BMW Advantec Oil

[jammess]

Hate to start yet another oil thread but oh well here goes. Today I drained the Shell Rotella T4 15w40 from my precious R1100RSL and filled it with the BMW Advantec Pro 15w50 which is the recommended oil for my RS at $14.50/litre. I must admit I feel better having done this since my bike is, after all, not diesel powered.

I have read on the internet that BMW branded motor oils are refined from natural gas and made by Shell. Is this really really true or just more internet BS? I've never heard of oil from natural gas and I find this hard to believe. It does say "made in Germany" on the bottle so this I believe. I've also read, again on the internet, that the synthetic component of this BMW oil is really just Shell Rotella T6 which is a full synthetic. Do I believe this? Probably not! I get a kick out of reading the comments people make about how they have never had a problem using non-recommended lubricants in their motorcycles but how would they even know especially long term?

Sometimes I think life was better before the internet with its mostly bum dope which is only my humble opinion. Can you imagine life without Amazon?

Hey, I even changed the oil in my FJR to Yamalube 15w50 full synthetic with Ester at $14.99/litre and now I feel all is really right with the world even though I'm a bit poorer.

 

[pglaves]

Hate to start yet another oil thread but oh well here goes. Today I drained the Shell Rotella T4 15w40 from my precious R1100RSL and filled it with the BMW Advantec Pro 15w50 which is the recommended oil for my RS at $14.50/litre. I must admit I feel better having done this since my bike is, after all, not diesel powered.

I have read on the internet that BMW branded motor oils are refined from natural gas and made by Shell. Is this really really true or just more internet BS? I've never heard of oil from natural gas and I find this hard to believe. It does say "made in Germany" on the bottle so this I believe. I've also read, again on the internet, that the synthetic component of this BMW oil is really just Shell Rotella T6 which is a full synthetic. Do I believe this? Probably not! I get a kick out of reading the comments people make about how they have never had a problem using non-recommended lubricants in their motorcycles but how would they even know especially long term?

Sometimes I think life was better before the internet with its mostly bum dope which is only my humble opinion. Can you imagine life without Amazon?

Hey, I even changed the oil in my FJR to Yamalube 15w50 full synthetic with Ester at $14.99/litre and now I feel all is really right with the world even though I'm a bit poorer.

The engine in Voni's 1994 R1100RS went 400,000 miles on Castrol Dino 20W50 4T before a rod bearing got a little noisy. The spec for that bike was/is 20W50 API SG or SH rated oil, except in winter where 10W40 is OK. You do not need synthetic (but it is OK) and you do not need high zoot (tech term) 15W50. There are several SG or SH rated 20W50 oils available in both dino or semi-synthetic that are just fine for that bike at half the cost of the Adventec.

Who in the world told you you needed 15W50 Adventec in that bike?????

 

[jammess]

Hi Paul,
The BMW store told me to use the synthetic blend Advantec Pro in my early oilhead. I'm aware I could do as you suggest and save some money. My main objective was to stop using Rotella since this oil is definitely not specked for use in motorcycles. The thing that really bothers me is the 15w40 weight particularly the 40 number. My other concern is leaky seals in particular the rear main. So I've decided the bike is well worth using the recommended lubricants if for no other reason just my peace of mind. Especially since my two bikes are no doubt my last. Jeez....I'm 75 next month

Still would like to know if this oil is really derived from natural gas and really made by Shell? Just curious.

Oh, when I bought the oil yesterday at the dealer the whole crew came out and ogled my bike. They even took a picture for their facebook page. Made me feel kind of good.

 

[akbeemer]

BMW has changed oil suppliers a couple of times in the past several years. I believe they were with Castrol, then Shell and went back to Castrol. As far as I know Castrol is still making the BMW motor oil. I do not know if they use natural gas in the process. The use of the word synthetic has been blurred through a legal ruling and oils that started out as Dino can be legally sold as synthetic if processed appropriately.

What is important is to use your owner’s manual to learn the specifications provided for ASI and JASO ratings and the viscosity ratings for your riding environment. Find an oil that meets all the specifications and use it. No need to pay nearly $15 a liter for oil. By the way, Rottela T6 does meet specifications for use in an FJR (I use it in mine) and in the liquid cooled boxers. You’ll need to work hard to find an oil that meets the specifications but does not perform well in the bike.

I suspect that you will not sleep well at night unless you use the BMW oil or Yamalube in the FJR. That’s okay, it is a free country and they finance.

 

[soocom1]

BMW has changed oil suppliers a couple of times in the past several years. I believe they were with Castrol, then Shell and went back to Castrol. As far as I know Castrol is still making the BMW motor oil. I do not know if they use natural gas in the process. The use of the word synthetic has been blurred through a legal ruling and oils that started out as Dino can be legally sold as synthetic if processed appropriately.

What is important is to use your owner’s manual to learn the specifications provided for ASI and JASO ratings and the viscosity ratings for your riding environment. Find an oil that meets all the specifications and use it. No need to pay nearly $15 a liter for oil. By the way, Rottela T6 does meet specifications for use in an FJR (I use it in mine) and in the liquid cooled boxers. You’ll need to work hard to find an oil that meets the specifications but does not perform well in the bike.

I suspect that you will not sleep well at night unless you use the BMW oil or Yamalube in the FJR. That’s okay, it is a free country and they finance.

Im with akbeemer on this.


Synthetic oils are just fine and dandy for bikes that are running them and if the oils have the proper ratings then run it.

Back in the day, old Chevys were loaded with 10w40 ALL the time!

Then in the early 1980's folks started to come out of the 10/40 closet and started using 20w, 10/w30, 5w/30 etc. But there were issues with older engines running the stuff because of the improper rating.

At one point local gas stations would sell this molasses consistency stuff because it was like 30 cents a quart or some such.
But it would kill the engine because it was mostly a thin version of refined crude.

In the end its the rating more than anything else.

 

[lkchris]

A BMW dealer would tell you that's the oil for your bike because it's the only one they sell. The Advantec oil they sell is Shell ... they have NOT gone back to Castrol.

The 15W-50 is semisynthetic and best for the aircooled bikes.

The 10W-40 is full synthetic and nearly mandatory for the watercooled bikes, especially since they use the same oil in their transmissions.


Reading about gas-to-liquid: https://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/natural-gas/gas-to-liquids.html


It's always good to know that BMW permits use of nonsynthetic motor oils simply because of the drastically short change intervals they specify. This is done, not because of any mechanical requirement, but simply to get the bike to a dealer more frequently for safety inspection. BMW cares massively about their liability and this is CYA. All their cars specify synthetic oils only and have 15K mile oil change intervals.

 

[jammess]

Yup, the synthetic blend is best for the airheads but my RSL isn't far removed from the airhead and as I understand it my '93 RSL is prone to oil seal leaks same as the airhead hence no good to use a full synthetic. I also believe, if you own a new wethead with integrated engine/trans then you need to use an oil that meets the JASO MA,MA2 standard and the Advantec Pro isn't it. And hey, at least I didn't pay what the dealer wants for an oil change. Another point I'd like to make is this BMW oil I used is not bad or improper oil for use in my bike in any way so maybe I paid a bit more than I could have for this product but oh well, at least I know it's what BMW recommends and hopefully the oil seals like the stuff. OK, I didn't pay original MSRP for my RSL but what sense does it make to spend what BMW asks for one of their products only to go cheap on the single most important maintenance item for any motor vehicle that being the oil change. Just doesn't add up, imo and hardly worth the risk.

To the poster that said Shell does, at present, manufacture the Advantec oil: So how do you know? Can you reference your source? Also, still wondering about the natural gas source for this oil. My interest is just curiosity motivated nothing more. Kent, interesting link you posted describing the Shell GTL process and they certainly have a huge investment in GTL, most impressive. Thanks.

You think what I paid for the BMW oil is bad? I got one better, I just bought two bottles of Yamalube fork oil for $35/litre! I almost passed out but at least I know I got the right stuff no doubt about it. If I owned a wethead RT I would be tempted to try the Yamalube 15w50 with Ester to see if the shifting is smoother and the stuff is cheaper than the BMW recommended oil not sure about the weight though.

 

[dpmonk]

gas to oil

Mobil 1 was one of the first to mass produce lube oil from natural gas. I believe the Germans did it in WW2. Whether you build from natural gas or hydrotreat and use reactors to produce a synthetic lube from crude. You still have a hydrocarbon molecule. The advantage is that all paraffin is gone and the molecules are more consistent in the synthetic oils. But guess what? They are still hydrogen and carbon molecules.

 

[BC1100S]

BMW cares massively about their liability and this is CYA. All their cars specify synthetic oils only and have 15K mile oil change intervals.

....and don't run their engine oil through their transmissions - where shearing forces can play havoc with molecule strings.

Damnation, I responded to an oil thread!

 

[kioolt]

I found this information on Bob's BMW site.

https://www.bobsbmw.com/store/product/bmw-advantec-ultimate-5w-40-engine-oil---one-liter

 

[jammess]

This is good enough for me: http://www.sierrabmwonline.com/prod...ngine-oil-bmw-r1150gs-15w50-83212365963-p-231

Note the bikes this oil is recommended for. API rating SM and JASO MA-2

 

[kanvick]

I also use Mobil 1 Synthetic -- 15W-50 in the engine and 75W-90 in the transmission and rear end. Have been using them for over 10 years and never had a problem. I get the 15W-50 at Wallyworld in the 5qt. bottle.

Keith

 

[kioolt]

Here's an article about Shell's Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology line of fully synthetic lubricants that were launched in 2014. I believe it is similar to BMW's Advantec oils in that they both use PurePlus technology.

http://www.bikesrepublic.com/featured/shell-advance-ultra-pureplus-technology-explained/

 

[52184]

http://bmwmc.net/Media/Media.aspx?uid_media=363&uid_media_type=2

This is the last document I’ve seen on BMW oil. It dates to 2015 so things may have changed. I would opine that BMW’s selection of oil suppliers is determined much more by contractual opportunities and advantages rather than quality concerns. There are a lot of good oils that meet BMW’s API specs for each series of machine.

Best,
DG

 

[tangoalpha]

I also use Mobil 1 Synthetic -- 15W-50 in the engine and 75W-90 in the transmission and rear end. Have been using them for over 10 years and never had a problem. I get the 15W-50 at Wallyworld in the 5qt. bottle.

Keith

Mobil-1 Synthetic enthusiast here. I also use it in my bike and quite literally every single gas powered motor in my household...cars, truck, motorcycles, the kids mini-bikes, lawnmower, weedwacker.....etc. I also buy my oil from Wally World or sometimes from Amazon, depending which has the best price.

 

[pglaves]

Mobil-1 Synthetic enthusiast here. I also use it in my bike and quite literally every single gas powered motor in my household...cars, truck, motorcycles, the kids mini-bikes, lawnmower, weedwacker.....etc. I also buy my oil from Wally World or sometimes from Amazon, depending which has the best price.

Do you use this in any vehicle with a multi-plate wet clutch?

 

[BC1100S]

Do you use this in any vehicle with a multi-plate wet clutch?

I do. Ducati 750SS. Also used it in a variety of Japanese motorcycles from Honda Interceptor 750 to Kawi ZX-11 to Honda RC-51. The 15W-50 doesn't have any friction modifiers and is not marked "energy conserving".

 

[jammess]

I use Mobil-1 synthetic 5w20 in both our cars (Fords) and have for years but never motorcycles. For some reason have always gone cheap on motorcycle lubricants but no more. As I've said diesel oil in any gasoline engine is not a good thing unless the diesel oil has dual API ratings (C and S) on the container. Also, I would not run a straight synthetic in any BMW airhead or early oilhead. Main advantage to a multi-grade synthetic is ability to maintain viscosity over time so maybe you can get more miles between oil changes over a multi-grade mineral oil.

A lot of my paranoia about motorcycle engine lubricants is a result of what seems like increasingly harsh operating environments mainly extreme heat in summer months and the effects on air/oil cooled motors. I can't imagine living in a place like Arizona or Texas and riding a motorcycle of all things but that's me.

 

[BC1100S]

Main advantage to a multi-grade synthetic is ability to maintain viscosity over time so maybe you can get more miles between oil changes over a multi-grade mineral oil.

Nope, the main advantage of a synthetic oil is the ability to withstand extreme temperatures as in: stuck in San Francisco traffic for an hour with very little air flow on a steaming hot day. Unless the oil is an extended service type, synthetic oils should be changed as recommended by the motorcycle manufacturer.

And I'll be damned if that isn't my third response in an oil thread.

 

[Omega Man]

I was thinking that the European high end cars wanted specific high end oil because they forgot to include a dipstick to check it
om