I apologize in advance: How to check the oil level

[Dr. Strangelove]

There was a real ritual to properly checking the oil on the 1150s.
It would appear that on the 1200, not so much, but I find the manual unclear to the procedure.

Assuming full operating temperature, do I immediately put it on the center stand, wait 5 min and read? Is that it?


or the manual can be read to put it on the side stand -- the manual says "stand" and specifically mentions Center stand elsewhere--so, the (side) stand for 5 minutes, then center stand and read, or read after 5 minutes.

I did do a search on the forum and could not find the answer for the 1200.

tia

John

[garr2]

I'd like to know too.

[kirby]

*

[websterize]

...Assuming full operating temperature, do I immediately put it on the center stand, wait 5 min and read? Is that it?

Yes.

[Dr. Strangelove]

thanks.

[garr2]

from me too.

[deilenberger]

You'll see many rituals for checking the oil on BMW boxer engines.. but the important points are:

1. Do it on the centerstand.
2. Do it the same way every time.

I tend to check mine before leaving for a ride - I simply bend a bit and see if I see oil in the window. If there is oil there, I'm good to go. The bike is parked in my garage on it's centerstand in the same spot whenever it's home.

The reason for saying "the same way" - people have chased the oil level around by checking it with the engine at different temperatures. There is an oil cooler on the R1200R engine. The R12R design is such that it doesn't make a huge amount of difference - but this used to make a big difference on other models, the cooler would keep oil in it above a certain temperature and then dump it when the temperature dropped. Filling the engine to the theoretical perfect point (which is the top of the OUTSIDE circle on the window, ie - top of the window) when oil was in the cooler resulted in a perceived overfill when it cooled off and dumped the retained oil. There is also some expansion of the oil due to temperature (there was an interesting time lapse video on the web - of someones oil window. It was exposures every XX seconds for around 4 hours or more. It showed the oil level initially near the bottom of the window, then it climbed as oil drained down into the sump, then it dropped as the oil really cooled off. But I digress..)

You want consistency. That's what 1 & 2 do for you. As long as there is OIL IN THE WINDOW under any conditions on the centerstand (on level pavement) - you are GOOD TO GO. Don't obsess over it. No sacrificial chickens are needed.