Original oil in R1200R

[dhgeyer]

I just bought an R1200R. It's Winter in NH. I've had it a week and a half and have a little over 300 miles on it, riding mostly in the 30-40 degree range with electric clothes and etc.

I was just about to jump on and go for a ride. It's 28 degrees now. I noticed in the owner's manual that some grades of engine oil are not "permitted" below 32 degrees.

Question is, does anyone know what kind of oil comes in the bikes new? Or do the dealers put it in, and there is no standard? I can't call the dealer, as they are all closed on Mondays.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Dave Geyer
Merrimack, NH

 

[Semper_Fi]

Congrats on the new bike - I run the recommended 20w50 when I had my RT and i ran it in winter at lower temps with no issues

 

[dhgeyer]

Thanks! I suppose I shouldn't worry about it. It's not that far below freezing, and I won't do over 100 miles tops.

 

[mpmarty]

The more miles the merrier. Once up to operating temps the 20/50 doesn't make any difference.

 

[widebmw]

Thanks! I suppose I shouldn't worry about it. It's not that far below freezing, and I won't do over 100 miles an hour tops.

Fixed.

 

[dhgeyer]

Fixed.

Nooooooo, widebmw, I never promised THAAAAAT.

 

[Tom K.]

When I picked up my new RT in Dec., '05, my dealer prepped it with 10w40 oil - so you can find out from your dealer on Tuesday what viscosity is in it now.

Since I now rarely ride below 50o, I use 20w50 year round. The only problem with 20/50 is hard starting below about 40o, so make certain your battery stays well charged if you go that route. (A bit of throttle when starting under those conditions helps a bit.) Other than that, 20w50 won't hurt your bike.

Enjoy your new R1200 - but watch out for that black ice!

Tom

 

[dhgeyer]

Thanks Tomfrom MD. I will call the dealership tomorrow. I rode 106 miles today. It never got over 31.1 F, and the coldest was 23.0. But, as was pointed out, the engine temp stayed quite consistent, so, once warmed up I suppose it doesn't matter. This bike has never failed to start within a couple of seconds at any temperature. Much different than my early production oilhead!

The bike has 400 miles on it now, so the original oil will soon be a moot point. I'm going to let the dealer do the original service, mostly because I haven't assembled the Torx drivers and GS-911 software yet, and it's too cold to work in my garage anyway.

 

[jimvonbaden]

20W50 year round, temps as low as 8?? on my GS. Never an issue.

Yes I parked it outside, and no, I never used a battery tender!

Jim