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

Hi Guys,

I'm starting to do my own services on my 2000 model R1100R and have recently put more thought into the type of engine oil i should be using. I bought the bike with 60k on the clock and have done 20k in the past 3 years on Shell Advance 4T (15w-50) oil and the bike runs really well (this is the oil the mechanic had been using). I bought a 4 ltr bottle of this oil the other day and noticed that it is a mineral oil with a sticker on the bottle saying it has a synthetic additive. I phoned BMW and they recommend using Castrol Activ 4T (15w-50). My bike isn't subjected to regular cold starts (in that i don't use the bike to commute and only use it for long rides in the country and it's always garaged ). I live in Melbourne, Australia, and the air temperature range the bike is exposed to is between 12-40 degrees celsius. If anyone could please enlighten me as to the difference between these two oils I would be most appreciative (or perhaps even recommend a better one to use). Also, which website have members found to be the best for ordering BMW parts from?

Thanks

Adam

Hi Adam,

may I suggest you use the search button right on top of the page as there are plenty of past discussions about oil ... Cheap 20W50 from the supermarket will be fine for your oilhead and if you have too much money in your wallet go for syntetic or half syntetic 20W50 or 15W50 from Castrol and alike. That will also be fine - but more expensive. Remember to also change the filter when changing the oil.

I only know websites for BMW parts in Europe but the shipping costs to Australia will probably outprice any advantage on the item itself.

Best regards
Oliver