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

In its maintenance literature BMW recommends Castrol oil products for use in its motorcycle engines. However, the Spectro Oil company produces BMW brand (labeled) oil. It seems paradoxical that they would recommend the consumer use one product and then endorse another item by wrapping the BMW label around it.
Personally, I believe that both Castrol and Spectro are excellent and equal products, so this is not an "Oil Thread" about oil quality or personal oil preference.

My questions: what is BMWs rationale for furnishing this conflicting information? Is Castrol somehow connected to Spectro

Follow the money

While Spectro makes BMW's oil, I read that it is not formulated the same as Spectro oil (has different additives).

The Castrol oil BMW recommends for our engines is the European variant, I think it's called "Actevo".
That oil still contains the high concentrations of extreme wear additives (esp. zinc phosphate) that US oils reduced to improve emissions since the SL specification. This is why BMW requires use of oils graded no higher than SG/SH in our motors to maintain the warranty. Castrol sells a motorcycle oil called "4T" in the US meeting this specification.

Disclaimer: I have no interests in Castrol products other than I use them because I like them.

It's still an oil thread.

MikeCam wrote:It's still an oil thread.

Maybe it is .
However,my original question was more about a contradiction in marketing than about oil.