Cost of Oil and Filters

[Icebat]

I'm curious as to what the rest of you are paying for your oil and filters. I'm just back from the dealer with 3 quarts of 20W50, 1 quart of 80W90 hyphoid gear oil and an oil filter - all BMW authentic, plus a few crush washers and a gasket for my '91 GSPD. Bill came to $66.00!

Oil is $8.50 per quart, hyphoid $9.99 and the filter (the 2 parted, hinged kind) is an astounding $21.00 and change!!! Have I been out of the loop too long and are these the going prices?

Any recommendations for quality non-BMW replacements, especially the filter?

 

[miairhead]

Same here for prices

I think you got the BMW dealer price on everything that is what I find in line and at local dealer.
I thinking about using Valvoline next change, I read it a good oil MC oil for 1/2 price.
I change filter every other change (3k), then you can cut open and check it following Snowbum's instructions.
The filter of more then $20 is what amazes me, you know BMW has some one else make it, should be good after market ones-I find none.

But you must applaud BMW for the support for old machines, try that with other brands. I guess if you pay a lot for genuine parts, and can get what you need from the dealer, the higher cost may be secondary.

 

[lkchris]

I bet there are less than 10,000 Airheads roadworthy in the USA.

They are (to steal a phrase from eBay) RARE.

Sorry, but oil filters for Airheads aren't going to be sold at prices similar to oil filters for chebbies. The size of them or whatever is meaningless--see Econ 101.

The oil part, however is mostly marketing, as only the truly uninformed think motorcycles with separate engine/transmission require special motor oil. But, if you buy into the notion that riding a motorcycle makes you a special person, you are ripe for this sort of thing and there are plenty out there playing to it.

 

[galaxie]

oil

I use valvoline 20-50 it has the high zink a air head needs.and at half the cost of bmw oil. p.s. get the racing oil,

 

[20774]

As for engine oil and filters, I definitely want BMW products for that. However, the gear oil is something that I shop elsewhere for. Maybe you can save a few bucks that way. In the end, you can go real cheap on everything. Oil from Wally World, filters from NAPA, etc....might run you $35-40. So the difference then is $25-30...doesn't seem that big of a deal to me.

 

[Icebat]

Ok, so I'm less informed than you Ikchris. I appreciate your perspective and knowledge. But implying I'm a sucker and leaving it at that isn't a response or much help to the second part of my post - asking for recommendations for other, less expensive alternatives to BMW branded products.

 

[20774]

asking for recommendations for other, less expensive alternatives to BMW branded products.

If you search enough, you're going to find plenty of reading to last you the rest of the holiday weekend. These kinds of things come up all the time. Owners range the gamut in terms of what they're looking for and willing to spend.

Snowbum's has several articles (http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/techindex.htm) numbered 51 which provide his slant on things...yet more reading! Yes, there are alternatives all of it non-BMW. Read and see what works for you. Decide what is a priority for you and the health of your bike and weigh that against the costs. For me, engine oil and filters are the life blood of the engine...I chose to not scrimp in that area. After that, most likely anything on the shelf will be "as good".

 

[photorider]

Check out www.beemerboneyard.com.
Some savings there, especially if you buy 5.

 

[PGlaves]

I'm not going to jump into an oil debate very hard because I'm sick of them but will simply suggest that there are more differences between cars and motorcycles than just whether they have a wet clutch or not.

Things like roller cam followers, camshaft profiles, and other scuffing actions do come into play.

It doesn't need to say BMW on it. BMW buys oil to put its name on. It doesn't make it. But it does package oil that meets its specs.

What I do say is follow the specifications BMW states for your bike both as to API rating and as to viscosity everywhere you install a lubricant. Some "car oil" explicitly meets these specs and many don't. And some major brand "motorcycle oil" is no more expensive than "car oil".

Just do your homework with those specifications.

 

[Icebat]

Thanks for your replies. I know that there are some threads that are like quicksand once opened - oil being one of them. Didn't intend or want to ask which is 'best', only what others might use. I suppose that there's a certain implication that what you're using is best.

I do plan a lot of reading. That's what holidays are for, no? Thanks again.

 

[miairhead]

some reading

http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g2156.pdf

 

[krpntr]

price vs value

I try to always use the same oil. Call me superstitious, but I like to go with the recommendations of people who should know more than myself. Every old mechanic I talk to recommends M/C specific oil because of the high zink content, and the need to protect the hardened flat surfaces of the lifters where they rub on the cam. Auto Zone or Napa sells Castrol 20/50 motorcycle oil for way less than the dealer charges. The filters are another matter. I seenum for about $8 on Ebay, but I also saw pictures on this forum of them squashed flat. I like the hinged filters because the two extra ends at the center adds more strength to the filter body. I change the oil and filter together when the seasons turn regardless of the miles driven because I do a lot of short trips. I say: Get the dealer supplied filter kit. it has all the washers, gaskets, shims and "o" rings you could possibly need. There are plenty of places to save money, you don't need to risk your engine with an inferior product . Like the man said " these things are rare"

 

[wecm31]

Amsoil 20W50 synthetic motorcycle oil (because I can get it in my small town and it has lots of ZDDP)

Amsoil 85W90 synthetic gear oil

OEM filters (I often add one to a larger parts order to save on shipping just a filter)

 

[galaxie]

oil

does your r80 weep oil using amsiol. I would like to use it but told it would make my r80rt weep 0il. I use it in everything .

 

[osbornk]

I buy my oil filters for both my airhead and oilhead from beemerboneyard and I use Castrol 20W50. Never a problem and I think the owners manual says to use Castrol.

I'm not going to pay double or triple for the BMW name when they don't make the products and probably buy from the lowest bidder. The oil just has to meet specs.

Like they say, "Clean oil is better than dirty oil and any oil is better than no oil."

 

[jconway607]

Icebat,
I, for one, hear what you are saying. Perhaps you and I are alone, but I still consider $66 real money. And especially for a filter and some oil.

I sympathize with you. It sounds like you may be returning to BMW ownership from a time away. It does take some time to mentally adjust to the prices dealers charge for this stuff. Unfortunately, like everyone else, I haven't seen any non-oem filters out there that I would trust. And the hinged ones, although more pricey, seem like a big improvement for installation over the single units. Someone helpfully suggested I try Chicago BMW, in that they said they offered a 10% discount. Not much but everything helps. Surprisingly, I am between parts orders for mine at the moment, so I can't verify that the discount does exist. I'm pulling the transmission on mine this week, to check the clutch, so I'll probably get the facts on Chicago's prices quite soon.

The oil issue, ( I gather hotly debated on this site) seems odd to me. Why you can run off the shelf Castrol or Valvoline in a $120,000 Porsche 911 but not in an Airhead seems strange to me. But I bow to the airhead expertise in this area, and (if I can find a consensus) will follow their recommendations. You might try buying about 5 filters at a time. Then when you reach for one it may not seem so painful.

I wish there was better news on these costs, but I just went down this road on brake lines. You're just kind of stuck. And finally, on the plus side, at least you are taking the time to do the maintenance on your bike, and doing it right. Hopefully, it will reward you for that by costing you less in repairs down the road.

 

[bikerfish1100]

AutoZone is offering Castrol dino m/c specific oil (yes, the high zinc-along with ZDDP, phosphorus , magnesium, etc.- content is one of the advantages of a m/c specific oil) in 20W50 at $2 off, making it $1.99/qt. good thru the end of the month. i picked up a few oil changes worth.
beyond that- i concur thoroughly with PaulG on this one.

 

[doktortim]

Back in the day I bought a new 76 R90/6. All the oil back then was proper spec. I used Quaker State, air bubbles in the oil. I used Pennz, air in the oil. Then I heard that the race crowd used Valvoline because it had better anti-foam addatives. Put in Valvo and no more foam. Air is not a good lube.

I cringed at the cost of filters back then. I bought Baldwin filters from NAPA. I had no issues with them. Sold the bike at 65k. You could still see the image of the original cross hatch on the cylinders. High factory spec compression still.

Jump forward to 2 years ago. Bought a 79 RS with 14k original miles. Had been stored unused for 8 years or so. PO got it running and put on new tires and did some brake fixin then decided since he already had a new GS fully farkeled, he would sell it.

Research began on current trends. Read every opinion I could find. Very similar to the Airhead is the aircooled horizontally opposed engines of VW and Porsche, which I had in depth knowledge of as well. Characteristics of these engines is higher temps and very small crankcase volume. That's what promotes foaming. Bottom line, I want an oil that is designed for the early flat tappets with the good ZDDP ratio, is available most anywhere and doesn't cost the bomb. I settled upon Valvo VR-1 dino 20/50. Works for me. I use Delo 15/40 in my VW T-2.

The BMW filters are made by Mahle. If you can find the Mahle box you will save a little bit on pricing. MANN, Kneckt and Hengst are the other big German manufacturers. Total manufacture volume of our filters is tiny so they cost 3 times as much as more common filters. Do read what SnoBum has to say on the subject of filters. He identifies specifically which brands to stay away from and which he thinks are the same as the BMW item from other sources. I have heard several say that what you now get in a NAPA box is indistinguishable from the genuine article. I haven't yet got one to check it against my BMW spares. Worth a look as they are less than half the price.

I bought some filter kits from Capital Cycle. Whoops, whats this, a black oring not the genuine white oring. What else is non-spec in here. Let's see, corrosion on the shim?? My advise, stay away from them. They are first and foremost salesmen and will lie to you with a smile on their face. They have never turned a wrench on an Airhead. All they know is the parts list on the screen. "Oh yeah, in stock ready to ship." A week later when the box arrives, half the parts are backordered. I don't care how low their prices are. You cannot save time/money there.

I call Ted Porter at the Beemershop for all my parts needs, because they bend over backwards to make certain you get the correct parts for your particular machine. They wrench on them every day and know the machines in depth. They know which aftermarket goods work well and which do not.

If a $5 spin on filter is important to you, don't buy an Airhead.

 

[jconway607]

If a $5 spin on filter is important to you, don't buy an Airhead.

A lot if interesting, and good, information in that post. I'm just not clear on this last item. I didn't think the guy was saying he wanted to pay $5 for an oil filter, just that he wasn't too happy paying over four times that for a "BMW" one. And, personally, I can't blame him. I guess you could reverse it and say, "If you want to pay top dollar for every item on the machine, an Airhead is the perfect choice."

 

[20774]

I guess you could reverse it and say, "If you want to pay top dollar for every item on the machine, an Airhead is the perfect choice."

I think you can say that about just about any vehicle! You don't have to pay top dollar, you just have to pick your parts and sources wisely. Heck, people run Cheng Sheng tires on their Airheads!!