I have had oil head RTs since the first R1100RT. Now with a 2015 RTW, I am reluctant to purchase less expensive engine oil (than the Advantec), as I once did from the more nearby other MC dealers (Honda, etc). Is there a less expensive engine oil which complies with the BMW recommendations?
-
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?
-
Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.
The Election forum is here: Election Forum
oil type
- Thread starter bigco
- Start date
sailorlite
New member
Welcome. Here's what I bought (Castrol brand) because it's not too expensive, exceeds BMW's specs for the wetheads, and was delivered to my door.
https://amzn.com/B008MISDII
You don't NEED the Advantec, but you should at least meet the BMW specs of course - and there are many choices.
https://amzn.com/B008MISDII
You don't NEED the Advantec, but you should at least meet the BMW specs of course - and there are many choices.
Last edited:
ncpbmw1953
Member
Very good find thanks for letting us know. Some of the hype for BMW/Shell Advantec Ultimate is that is utilizes a very uniform molecule size that is resistant to breakdown and *should* retain its full protection for the recommended 6,000 miles. A local rider who is OCD on oil typically changes oil out at 3K miles. He decided to go to 4,500 miles using Adv Ult and sent a sample in for analysis and was advised the oil had lots more life in it and was atypically intact of its important attributes. Adv Ult is made from natural gas. It would be an excellent test to use this exact Castrol product for 6K miles, and contrast the used oil analysis against Adv Ultimate, in water boxers w/ similar miles and patterns of use in similar climates.
globalrider
Alps Adventurer
Just wondering what specs it exceeds when all I have to go on is:
Advantec API SN, MA2
Castrol API SL, MA2
classicvw
Active member
That's got to be untrue. All owners manuals that I've ever read caution you against using "inferior" non-OEM parts and accessories and say to only use their brand.
kioolt
New member
I believe that this is federal law about the oil. They can require a spec but cannot require a brand. Surely someone here knows how to verify this or has knowledge of this. They can most likely recommend a brand of oil but not require it.
Edit: Just found this on the Amsoil. http://www.enhancedsyntheticoil.com/Warranty_Laws_You_Need_to_Know.htm
"In addition, the Federally mandated Magnuson-Moss act states that a manufacturer may not require the use of a specific brand of aftermarket product unless it is provided free of charge."
globalrider
Alps Adventurer
They do not say that at all; not in my 2016 manual.
I'll quote...
SAE 5W-40 , API SL / JASO MA2, Additives are not permissible because they can attack coated components of the engine, BMW Motorrad recommends BMW Motorrad ADVANTEC Ultimate oil.
"Recommends" is not "only use their brand". Although I can understand them wanting to use an oil they have experience with.
The Internet...the greatest source of unconfirmed information.
globalrider
Alps Adventurer
Well I have BMW manuals from 1980 to present. Take a pic and post it of what you read.
You need to work a bit on your reading comprehension.
Considering you wrote: "say to only use their brand", I don't think so.
My quote is out of a wetheads (the folder we are in) manual that I actually have, not my imagination.
classicvw
Active member
Yes, to "say" to use their brand to me, is different than demanding or threatening you if you don't. I did not say they mandate the use of a certain brand, but encourage you to do so. Maybe I wasn't clear or chose a poor adjective to use. My comment was meant in general terms, not specifically toward wetheads or even solely BMW.
Actually, it's true, part of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. A manufacturer cannot make warranty coverage contingent on the use of their parts, unless they provide those parts free of charge to the customer. However, if you use another manufacturer's product and suffer a warranty-covered failure as a result of that product's inferior design or characteristics, you're out of luck.
globalrider
Alps Adventurer
Unless by "inferior design" you mean it does not meet the grade, API and/or JASO specs.
The fact is, as long as I use an oil as specified in the BMW owner's manual.
And in the case of my new Wethead, that is SAE 5W-40, API SL, JASO MA2.
I could never understand why people come to forums for oil advice, as if anyone on them had any extensive experience as a chemical engineer. Its all in the Owner's Manual. I've never asked a "what oil" in over 40 years of vehicle ownership. And guess what, I've never had an oil related failure or any other for that matter.
Amen. It's mildly interesting to see the opinions, the oil analyses, etc., but I'm with you. The only oil-related failures I've seen have been as the result of severe underfilling or loss of oil. If you don't maintain it--oil and filter changes--it's likely to catch up with you at some point, but sticking to the manufacturer's recommended grade and change intervals is really all you need to do.
ncpbmw1953
Member
It may be that 'oil related failures' aren't really what folks are trying to avoid when it comes to using boutique oils. Anecdotes exist that suggest some oils in the water boxer's wet clutch implementation may facilitate smoother shifting than others--or could be placebo. The diehard oil 'enthusiasts' tout oils made from Group IV and V base stocks as improving horsepower or shifting behavior for example--I tend to think the differences are so negligible as to be effectively irrelevant. The Castrol Power1 looks like a fabulous deal compared to Advantec Ultimate. OTOH, oil that is $15 per liter over $8.5 is such a paltry portion of total operating costs even a slight improvement in engine wear, shifting behavior, and oil change interval starts becoming justifiable.
kioolt
New member
Does it have a JASO MA2 rating or just a MA rating?
