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BMW Advantec for Airheads
Interesting. As a side note, after the oil testing I had done on nearly 20 oils, someone mentioned that Porsche was offering a new oil for their "classic" cars. It was 20w50 and was in a metal can. That person sent it off to be tested to see where it stood relative to the results I had. One interesting result of that Porsche oil testing was an indication of a ferrous metal in the oil...only place it could come from was the can itself. Hmmm...maybe plastic is no so bad! 
Must be some changin’ ‘round of the BMW oil supply/selection operation.
While looking for a “complete” oil change kit for my F800GS, I read this at Bob’s BMW-
BULLETIN: BMW 10W40 oil has been discontinued and is no longer available. Effective immediately, we are shipping Bel-Ray EXL 10W40 Oil* in this kit instead of the BMW oil shown. (See alternate photo.) The Bel-Ray product is a premium oil that is every bit equal to the quality of the BMW product.
I don’t know what it means- if anything.
OM
While looking for a “complete” oil change kit for my F800GS, I read this at Bob’s BMW-
BULLETIN: BMW 10W40 oil has been discontinued and is no longer available. Effective immediately, we are shipping Bel-Ray EXL 10W40 Oil* in this kit instead of the BMW oil shown. (See alternate photo.) The Bel-Ray product is a premium oil that is every bit equal to the quality of the BMW product.
I don’t know what it means- if anything.
OM
beemerphile
New member
Hmmm...maybe plastic is no so bad!
At $13.50 for a quart of mineral 20w-50, it should come in a faceted glass bottle with a ground glass stopper and a wax seal on top. No worry about metal migration with that setup.
gtrider
52184
My airheads like https://www.amazon.com/Castrol-06102-20W-50-Motorcycle-Oil/dp/B002IAV69O and at less than half the price of the BMW liquid gold. Available at many FLAPS if you don’t like to shop online or need to pick up a quart on the road.
Best,
DG
Best,
DG
beemerphile
New member
I have been trying to kill mine with this cheap stuff, but have so far been unable to accomplish it...
https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-20W-50-VR1-Racing-Motor/dp/B00DJ4FIPQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-20W-50-VR1-Racing-Motor/dp/B00DJ4FIPQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
exgman
Active member
Possibly more than you'd want to know about zinc in lubricating oil: https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2012/10/18/tech-101-zinc-in-oil-and-its-effects-on-older-engines/
Rinty
New member
Uh oh...weren't not having a mid winter oil thread, are we??
It's almost spring; we can do it.
I did have an oil moment a couple of summers ago, when we slowly motored through Missoula to our downtown motel, on a really hot day, and my R1200ST was clattering at a worrying level just before I shut it down. A few months before, I had changed out synthetic Golden Spectro for Castrol GTX dino motorcycle oil. That was the last time I used dino oil in my bike.
When selecting oil for air cooled BMW's remember that most motor oil synthetic or petroleum has to be converter friendly. Castrol GTX is one of those. Go to the Castrol website and check the specs. While BMW air cooled twins are considered flat tappet engines they are not highly stressed. I've seen wear on cam followers and camshafts but its been on high mileage engines or ones that have been neglected. Any motor oil that has 1200 PPM of Zinc or more will be more than ok for the older twins unless it's a hotrod with high valve spring pressure.
Norton motorcycles are famous for cam follower and cam failure. A flat tappet engine with a rather questionable oiling system. I have a 1975 Norton MKIII with over 50'000 miles on the most recent rebuild. I've used Mobile 1 20/50 V twin during that time, All is well, it is a high Zinc motor oil. I have a 1975 BMW R75/6 with over 175'000 miles on it. It got a top end and a clutch at 90'000 and is still doing fine. I've used Torco T4 20/50 in since new. It's motorcycle specific so it doesn't have to be converter friendly. Most new vehicles cars and motorcycles are overhead cam or have roller cam followers and don't need the high zinc content that older vehicles do for the cam and followers to survive.
I don't want to start any oil arguments, just speaking from my experience from working on cars and motorcycles for the past 50 years.
Ken G.
Norton motorcycles are famous for cam follower and cam failure. A flat tappet engine with a rather questionable oiling system. I have a 1975 Norton MKIII with over 50'000 miles on the most recent rebuild. I've used Mobile 1 20/50 V twin during that time, All is well, it is a high Zinc motor oil. I have a 1975 BMW R75/6 with over 175'000 miles on it. It got a top end and a clutch at 90'000 and is still doing fine. I've used Torco T4 20/50 in since new. It's motorcycle specific so it doesn't have to be converter friendly. Most new vehicles cars and motorcycles are overhead cam or have roller cam followers and don't need the high zinc content that older vehicles do for the cam and followers to survive.
I don't want to start any oil arguments, just speaking from my experience from working on cars and motorcycles for the past 50 years.
Ken G.
oil threads
Oil threads, tire threads, carb set up threads, damn life is good!
The Valvoline VR1 is good stuff...lots of ZDDP, creeping up to the Spectro levels. I used to run BMW's oil until things changed...have jumped on the Golden Spectro train at the moment.
Uh oh...weren't not having a mid winter oil thread, are we??
Oil threads, tire threads, carb set up threads, damn life is good!
akbeemer
SURVIVOR
Such a traditionalist.... those threads have all been usurped by the “how do I pair my phone/mp3 player/Sena/garage door opener/GPS with my motorcycle?”
pglaves
#13338
bikertucker
New member
My kids despair that I don't know those things, and don't care. I despair they don't remember how to change a car tire, or that their engine has oil in it that needs checked and changed. And they don't care. Good thing I still Love em.
Rinty
New member
Well, at a certain point in our lives, for some of us, the pain of setting up and operating high tech devices outweighs the benefits. If I get blocked or hit a speed bump on an IT platform, it wrecks my whole day.
lkchris
Active member
A mistake, I bet.
My dealer stocks Advantec in 5W40 full synthetic and 15W-50 semi-synthetic, the former obviously for wet clutch bikes, the latter for aircooled or dry clutch bikes. He doesn't have the 20W-50 for Airheads yet.
I was looking for 15-40 in oil and seems like it's being phased out- or something
It's still available in Rotella with the MA spec.OM
AntonLargiader
Active member
BMW's recommendation for oils has evolved to make the 10W40 obsolete. It used to be for the singles and vertical twins, but they are now indicating 15W50. The 10W40 is dead. All of the current stuff is 5W40 or 15W50. It's not a wet vs. dry clutch issue.
lkchris
Active member
Well, the 15W-50 is inappropriate for Wetheads and I suspect K bikes as well. I tend to never think of lesser BMWs. In any case, the W number is essentially irrelevant except for cold starting. It has no affect on hot running.
