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Engine oil for R1200RT


Judspin

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I was lurking on another forum when this subject came up. Many, many different views on the correct oil to use. I was under the impression that since the transmission was a separate unit, that Automobile oil was the thing to use in the engine. How `bout some help for a new Beemer owner.

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Dick Tahoe's recent unfortunate events notwithstanding, conventional wisdom says that the only real reason to use "motorcycle specific oils" is to avoid the anti-friction additives commonly found in automotive oils, which is said to be detrimental to wet clutches for bikes that have common engine/transmission units with internal wet clutches.

 

I am using, right now, a full synthetic Valvoline 20-50 intended for automotive applications in my RT and have been for the last 15,000 miles. I run full synthetic Motul 300V 10-40 in my gsxr, which has a wet clutch. Just for shits and giggles, I might try an automotive grade synthetic 10-40 in the gsxr one of these days just to see if I actually get clutch slippage.

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I was lurking on another forum when this subject came up. Many, many different views on the correct oil to use. I was under the impression that since the transmission was a separate unit, that Automobile oil was the thing to use in the engine. How `bout some help for a new Beemer owner.

 

Read your owner's manual. It will tell you exactly what you can use.

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I run full synthetic Motul 300V 10-40 in my gsxr, which has a wet clutch. Just for shits and giggles, I might try an automotive grade synthetic 10-40 in the gsxr one of these days just to see if I actually get clutch slippage.

Been there/done that: once the plates of a wet clutch have been contaminated with friction modifiers, they don't recover; you have to replace the clutch.

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[te]

 

Read your owner's manual. It will tell you exactly what you can use.

 

 

From the manual..."Engine oils of the API classification SF or better. Engine oils of the ACEA classification of A2 or better.BMW Motorrad recommends not using synthetic for the first 6000miles, etc,etc. Doesn`t say jack about motorcycle specific or automobile oil....still in the dark, but thanks for the suggestion.

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...since the transmission was a separate unit, that Automobile oil was the thing to use in the engine...

 

Though one could make an argument that automotive oil will work just fine in such an application (and it probably does), that does not necessarily mean that it is preferred. I still favor going with a motorcycle-specific oil of the visosity recommended in the owners manual, which is what I do in my own RT. With a dry clutch and separate transmission, I don't think it is a big deal either way as long as you change it regularly.

 

Jay

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[te]

 

Read your owner's manual. It will tell you exactly what you can use.

 

 

From the manual..."Engine oils of the API classification SF or better. Engine oils of the ACEA classification of A2 or better.BMW Motorrad recommends not using synthetic for the first 6000miles, etc,etc. Doesn`t say jack about motorcycle specific or automobile oil....still in the dark, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

Doesn't say jack about motorcycle specific oil because you don't need it, because ANY oil that meets SF, SG, SH, SJ, or SM (is there an SM yet) will work just exactly fine in your engine. Automotive oils...all of them on the shelf at your favorite retailer, will almost certainly meet SJ or better (SF has been obsolete for decades). Quit worrying about it, use an oil that meets the API SF spec (anything with a letter later in the alphabet than "F" does so, as all API-spec oils are backwards compatible.

 

If your bike has a catalytic converter, use of "motorcycle" oil, which is simply oil which meets only the SG/SH API spec, with (slightly) higher levels of the antiwear additive ZDDP, will shorten the life of your very expensive catalytic converter, meanwhile, the "auto" oils mentioned above, which are really "motor" oils won't hurt your cat, and will protect your engine just fine.

 

Don't worry, be happy, the manual actually does tell you exactly what you can use. Your warranty will be intact, and your engine will be protected.

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If your bike is in warranty or extended warranty, follow the oil specifications in your motorcycle manual (and be able to prove it with receipts, etc if you are doing your own changes).

 

If you are out of warranty, and think you know more then the manufacturer about their motorcycle, use whatever you think is best. I see there are some on this forum that do..

 

Your bike, your risk.. I'll stick with what the manufacturer recommends for the life of the engine myself.

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Howdy,

 

I can add my 2-bits on this one. I work for an OEM in an industry that has very expensive equipment running at very high speeds with huge heat making large amounts of horsepower. We have very specific oil requirements for the equipment to run its natural life. We put out oil specifications for the equipment for use of the owners and cannot recommend specific oils....why you ask....blame the lawyers.

 

Seems that this can put us on the hook if the oil manufacturer doesn't meet his spec and his oil causes problems (by the way this does happen a lot not so much with the synthetics). Also competing oil manufacturers get their nose out of joint and then sic their lawyers on us for recommending competitors oil.....as an OEM you can't win. Again blame the lawyers....

 

All you can do is compare the spec to the oil manufacture's spec. If you have questions then you can ask the oil manufacturer directly if it meets or exceeds said specs.

 

I would suspect that BMW being a good corporate citizen is well aware of this slippery slope...ha ha pardon the pun :rofl:

 

Just my 2-bits.

 

Yammer

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I was interested in the same thing, I Googled "Motorcycle Oil" and came up with this good reference, check out this website, . It is a comprehensive study and gives data. Their concluding statement says, in part, "Despite more than six months of research, reading all the claims and counter-claims printed by dozens of industry experts and lubrication experts, MCN cannot and does not purport to know all there is to know about the differences between automotive and motorcycle oils. However, what we do know is that we can find no substantive evidence that using a high-quality, name-brand automotive oil in an average street motorcycle is in any way harmful or less effective in providing proper lubrication and protection than using the more expensive, motorcycle-specific oils."

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I have 5 quarts of 10w60 left over from my Moto Guzzi. BMW calls for 10w50 for my RT. Would the 10w60 do any harm to my RT?

 

You can run it if you want to, but your bike will become lazy, stopping frequently, requiring the attention of large breasted women to got it in the mood to run again. And it will smell faintly of olive oil......As opposed to sauerkraut.

 

BMW actualy recommends 20/50 or 15/50 synthetic, if I am not mistaken.

 

 

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On the back of my BMW Rider's Manual (US Model) is says "BMW recommends CASTROL" on the inside is says 20-50. Doesn't say I should use BMW oil. I'd think CASTROL oil from the auto parts supply store would work just fine. It's what I bought. I did buy a BMW filter based on some of the discussion here. Once my warrenty is up I'll look for a different filter.

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Every motorcycle site I have ever visited has the same discussion about oil. After years of reading all the arguments and after having ridden my current motorcycle for over 145,000 miles, my conclusion follows: if one buys a name brand synthetic oil that matches the motorcycle manufacturer's viscocity recommendation, one does not have to think further on the subject.

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  • 7 years later...

ive been running Delo 400 15W-40 in my R-1150RT for over a decade and using the same oil filter that my Toyota Sequoia (and now my Ford Fusion 1.5L EcoBoost turbo) uses. The bike purrs like a kitten and doesn't use any oil, gets good fuel economy etc. I don't lose sleep over oil. Use a good brand and change it on occasion :-)

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I always find these threads interesting. There are usually two forms of the discussion; those who are trying to save money and those who believe they have a superior oil.. I'm not smart enough to out guess BMW on the superiority of one oil versus another. As for the financials, If you save $20 per oil change, change your oil every 6000 miles, you will only save a little over $300 in 100,000 miles of oil change. Have BMW deny just one claim because they think your oil did not meet specs....well I think you will wish you spend the $300/100,000 miles. For the two to three oil changes per year I might do...the money is not enough to get excited about and as said, pretty sure I'm not smarter than BMW........YMMV

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I have 5 quarts of 10w60 left over from my Moto Guzzi. BMW calls for 10w50 for my RT. Would the 10w60 do any harm to my RT?

 

You can run it if you want to, but your bike will become lazy, stopping frequently, requiring the attention of large breasted women to got it in the mood to run again. And it will smell faintly of olive oil......As opposed to sauerkraut.

 

BMW actualy recommends 20/50 or 15/50 synthetic, if I am not mistaken.

 

I would use Mobil 1 15/w50. It's made for motorsports applications for its higher Zinc content. No affect on the dry clutch.
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Afternoon__

 

You guys do realize that you are responding to an oil usage thread that is well over 7-1/2 years old?

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Afternoon__

 

You guys do realize that you are responding to an oil usage thread that is well over 7-1/2 years old?

 

You do realize it's an oil thread!? They're harder to kill than zombies.

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Afternoon__

 

You guys do realize that you are responding to an oil usage thread that is well over 7-1/2 years old?

 

It's always good to know that there are constants in life.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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