BMW specifically calls for 10w40 in the new CamHead. It would seem to me to be a bad idea to go against this advice, as I'm sure they have a good reason for it. Nowhere is 20w50 mentioned. I suspect they are wanting a thinner oil to keep the top end happy, particularly at startup.
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Synthetic motor oil - R1200GSA 2011
- Thread starter NESS
- Start date
Ponch1
Ponch
Mine is a 2009 and it does specify 20w50 for warmer climes.
K1600_gtl
New member
a lot more than 10w40 is in my manual.
Correct. There are lots of variations depending on temp., but nowhere does it say 20w50. The base recommended viscosity is 10w40 from -4 F and up, at least according to my 2010 manual.
GRLambert
Touring Rider
My 2011RT manual says the same thing. 10W-40 year 'round... All temperatures. other variations (not 20w-50) are acceptable, but 10W-40 is preferred. Confimred by the cheif mechanic at the selling dealer. I put Mobile 4T 10W-40 in at 5000 miles. I now have 10,000 on it, and it used about 1/4 inch of oil on the sight glass (real scientific... I Know) in 5000 miles of use. 
K1600_gtl
New member
Yes. Correct, 20w is not an approved viscosity and oddly the dealer wants to use it. I'm sticking with 10w60 for summer and 10w40 or 50 in winter, and only in pure synthetic like Castrol Edge from Germany.
bikerfish1100
New member
Really?
According to oil/temp charts, 10W40 is rated for temps from -20 to about 70F, while 20W50 is indicated for 15 to105F. which temps do we ride in most frequently?
exactly! which is why i use 20W50 except during the depths of winter.
K1600_gtl
New member
I'd say if you can get a pure synthetic 20W50, that's way better than the 10W40 for warmer temps... the problem with a 20W if it's mineral is the initial flow when cold will be a poor and that's when most of the wear on an engine occurs, when it's first started. the 10W and 15W - 50's that are pure synthetics are the way to go on the new camheads and any broken in hex heads IMHO.
05Train
New member
For 2012 (and 2010 & 2011 I presume), 20W-50 isn't in the manual. It is what Bob's BMW's service department uses. In 11,000 miles of riding so far, I'm still burning an awful lot of oil. It's getting better, but it's still a lot (around a quart over the last 3,000 miles). I'd like to switch to a synthetic for the heat protection, but I think I'll probably wait until I hit 18,000 miles, given the current consumption.
K1600_gtl
New member
did you ever just open it up hard and do some all out acceleration with it when it was somewhat new?
Polarbear
Polarbear
Wonder?
Is it me, or are OIL threads like never ending brain teasers? Same old discusions, never ending. I'm OK, as many are still puzzled apparently and maybe always will be. The answer is both oil types are still used every day, every engine out there, still achieving 6 figure odometer readings, no issues! Nobody has ever presented a engine failure with "any" type oil blamed, I have read. My choice is M/C specific Valvoline Dino. M/C specified is important, but not an end all, as is apparent with 1000s of owners using everything out there. Randy
Is it me, or are OIL threads like never ending brain teasers? Same old discusions, never ending. I'm OK, as many are still puzzled apparently and maybe always will be. The answer is both oil types are still used every day, every engine out there, still achieving 6 figure odometer readings, no issues! Nobody has ever presented a engine failure with "any" type oil blamed, I have read. My choice is M/C specific Valvoline Dino. M/C specified is important, but not an end all, as is apparent with 1000s of owners using everything out there. Randy
K1600_gtl
New member
well not with a dry clutch.... the friction modifiers in non-MC oil is the reason you can't just use any motor oil in your wet clutch bike... but the Boxers are all dry.
But I do agree.... it's not about what's harmful since most if not all oils today are more than sufficient, it's about what works best for the weather, type of riding and objective you have for engine protection.
05Train
New member
Yup, I don't believe in gentle break-in.
Hammam
New member
Yes, like Canon vs Nikon and Mac vs Pc. Though I am a Nikon and Mac man, and I will probably be a synth. man after 10,000 kms. Cost? Geez, that RT costs already $25,000!
I've had 3 RTs. An 1100, an 1150 and a 1200. No cam heads yet. I had oil usage on all of them until over 20K miles. Use synthetic only after oil use stops.
If BMW doesn't allow 20-50 on Camheads, don't use it. It may just be a fuel economy thing, but some newer engines have widgets that are oil actuated and don't work right when the oil is too thick. I will say that most of these newer engines are water cooled, not oil cooled. My suspicion is that the recommendation of thinner oils on these engines is to preserve their fuel economy and not related to the engine running right or not right.
I have a Porsche and I have to use full synthetic 0W40 or 5W40. Nothing thicker. It's got variable valve timing that is oil actuated. It's also got smaller oil ports and tighter tolerances. Break-in on these engines is not really important. On new BMW and Audi car engines, you use very thin synthetic from new and there is no break-in at all. Guys who've been using 20-50 at the track have been screwing things up putting thick oil in their new cars. Things have changed. Read the manual.
...but again, hex heads and cam heads are not water cooled engines. They expand and contract more. That means break in periods and probably bigger clearances required. Also means avoiding synthetic for quite a few miles until oil consumption all but stops.
I still would avoid using something that was not recommended by the factory. If it's not in the manual, there may be a bulletin or something with a bigger list, but I would not go astray of the factory...usually, they give a lot of choices...somewhere, if not in the manual.
Norms 427
Norm
Hmm, I wasn't aware that 10W-40 is rated up to a recommended 70* F. That's news to me. Could u share where that information is from? BTW, the 2012 manual lists the lower limit temperature for 10W-40 which is 4* F or minus 10 C but no mention of any upper limit on any of the recommended viscosities.
Thanks.
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Norms 427
Norm
Since synthetics were developed, like anything new, there have been some misunderstandings and it's taken the public and *even manufacturers* a while to come around to understanding synthetics.
Myths:
* synthetics are "too slippery" to allow proper seating of the rings to the cylinder walls
* synthetics leak out of the seals and gaskets
BMW used to recommend waiting for a few thousand miles before using synthetics on their RTs. No longer ... that's history. BMW is totally silent in the 2012 RT manual about synthetics, in fact the word doesn't even appear in the manual. I think BMW has finally caught up to the rest of the manufacturing world in this matter and has changed their newer manuals to reflect it.
IMHO, the larger tolerances of an air-cooled engine doesn't make any difference whether synthetic or dino oil is used, if or when.
A good source is Mobil One in their FAQs:
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Synthetics/Myths.aspx
Norm
K1600_gtl
New member
Exactly! I think too many guys on here are trying too hard to equate experience with older boxers and these latest generation ones.
This reminds of of the mechanic I called to get a price on a 6000 mile service who said, "well the valve adjustment alone will cost you $150 or so"... meanwhile, the chances of a camhead needing an adjustment are 1 in 100 or worse.. This is NOT like any bmw boxer before... it's new.
