Ten bucks a quart!!!

[joelaw]

I have looked at the BMW bottles, for a Mfg. or their oil, I can not find an indication of who actually fills the bottle.

Up until a few years ago I used Castrol 20w-50 automobile oil, from the local car parts store. But now that all automobile oils have base ratings of SM or whatever and not the SG/SH base rating, I took Paul G's. advice and am buying Castor 20w-50 4T. It is bottled in Canada, and I buy it at the local Auto Zone store for $4.99+tax/quart. This oil is motorycycle specific and is baseline rated at SG/SH.

 

[flat_twin]

Valvoline synthetic 20w-50 was on sale for $3.28 per quart in February. I bought a case. I also decided $17 was too much for a BMW oil filter and switched to the Purolator equivalent for $4. Multiply that times two oil changes per riding season, times two motorcycles and the savings adds up quickly!

Mark

 

[kgadley01]

What steams me is that Walmart no longer stocks Mobil 1 20w50 in the 5 quart bottles!
What's up with that!!
Jeez, just when I thought I had life all figured out.

must be Texas!!! I can still get it here. but I did have a hard time finding the 5w-30w I run in my truck. I finally found some at the local Wal-Mart last week. I also like buying it in the 5 Qt containers, as it saves about $ 1.00 a Qt.

 

[zoridog]

I buy SuperTech at Walmart for $10/5qt. jug. I stopped buying expensive stuff when I started visiting the "Bob Is The Oil Guy" web site. Folks post the results of their motorcycle oil analysis. A real eye opener! I concluded that oil is oil. Change it every 4000 miles and the motorcycle gods will smile on you.

I wish Wally Mart sold Metzeler tires thought. I just spent $250 for a set.

 

[gawga_boy]

"bob is the oil guy" web site. Folks post the results of their motorcycle oil analysis. A real eye opener! .

+1

 

[BUBBAZANETTI]

I have looked at the BMW bottles, for a Mfg. or their oil, I can not find an indication of who actually fills the bottle.

Up until a few years ago I used Castrol 20w-50 automobile oil, from the local car parts store. But now that all automobile oils have base ratings of SM or whatever and not the SG/SH base rating, I took Paul G's. advice and am buying Castor 20w-50 4T. It is bottled in Canada, and I buy it at the local Auto Zone store for $4.99+tax/quart. This oil is motorycycle specific and is baseline rated at SG/SH.

good balance, imo, between the "i use old butter" and "i only use fully synthetic brand specific bottled liquid gold" crowds. i like the SG/SH rating factor the most.

 

[jingdog]

Have I got news for you! This Black Friday Pep Boys has 5 quarts of Castrol GTX in your choice of viscosity PLUS a Purolator (L10241 fits R11 and R1150) for FIVE DOLLARS after rebate. You can get 2 offers for a total of 10 qts oil and 2 filters for $10!
If synthetic oil floats your boat you can get up to 12 quarts Mobile One for $4 a qt also. (I recommend the Castrol frankly)
Thats this friday black friday 6am-11am only.

STICK IT TO THE MAN!

 

[KOINZ]

Oh Boy, an oil Thread!!

 

[bigdelta]

BMW knows there's a sucker born every minute. I mean, look at the 2004 election.
I'm just sayin....

And let's not forget the '08 election,but I digress...........
I used Amsoil and it's reasonably priced.

 

[bigdelta]

I have a question. How many oil heads have had engine failures due to oil?

I use regular castroil. I have yet to have an oil failure in any of my bikes in over 37 years of motorcycling.

I don't thing anyone here is talking about failures (so far).Just the everyday wear and tear and cooler running characteristics for users of synthetics.

 

[Brettendress]

As many mechanics have told me it all comes of the same pipeline and then people do stuff to it. Little additives here and there. That being said I still use the BMW 20-50 in the Beemers and Honda oil in the Honda's. Probably doesn't make a difference but I feel better, I do however use the after market filters that Bob's sells for my GS because they approve them. Guess for the most part I like to follow the rules so if it breaks I can blame someone besides myself. LOL

Brett Endress
Altoona pa

 

[kgadley01]

before I became a preferred customer, AMSOIL cost me $12.00 a Qt. now I can get it for $8.25 a Qt. Mobil 1 is my 2nd choice at about $7.00 a Qt.

 

[jireynolds67]

Way back, like in 1977, I installed both temperature and oil pressure gauges on my 1972 R75/5. I was stationed at Moody AFB in Georgia. I found that a short ride on the highway would bring the oil temperature up to 205 to 210 degrees. Although maybe it wasn't, I thought that was too hot. There was a guy at work who had just started using and selling AMSOil. He told me my bike would run cooler with AMSOil so I bought some from him, and changed over to it on my 75/5. The same ride only brought the oil temperature up to 185 degrees. Shortly there after, I rode my 75/5 from Georgia to California and back, during June, and across Arizona where it gets really hot. The highest temperature shown was a steady 185 drgrees. That convinced me and I switched both my second BMW, a 650, and my Volvo over to AMSOil. I soon became a dealer so I could buy it myself and I still buy it and use it in all my vehicles. Yes, I know it is a bit expensive but I think it is worth it. I extend the mileage between changes and have never had a problem by doing that. Jim Reynolds

 

[kgadley01]

Your a smart man Jim. I have a oil temp gauge on my Harley, plus an oil cooler. Oil temp rarely gets over 190 deg. before AMSOIL and the cooler, 215 deg. to 225 deg. was common... on the RT, 5 bars was normal on the temp gauge till I switched to AMSOIL. now it stays on 4 bars most of the time.

 

[boxwrench]

that explains the number of bars on my RT.
20w-50 amsoil for me.
J&P cycles store here and BMW dealer sells it.

 

[jireynolds67]

I bought a 2003 R1150RT-P last month, my fourth BMW. It is the first motorcycle which came with an oil temperature indicator. It normally shows 5 bars but I have seen 8 bars in the local traffic during 90 degree temperatures in the Las Vegas area. It currently has Mobil1 synthetic but when I change it at around 60,000, I will switch over to AMSOil Synthetic Motorcycle 20W-50. I currently use 10W-40 in my Suzuki C50T but will probably switch to 20W-50 in it too as there is no sense in buying three different oils. I use 0W-30 in my 2003 Honda Civic. I use extended times, miles between oil changes so it actually probably costs less than changes at 3000 miles would. I have been doing that for over thirty years now with no problems.

 

[philbytx]

Mobil1 20w50 "Old" formula

Jeff,
You can still find M1 20w50 Silver top/Red Label in Texas its usually around $22 for 5qts. Some stores don't stock it, some do. I get mine in Weatherford usually (we have friends that live there) but the other day I stopped in to our local WallyWorld in Kerrville and saw they had 2 5qt jugs on the shelf!
Of course, I snapped them up.....FYI - Here's an analysis of M1 Old formula vs M1 VTwin done in 2007:

Silicon: M1 15W-50: 9ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50:10ppm
Boron: M1 15W-50: 228ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 188ppm
Sodium: M1 15W-50: 13ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 3ppm
Magnesium: M1 15W-50: 43ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 538ppm
Calcium: M1 15W-50: 2464ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 1899ppm
Phosphorus: M1 15W-50: 1193ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 1142ppm
Zinc: M1 15W-50: 1315ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 1352ppm
Molybdenum: M1 15W-50: 90ppm M1 V-Twin 20W-50: 0ppm

FYI - I use M1 20w50 in my BMW E34 cage and both bikes.

 

[big_ed]

Went to order some BMW 20-50w oil for the old GS yesterday, talk about sticker shock. $ 110 for a 12 pack. Problem is, I am unsure if I want to change brands.

My K1200LT owners manual says "BMW recommends Castrol" in about 10 different places. That's good enough for me.

 

[CHARLES960]

staring at all that oil

Standing in front of the oil display glazes me over. OK Castrol. But which one? What base? Car/ forumula/ I must be really dense.

e.g. I go the the dealer and get the silver bottles with the silver caps. I get lots of advice and support at the dealer that the AutoZone-Pep-World tranzient worker just can't seem to provide.

Sometimes I really wish I was a lot smarter, or much dumber!

Charles

 

[henzilla]

Standing in front of the oil display glazes me over. OK Castrol. But which one? What base? Car/ forumula/ I must be really dense.

e.g. I go the the dealer and get the silver bottles with the silver caps. I get lots of advice and support at the dealer that the AutoZone-Pep-World tranzient worker just can't seem to provide.

Sometimes I really wish I was a lot smarter, or much dumber!

Charles

At AutoZone there is "usually" an endcap display with motorcycle oils across the aisle or around the end of the regular oils...at least at the ones in TX. Castrol 20-50 4T details below:
http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9022114&contentId=7040925