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

When you guys change your oil filters are you staying with the BMW OEM filters or are you using another kind?
Where are you buying these filters?

Mark

I stay with the Beemer filters because of the warranty issues mentioned elsewhere. I buy them at the dealer or could mail order from Bobs or someone.

Ditto.

Do you use synthetic oil? If so, which one, and how many miles on the machine when you made the switch?

skysailor wrote:Do you use synthetic oil? If so, which one, and how many miles on the machine when you made the switch?

Yes. BMW synthetic. 15W-50. I went to it at my 6,000 mile service (which I did at around 5,100 miles because I'm anal and I was going to be leaving on a trip..)

Is anyone out there using Mobile 1? I ask because it is so readily available and I believe it to be fairly good stuff.

Mark

OIL THREAD ___ OIL THREAD

I'll assume we're talking about Mobil 1 motorcycle oil. I use Mobil 1 in my other bikes. My Valkyrie (All Valkyries) have a real bad transmission whine right at 50 MPH, sounds almost like a police siren. The Mobil 1 quites it down to a bearable level so it must be doing something. My little bikes (they hold 1 Qt) get Mobil 1 and I change it at 1k,which is a seasons use.

The Beemer (R12) gets Beemer oil mostly because I'm there buying the filter anyhow and they also always remind me to get a crush washer. The price is only a buck or two higher than the Mobil 1 and with 6K changes that becomes a non issue. I wouldn't have a problem using Mobil 1 (motorcycle oil) if I had to. Went to synthetic around 6K right before a trip, my bike used very little oil (1/4 Lt) during break in and doesn't seem to be using any now with 20+K.

OK -- now for the guy that swears by $2.49 K-Mart 20-50 dino oil and changes it at 10K

If you run into a situation where you cant locate Mobile-1 motorcycle oil, a great substitute is the Mobile Delvac-1 diesel oil. The additive package in that stuff is great for high temp high pressure use, and I have run it in all my vehicles for years. The current Tahoe diesel has 300K miles on it now, and the previous one had just over 500K when it got traded, and the engine internals still looked new.

Mostly I use Amsoil motorcycle oils and gear lubes in my RR. If you are concerned about oil life and engine wear, get some sample kits from Blackstone and have them run an analysis. This will give you a very good picture of when your particular engine needs to change oil.

BMW 'synthetic' oil is not really synthetic, right? Mobil 1, Amsoil & Royal Purple are synthetic but the rest are not???

oil, oil, oil,oil

HERE WE GOooooooooooooo again


I switched to syn with todays oil change...BMW Fileter, and Rotella T Syn5-40 - allegedly.

AmostThere wrote:BMW 'synthetic' oil is not really synthetic, right? Mobil 1, Amsoil & Royal Purple are synthetic but the rest are not???

For what it costs (13.50 a quart ) it should be made of single malt scotch.

Mark

I use WalMart 20-50 dino oil at 12K intervals...........

Sorta on topic, what is a normal amount of oiled used during the first say 6000 miles? When is the RR considered broken in and shouldn't use any oil?

Mine uses a little. I may top off four ounces or so in 500 miles. I have 14000 miles on. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't smoke or leak. I almost always park it on the side stand.

Mark

"I'll assume we're talking about Mobil 1 motorcycle oil"



Is there a real difference between "motorcycle oil" and regular automotive oil? I was under the impression that BMWs did not need special motorcycle oil because our transmissions were not bathed in the motor's oil. Or something like that.

Mark

We the inexperirenced re boxers get nervous when the engine uses oil. Previous japanese bikes hardly touched a drop. So far to 1700km gone thru best part of 1/2 litre whichcaused me to break in to a cold sweat....It seems to be slowing down .It seems the boxers take a while to bed in. Can you tell anything by the speed of darkening discolouration in viewing window after oil change. Do any here change oil more frequently? Any hints from the wise would be warmly appreciated.

I'm just on 10000km and havent added any oil to mine , its about half on the sight glass. I'm going to stay with dino oil at least for another oil change. I use Castrol Activ4T m/cycle oil 15w50. Have used it in all my bmws for the last 10 years. changing at recommended intervals.

Just finished my 5,000km oil change. I used bio oil as that's what the manual recommends until 10,000km when the boxer is officially "broken in". My dealer was selling Spectro oil and I used a BMW filter.

vodka wrote:We the inexperirenced re boxers get nervous when the engine uses oil. Previous japanese bikes hardly touched a drop. So far to 1700km gone thru best part of 1/2 litre whichcaused me to break in to a cold sweat....It seems to be slowing down .It seems the boxers take a while to bed in. Can you tell anything by the speed of darkening discolouration in viewing window after oil change. Do any here change oil more frequently? Any hints from the wise would be warmly appreciated.

I added 675ml of oil from 0-5,000km. It was right at 'full' when i did the 5k change.

Noticed some disconcerting crud in the old oil too. Maybe shavings from a gasket?