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Here, you can call him yourself, and ask him about your specific oil preference, and get a definitive answer:
If you feel comfortable relying on a telephone conversation with Derek from Customer Relations, then go ahead. As I said before, use whatever oil you want to use. Good luck.
If you feel comfortable relying on a telephone conversation with Derek from Customer Relations, then go ahead. As I said before, use whatever oil you want to use. Good luck.
I wish I could communicate better. What I said was the owner's manual tells you in (translated) English what oil is acceptable. In my manual all it says is API Classification SF or better. How anyone could interpret that to mean "motorcycle oil only" which is SG/SH-compliant is a total mystery to me.
Mike, I'll tell you frankly, your smug "use whatever oil you want to use" is a bit tiresome. As far as I can tell from your posts, you don't work for BMWNA, and you have presented no objective information regarding what kind of oil will or will not void the warranty. All I have done here is try to get objective, accurate information from BMWNA. So far, nothing in any oil thread I have read anywhere on any site has conclusively contradicted BMW's owner's manual recommendations.
Sorry if it sounds smug. No, I do not work for BMW, but I am an attorney, so I have some familiarity with contract law.
There are plenty of posts indicating BMW's previous written communications on this issue. It all hinges on how BMW interprets "SF or better". "Better" to them may not be the same as "better" to you. If you have a failure that involves lubrication, what "better" means to BMW is going to be the most important factor to obtaining easy warranty resolution without having to resort to legal action to see if your "better" is correct.
I and other have tried to explain this situation, and the easy way to avoid any contractual warranty issues with BMW during the warranty period. I think we are just tired of arguing about it, and are not trying to win any argument. It's your motorcycle. All we are saying is if you think you have the right answer, and want to save a few bucks, then use whatever oil you want to use. That's all we are saying.
Those who want to go back to Honda , or possibly other Japanese brands:
I switched from Honda in favor of BMW this year.
The last 2 Hondas I bought new, 1991 GoldWing 1500SE and 2005 Shadow Aero 750, BOTH had wheel corrosion issues;
The road bikes with cast aluminum wheels have NO protection on them since 1988 - Raw aluminum , not anodized, not clear coated, suseptable to water and other road chemicals , even brake pad dust !
Hey Mike...with respect....your discussion of what BMW considers an oil which is "SF or better" sound very much like "what is the meaning of is"...while I have slept at a Holiday Inn I do not consider myself an authority on oil grades...but in the chronological progression of oil designations I think it is a safe assumption for a "reasonable and prudent" person that each successive grade meets and exceeds the previous grades...
And yes we are all weary of beating this topic up....sadly as I noted BMW sucks when it comes to offering BMW owners concrete, concise and definitive information. We have to dig and hunt and make WAGs based on speculative constructs.
But you know what...I enjoy the ---- out of riding my GSA!
DUH!
Rode the Smokies in '07 with a co-worker on his Yamaha FJR1300 - not impressed.
Fellow Motor Officer announced he is trading in his Triumph Sprint ST for an R1200GS in Spring.
My son ('07 Honda ST1300) and I occasionally swap mounts on long rides.....I end up wanting my R1200RT back......he resists giving it up.
Jury still out on the new Concours, but three recalls already this year. Not good.
Careful what you wish for.
At least the Japs are honest about it.
How many recalls would BMW have per year if they WERE honest about what are significant failures in their product?
Can you contribute to a discussion without using a racial slur?
Likely about the same number of recalls they currently have outstanding.
Motor vehicle recalls are all about safety. If a problem is not safety related there will likely be no recall. Specifically, things that upset owners and get them talking about lemon laws rarely have anything to do with recalls.
Recalls in the US are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If you think you have a safety issue report it to the NHTSA. If enough people do so the NHTSA may compel the manufactured to issue a recall. Since that doesn't seemed to happen much either few are reporting things to the NHTSA or the defects being reported are not seen as safety issues.
Oh, and honesty has nothing to do with it.
However, I feel the "Japanese" manufacturers are keen to resolve issues and maintain the reputation of reliability they have come to enjoy these many years.
That statement is really unfair and totally uncalled for.
How many recalls would BMW have per year if they WERE honest about what are significant failures in their product? At least the Japs are honest about it. There is only one reason I'm still riding the airhead and not a new GS. Think about it.