger 10 plus minute sidestand procedure. That CenterRedDot oil level is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to worry about -AND- is considered by seasoned/experienced OilHead owners as The Optimal "Full' mark for the oil level to minimize the bike's normal oil consumption.
Even if the oil level was at lower-red circle (actually 3 quarts in the sump!!), it would still be safe enough to cruise at very high speeds for hours.
Click on these thumbnails to go to the pictures of the oil cooling circuit and the oil cooler circuit control thermostat taken apart. That brass oil thermostat is what causes so many OilHead riders to erroneously, routinely overfill the engine with oil.
If the oil level is above the oil window upper red circle, you need to drain out only a little more than the excess amount of oil. Drain out excess engine oil ONLY after you determine there was a proper burned finger HOT OIL shutdown -and- the before mentioned side then center stand time-outs. To drain out excess oil, do so as soon as the morning weather ensures the engine is COLD. First use an old toothbrush to solvent clean around the oil drain plug and bolt. With a clean drain pan underneath, loosen and remove the drain plug until at least a quart drains out, then quickly try to re-install it. Don't panic, cold oil flows slowly. I say at least a quart drains out so you only have to drain it once. Don't worry about too much draining before you get the threads started . . . that excess will be slowly, incrementally added to get to the oil level to CenterRedDot. If you go higher than the oil window's center-red-dot by choice, you will encourage more oil usage and combustion chamber deposits with absolutely no gains in safety or engine longevity. I have read about OilHead owners complain about there bike's engine (so carboned up) that it pings on premium grade gasoline. Ten-to-One he was neurotic about keeping that oil window full.
This picture will show you how far off the floor of the crankcase the bottom of the oil window is. That's where the 3+ quarts of oil remains out-of-sight.
.
I only read one replacement horror story where someone overheated his bike, by letting it idle too long, and blew it out, besides that, never gave it a consideration..... 
I've had silicone-coated gaskets squeeze out under pressure; it's slippery stuff that acts as a lubricant, and this part is just friction-fit in the crankcase.
