• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

2012 R1200RT 600 mi service with unapproved oil?

I have used 10w-40 since day 1. Dinosaur up to 5000 miles and synthetic ever since. At 15k now and minimal oil consumption. Even in Arizona summer heat. I don't intend to change.


I have a 2009 and the OM shows that 10w-40 isn't recommended for the temperatures we get here in the summer. May be the camheads are different.
 
I have a 2009 and the OM shows that 10w-40 isn't recommended for the temperatures we get here in the summer. May be the camheads are different.

Yes ... that is the issue. When they came out with the Camhead motor the oil recommendation seemed to have gotten fuzzy. On all pre-2010 boxers I had always used 20w-50 dino but that does not seem to be the case for the Camheads. Hence the ongoing confusion.
 
20W-50 dino juice has never been a great oil for even the hexheads in cold weather. Doesn't pump well at cold temps and the stock battery system can barely handle the load when the temps are in the 30s- gets worse colder.
I didn't run in my hexhead past break in and wouldn't run it in a camhead either. Boxers benefit from lubes that flow better in cold, eg synthetics, and a better battery than BMW supplies.
 
20W-50 dino juice has never been a great oil for even the hexheads in cold weather. Doesn't pump well at cold temps and the stock battery system can barely handle the load when the temps are in the 30s- gets worse colder.
I didn't run in my hexhead past break in and wouldn't run it in a camhead either. Boxers benefit from lubes that flow better in cold, eg synthetics, and a better battery than BMW supplies.

Guess living in Charlotte where it may hit 30 occasionally but most times above 40 and since my bike is always garaged where temps are rarely below 55 ... 20w-50 has been what I run all year in all my BMW's. Never had an issue starting and never burned any oil in my boxers. I used to switch to 10w-40 in winter but everyone including the dealer suggested that was not necessary. I have owned ... '97 R1100RT, '02 R1150GS, '05 K1200LT and currently '06 R1200RT along with my new camhead. All except camhead have run 20w-50 dino and had it changed at least every 2000 miles ... YES I am OCD and VERY anal.
 
20W-50 dino juice has never been a great oil for even the hexheads in cold weather. Doesn't pump well at cold temps and the stock battery system can barely handle the load when the temps are in the 30s- gets worse colder.
I didn't run in my hexhead past break in and wouldn't run it in a camhead either. Boxers benefit from lubes that flow better in cold, eg synthetics, and a better battery than BMW supplies.

I had been using Castrol 4T before moving to AZ. When I changed the oil a few months back, it was beat and black. Funny thing is when I lived in Iowa, the oil looked a lot better when I changed it. The heat must really kill oil, even if it's only another 20-25 degrees. At last oil change, I switched to 15w-50 Mobil 1.
 
I think automobile and m/cycle manufactures in the last several years have been moving toward lower viscosity ratings for the "W" rating, or the first and lowest number. Motorrad has been doing the same. Easier starting, marginally better fuel consumption during warm-up, etc. Most, or at least a large amount, of engine wear happens in the first couple of minutes of startup.

Living in Arizona or Texas one might think they don't need 5W or 10W ... but I think they do. Sixty degrees F is still "cold", relatively speaking, to an engine. JMHO.

BTW, I've just switched to a Mobil 1 full synthetic 0W-40 in my sports car which formally used a Mobil 1 full syn 5W-30 from the factory. The 0W-40 is the factory approved oil for Europe while the 5W-30 is the specified oil for N. America.
 
Last edited:
I think you have a good point. BMW prides itself in being exacting in most everything and very anal about the smallest of details. You paid a pretty penny for that new Beemer and that 600 mile "break in" service. In reality, when you march in the dealership to discuss your problem, the all knowing mechanics will most likely tell you it doesn't make a bit of difference. And they're probably right. I'd still bring it to their attention.

My advice is, ride the hell out of that bike and do you own oil changes.
 
Seems pretty straightforward to me, use the oil that BMW recommends in your bike's owner's manual (and when I say BMW, I mean BMW Motorrad, not your local dealer). Unless I misread one of your posts, the reply you got from your dealer seemed to suggest that the dealer wasn't even aware that the recommended viscosities changed with the introduction of the camheads. If that's true, it's hardly confidence inspiring is it. If BMW has made a change since your owner's manual was printed, I'd ask for a copy of the bulletin. I have my bike serviced by an independent BMW tech. He's always used 20W50 in my 2006 RT, but if I recall correctly, he uses 10W40 in camheads.
 
Seems pretty straightforward to me, use the oil that BMW recommends in your bike's owner's manual (and when I say BMW, I mean BMW Motorrad, not your local dealer). Unless I misread one of your posts, the reply you got from your dealer seemed to suggest that the dealer wasn't even aware that the recommended viscosities changed with the introduction of the camheads. If that's true, it's hardly confidence inspiring is it. If BMW has made a change since your owner's manual was printed, I'd ask for a copy of the bulletin. I have my bike serviced by an independent BMW tech. He's always used 20W50 in my 2006 RT, but if I recall correctly, he uses 10W40 in camheads.

Same here with my '06 RT and new Camhead.
 
Could it be a typo on the invoice, they have been writing 20-50 for a long time. I would definitly talk to the service manager.
 
I agree completely with Mark and Ed.

I've purchased a filter and the oil specified in the manual and have changed it to what is approved in the manual. The lesson learned about the dealer may not be that expensive in that it taught me to ask specific questions before having work done. It seems to me that if a dealer intends to do something different than what is specified in the manual, it should be explained to the customer prior to performing the work. That way the customer may make the decision to allow it or ask for documentation on the alternate choice. In this case, though I have searched the different owner's manuals for each year of the camhead engine in the RT, I can find no reference to 20W-50 being an approved oil for that motor.
 
I know, an oil thread, but help me out. Three weeks ago I took my new RT in for the 600 mile service. I assumed that turning your bike over to the dealer for service would result in the service being performed as prescribed by BMW. A couple of days ago I was reading the owners manual and looked over the approved/recommended oils for my new bike. I noticed that, unlike my previous '07 RT, 20W-50 was not listed as an approved oil for the new engine. However, "4 quarts BMW 20W-50 bulk" is what was listed on the invoice as being installed in my bike. If 20W-50 is still ok for the newer engines, why would it not be listed in the owner's manual? And if it's not, shouldn't I have been advised prior to service that the dealer was going to install a product different than that which is recommended?

Should I drain what was put in there and install what's recommended? Am I obsessing about something not really important? I just am concerned about starting the bike on 20 degree mornings with heavy oil since cold starting is the most wearing thing on an engine.

So, change the oil? Or get over it. I have 400 miles on the oil but the coldest days are still coming.

crawfcj:

You don't want to use 20/50 in cold weather. You don't want to use synthetic until 30,000 miles or until the engine completely stops using oil. I don't think 20/50 would hurt anything in the heat of summer or at a track day, but not for cold weather. It needs to flow.

:german
 
crawfcj:

You don't want to use 20/50 in cold weather. You don't want to use synthetic until 30,000 miles or until the engine completely stops using oil.

The manual says 6K for synthetic. As far as stop using oil, it hasn't yet with over 15K on it. It's gotten better, but it still uses a quart every 3K miles, may be 3500.
 
The manual says 6K for synthetic. As far as stop using oil, it hasn't yet with over 15K on it. It's gotten better, but it still uses a quart every 3K miles, may be 3500.

Ya know, ya tell people, they don't believe you. Did you put synth in it? If you did, take it out and run non-synth. I'd change it again, with filter change again at 1500 miles just to make sure all the synth is gone. Then ride gently until it's warmed up, then use the revs a lot. How much oil it uses depends on how hard you run it. Harder = more oil (and rear tire) use short term but also means it's going to break in faster. Never flog it until it's fully warmed up. It's unusual for oil use to stop before 20K. If you run it hard all the time, it could happen, but it's unusual. Mine took about 25,000 but I had one change of synthetic when I should have.

BMW car engines don't require break-in anymore. They use special synthetic from the start and the tolerances are so close out of the box. Water-cooled and very precisely managed. These engines are definitely not the same tech. It will be interesting to see what the new water-cooled boxers require in terms of oil and break-in.

I'm waiting for the day when they put Valvetronic, direct injection and Dual-VANOS on these bikes....Yeeha!

:bliss
 
Ya know, ya tell people, they don't believe you. Did you put synth in it? If you did, take it out and run non-synth. I'd change it again, with filter change again at 1500 miles just to make sure all the synth is gone. Then ride gently until it's warmed up, then use the revs a lot. How much oil it uses depends on how hard you run it. Harder = more oil (and rear tire) use short term but also means it's going to break in faster. Never flog it until it's fully warmed up. It's unusual for oil use to stop before 20K. If you run it hard all the time, it could happen, but it's unusual. Mine took about 25,000 but I had one change of synthetic when I should have.

BMW car engines don't require break-in anymore. They use special synthetic from the start and the tolerances are so close out of the box. Water-cooled and very precisely managed. These engines are definitely not the same tech. It will be interesting to see what the new water-cooled boxers require in terms of oil and break-in.

I'm waiting for the day when they put Valvetronic, direct injection and Dual-VANOS on these bikes....Yeeha!

:bliss

I switched at 12K miles. The thing is, I moved to a very hot area or should I say it gets hot in the summer (110+). I had been using castrol 4T and now mobil 1.
 
Odd how we have different experiences with oil use. I have run in 13 new BMW's since early '01. The worst oil user was 1/3 qt in the first 6k miles. I have gone from miami to nova scotia and back starting at 800 miles and added ZERO oil. I baby the bike for the first 50 miles then flog it hard till the 600 mile check. After that, I run it normally and I rarely add oil between 6k changes. I avg. about 35k a year and use BMW oil/20-50 on prior to '10 and 10-40 on later moto's. Used dino on the first 11 and now use syn after 6k on the last 1. Plan to switch at 6k on this one as well. I sure would not drain and refill twice to get rid of the syn. Ride the bike and enjoy.
 
I don't baby my bike, in fact I've hit the rev limiter a few times, but it did have almost 50 miles on it when I bought it. The funny thing is, I bought my bike in November and it didn't start using any oil at all until May/June of the following year. I'll see if it tightens up in the next several thousand miles.
 
Odd how we have different experiences with oil use. I have run in 13 new BMW's since early '01. The worst oil user was 1/3 qt in the first 6k miles. I have gone from miami to nova scotia and back starting at 800 miles and added ZERO oil. I baby the bike for the first 50 miles then flog it hard till the 600 mile check. After that, I run it normally and I rarely add oil between 6k changes. I avg. about 35k a year and use BMW oil/20-50 on prior to '10 and 10-40 on later moto's. Used dino on the first 11 and now use syn after 6k on the last 1. Plan to switch at 6k on this one as well. I sure would not drain and refill twice to get rid of the syn. Ride the bike and enjoy.

Marty:

Your experience sounds normal to me. "Run it hard with dino oil and it will stop using oil". I've never "flogged it after the first 50 miles", I've waited until the break-in oil was out of it at 600, but it sounds like you've got the right formula. If I ever get another one, I'll try that.

It's definitely not what BMW recommends, but it sounds to me like it works for you. My 2001 1150 came pre-loaded with oil from the factory. I saw it in the crate. I changed it out myself at 600 because the dealer had a wait list. It was definitely not normal oil. Smelled like kerosene or something. I think flogging the bike with this oil in it would definitely change things in the engine. I stuck to the manual's "no revs above 4,000 RPMS" or whatever it was. It took many more miles to break that bike in.

I have had 3 different R bikes and broken them in different ways. I've never had oil usage like the OP either, but I did have more when I changed to synth too early and it didn't go away until I went back to dino oil and let the bike break in. Synth is slicker and it really seems to make a difference to the break in process.

You're saying you've not used synth at all on many of your bikes? I'm saying don't use synth until the oil usage stops. I think we're saying the same thing!!!

If someone has oil usage and wants it to stop and has synth in the bike and 15 thousand miles, I think the ship has sailed for breaking in the bike the way you do it. They have to remove the synth before the bike will break in. If they want to run out the oil for a full scheduled change, they can. If they want to wait, they can just wait a couple changes. But if they want to get going on the process, they need to flush out the synth. What is your problem with that?

I do know many people who have put synth in before they should have. They continue to use synth and the bike never stops using oil. They think all BMWs use oil. Your experience is what should happen. That's why I said what I said.

;)
 
I've owned four Kawasaki's before the beemer and switched to synthetic before 12K or 6K miles. They didn't use as much oil as the beemer (the last two not at all). It's not a game stopper and within what's allowable, but it's interesting.
 
They have to remove the synth before the bike will break in. If they want to run out the oil for a full scheduled change, they can. If they want to wait, they can just wait a couple changes. But if they want to get going on the process, they need to flush out the synth. What is your problem with that?

Ponch has a 2009 RT and his manual has the "old" recommendation of not using synthetics till after 6000 miles on conventional oil.

But, as stated earlier in this thread, Motorrad has removed that recommendation for the camheads in their manuals.

I don't think it makes a nickel's worth of difference whether one uses conventional oil or synthetic oil in the camheads (unless you're doing track days where the oil temp can climb above normal or starting your motor in January in Fairbanks, Alaska).

__________________

To the OP, it's true that 20W-50 isn't listed as an approved oil in the camheads, but I think it's a minor detail and I wouldn't worry about it, no harm done. JMHO. These engines have a long history of running on 20W-50. I think Motorrad is just now getting around to fine tuning their recommendations on viscosity and synthetics. Technology never stands still and they, like all engineers, are constantly learning about how to improve their product.
 
Back
Top