Oil type

[NorseMan9]

OK, all this talk about oil burning made me check the level and have noticed after about 15 miles and stopping that I don't see any oil in the site glass . I had the 6,000 mile check done and the oil replaced then. I've got 7,200 on it now and I'm assuming (hoping) that I'm ok.

Anyway, can I use any type of commercial engine oil or is there something special I should consider?

[sjbmw]

BMW 20-50. Some say use 10-40 in the hot summer months.

Put the bike on the centerstand after riding and it's hot, and wait 5-10 minutes for the oil coolers to drain to check it.

Any oil inside the red circle is safe zone. I keep mine at halfway, but I don't check it as often anymore.

[cworley5150]

Did you do the "BMW oilcheck dance"?

After riding, give the oil a minute or two to drain from the oil coolers back into the crankcase by setting the bike on the sidestand first. Then put her up on the center stand on level ground to get an accurate reading. Engine and oil must be warm. If you see any oil in the glass at all, you're OK. Keeping the level in the middle of the glass is prefered.

Any way of knowing what type of oil the dealership put in at the service? Use what they used. I doubt they would have used synthetic at the 6k mile service. Any decent car oil will do. You do not have to use motorcycle specific oil. I like Castrol GTX. 20w50 in really hot weather and 10w40 in cooler temps.

[Airman]

OK, all this talk about oil burning made me check the level and have noticed after about 15 miles and stopping that I don't see any oil in the site glass . I had the 6,000 mile check done and the oil replaced then. I've got 7,200 on it now and I'm assuming (hoping) that I'm ok.

Anyway, can I use any type of commercial engine oil or is there something special I should consider?

Perhaps not any commercial oil. Some are better then others. Someone here will probably put up a link to a comparison. I decided a couple of oil changes ago that BMW was charging too much for their oil. It had got to $5 a quart at my dealer. I did some reading and decided to use Castrol GTX 20-50. I can buy a 5 qt jug for about $10 at the local discount store. I do think it's i,portant to maintain the correct weight oil with air cooled motorcycle engines however. 20-50 is what you want. The kind to avoid is 10-40 auto oil. It will work, but long term the 20-50 is better. Read some articles online, go throught the additives, sulfur content and all that. If you buy a 20-50 with a comparable additive package to the BMW you'll be fine.

[Airman]

Any way of knowing what type of oil the dealership put in at the service? Use what they used. I doubt they would have used synthetic at the 6k mile service. Any decent car oil will do. You do not have to use motorcycle specific oil. I like Castrol GTX. 20w50 in really hot weather and 10w40 in cooler temps.

I don't think I would use 10-40 unless I was having trouble turning the engine over in the morning. Remember that the "10" in 10-40 is your base oil. I don't really want to use 10w in an aircooled engine. I use 20-50 year round, but where I live the temps seldom go below freezing. I guess trip length might be an issue as well. Shorter trips would like that light oil better.

[iowabeakster]

BMW 20-50. Some say use 10-40 in the hot summer months

i think this is backwards 10-40 in the cooler temps.

[boxermania]

On multigrade oils the range has to do with the viscosity of the oil at differen temperatures.

For instance a 10W40 oil will move towards a viscosity of 10 at temperatures below 32 Deg F, notice that I say move towards,because in actuality since it is a blend it will never reach either of the extremes. Likewise at ambient temperatures above 80 Deg F the oil will move towards a viscosity of 40.

Needless to say the same applies to 20W50. However the case for a 20W50 oil on large displacement, air cooled (vs water) engines comes from that historically air cooled engines run hotter than water cooled ones and as such they also have larger temperature gradients, so the oil viscosity plays a bit of a role.

And just in case that someone wonders, the answer is no, if the question aludes to using 85W90 with higher viscosity as engine oil.....

[drossjr]

I have been using SAE 30 because I thought that is what the dealer told me they put in the last time I was at the BMW shop. I haven't had any issues with it. Anybody know the pros/cons of SAE 30?

[Airman]

I have been using SAE 30 because I thought that is what the dealer told me they put in the last time I was at the BMW shop. I haven't had any issues with it. Anybody know the pros/cons of SAE 30?

Other then it being hard to find ? Locally I don't see it much. The shop where I currently work uses 10-40 in everything. Diesels, gas, small engines, etc. I had previously worked in a shop where we had some say in what oil was used. We had used 30w in diesels and 10-40 in the other engines. After some research we decided for hard service on much abused engines, the heavier 30w made more sense.
In our aircooled BMW engines, 30w will be too light for hot temps and too heavy if it gets cold. Stick with the 20-50. That should have been the dealer's recomendation, and I can hardly imagine them not telling you to buy the BMW oil.

[cworley5150]

Any way of knowing what type of oil the dealership put in at the service? Use what they used. I doubt they would have used synthetic at the 6k mile service. Any decent car oil will do. You do not have to use motorcycle specific oil. I like Castrol GTX. 20w50 in really hot weather and 10w40 in cooler temps.

I don't think I would use 10-40 unless I was having trouble turning the engine over in the morning. Remember that the "10" in 10-40 is your base oil. I don't really want to use 10w in an aircooled engine. I use 20-50 year round, but where I live the temps seldom go below freezing. I guess trip length might be an issue as well. Shorter trips would like that light oil better.

Thanks for the tip Airman. So far i ahve only ran 20w50 Castrol in the Rockster. In my other bikes i ahve used 10w40 (Japanese water cooled bieks) when the temps go below 40-50 degrees mostly due to transmission issues. Since the BMW has seperate engine and tranny oils, maybe I will stick with the 20w50. i do occasionally ride when temps are down into the 20's.

[sjbmw]

BMW 20-50. Some say use 10-40 in the hot summer months

i think this is backwards 10-40 in the cooler temps.

oops. I am oil dyslexic. I run 20-50 all the time, can't ya tell?

[OU812]

I have a drum of 30 weight diesel oil (Citgo). Any ideas?

[peterbulgar]

I have a drum of 30 weight diesel oil (Citgo). Any ideas?

Yeah, don't use it on your salad.

where I live the temps seldom go below freezing

Airman, what part of Minneapolis do you live in where the temps seldom go below freezing?
Peter '73 R75/5, '04 R1150RA (using BMW synthetic since 18k miles)

[OU812]

I prefer ranch. The older I get, the faster I was.

[paroyboy]

I'll be the odd man out and say stick with BMW 20-50. The service guy tried to explain the whole weight and API ratings to me. Almost immediately, I developed a blank stare and my eyes rolled up in my head! I dont care HOW it works as long as it DOES work. 5 quarts was less than $24. Whats an extra $10 every 3000 miles? This is your baby youre talkin about here!