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2011 R1200GS - only mineral oil allowed, ever?

141987

New member
Today, a BMW Master Mechanic told me that you can never use semi-synthetic or full synthetic oil in a Boxer engine, because, if you do, the engine will leak oil because the synthetic oils will damage the seals, and, you will also have oil consumption\burning problems.

I understand staying away from synthetic oils until the engine is broken in so that the rings will seat properly...but, to say that you can never use synthetic oils seemed strange...

Any insight or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave
2011 BMW R1200GS
 
Run syns;

As long as you can afford it! Fine products, syns in lube concerns, just expensive and to what end? My equally fine, imo, regular oil has me riding as many miles as anybody and engines equally happy to serve me:). Such an old item too, OIL and the topic is weary. As I grow older, I find my dollars keep me much happier in my pocket for other adventures, like riding further, therefore the most expensive syns in engine are not on my shopping list. Randy
 
Today, a BMW Master Mechanic told me that you can never use semi-synthetic or full synthetic oil in a Boxer engine, because, if you do, the engine will leak oil because the synthetic oils will damage the seals, and, you will also have oil consumption\burning problems.

I understand staying away from synthetic oils until the engine is broken in so that the rings will seat properly...but, to say that you can never use synthetic oils seemed strange...

Any insight or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave
2011 BMW R1200GS

What dealer/mechanic was this?
 
Funny. My factory-trained BMW mechanic told me to use nothing but Mobil 1 15/50 in both airheads and oilheads.


<edit>
Duh. Then I realize I'm in the Hexheads/Camheads forum!
No clue what my guy would recommend for them since I've never owned one.

Never mind, move along, nothing to see here.
 
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And you trust this "master mechanic" to care for your bike? I wouldn't bring this guy my old lawn mower. He's uninformed and trying to make you the same.
 
He's got his head up his tailpipe. 15/50 Motul full syn in both our boxers, and Motul racing syn in our Ducatis as well.
 
Thanks for the feedback, which is reassuring that I have not compromised my bike by using synthetic oils.

A bit more background on my bike...

I now have about 44,000 km on my bike. I ran dino oil for the first 30,000 km, put in semi-synthetic at 30,000 k, and put in full synthetic at about 36000 km. The bike used some oil when it was new, which I think is normal until the rings seat. It hasn't used any oil at all since I put in full synthetic about 8000 km ago, and the engine seems to be working perfectly without any leaks. So, it putting in the semi-synthetic and the full synthetic doesn't seem to have harmed it.

I am not going to name the mechanic (who hasn't done any work for me) but whose comment would certainly give me pause.


Thanks,
 
Some say;

I complain about keeping my dollars, but find many suggest syns are longer lived and IF one could go twice as far on a oil change, I too could consider the price as equal to regular oil, changed more frequently. Ya'll go 6, 8 even 10 thousand miles on an oil change with syns.? It sure would equal or make the price of the stuff more appealing! I still do my regular oils at 3-4000miles... Some even go 5000 on regular oils today. My new KLR manual and most others recommend 7500m changes today, no matter what oil. One thing certain for me, the same interval(changes) for syns and the price is a killer of me using them. The engines don't seem to care and my (near)million miles proves that for me:). Randy
 
I complain about keeping my dollars, but find many suggest syns are longer lived and IF one could go twice as far on a oil change, I too could consider the price as equal to regular oil, changed more frequently. Ya'll go 6, 8 even 10 thousand miles on an oil change with syns.? It sure would equal or make the price of the stuff more appealing! I still do my regular oils at 3-4000miles... Some even go 5000 on regular oils today. My new KLR manual and most others recommend 7500m changes today, no matter what oil. One thing certain for me, the same interval(changes) for syns and the price is a killer of me using them. The engines don't seem to care and my (near)million miles proves that for me:). Randy

Randy - the price of one oil analysis from Blackstone Labs is less than one extra oil change even with dino oil. The analysis will tell you how much further you can go on the oil. I've had my R12R done several times at 6,000 mile oil change intervals. They have said I could easily go 10,000 miles on the BMW Synthetic oil, and perhaps more. I don't since 6,000 makes for two changes per year for me.. 3-4,000 mile changes are wasting oil. Even dino oil is good for 6,000 miles unless you ride in the middle of the desert in a windstorm a lot.

You asked for numbers - these are numbers with data to back them up. Get your oil analyzed - I'm sure you'll find you're changing much too frequently (unless you're only doing 3,000-4,000 miles a year - then a yearly change is reasonable.)
 
Randy - the price of one oil analysis from Blackstone Labs is less than one extra oil change even with dino oil. The analysis will tell you how much further you can go on the oil. I've had my R12R done several times at 6,000 mile oil change intervals. They have said I could easily go 10,000 miles on the BMW Synthetic oil, and perhaps more. I don't since 6,000 makes for two changes per year for me.. 3-4,000 mile changes are wasting oil. Even dino oil is good for 6,000 miles unless you ride in the middle of the desert in a windstorm a lot.

You asked for numbers - these are numbers with data to back them up. Get your oil analyzed - I'm sure you'll find you're changing much too frequently (unless you're only doing 3,000-4,000 miles a year - then a yearly change is reasonable.)

I used to use Castrol 4T in my bike when I lived in Iowa. When I did my 6K the oil still looked pretty good. I moved to AZ and did my 12K a month ago. The oil looked totally beat. I switched to Mobil 1. I hope it holds up better.
 
I used to use Castrol 4T in my bike when I lived in Iowa. When I did my 6K the oil still looked pretty good. I moved to AZ and did my 12K a month ago. The oil looked totally beat. I switched to Mobil 1. I hope it holds up better.

The you say "looked" do you mean visibly? A oil analysis is really the only way you'll know the oil condition, and it gives a good idea of what's going on inside the engine (via trace metals found in the oil..) Oil that is black isn't necessarily bad oil, it just means it's holding carbon byproducts of combustion in solution (which is a good thing vs them settling out in the engine.)
 
The you say "looked" do you mean visibly? A oil analysis is really the only way you'll know the oil condition, and it gives a good idea of what's going on inside the engine (via trace metals found in the oil..) Oil that is black isn't necessarily bad oil, it just means it's holding carbon byproducts of combustion in solution (which is a good thing vs them settling out in the engine.)

It was not only black, but seemed thinner. In Iowa it still had a golden hue and seemed thicker. Whatever the case, I think the heat here will test any oil. I commuted many days were it was 105-110˚F outside. I do agree though that the only way to know is through analysis.
 
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