The slippery oil question

[willhawks]

Oil; the saga continues

Just my FWIW; Have been into synthetics for cars and bikes since 1978. No problems save for having to buy a new sight glass when I switched some of my BMWs from Dino to Synthetic due to fogging. That having been said, 1 bike ago I was pretty broke and bought an old shop loaner from my dealer. When I asked what oil, I was told 20-50 non-synthetic BMW. When I sold the bike, it had about 90k and still was clean inside as well as oil tight and not using any oil between 5K changes. Now riding an 09 RT. Was the standard oil Dino or Synthetic?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

3hawks

 

[Coma]

Follow the spec. For years the correct answer was, and always was, 20w50 API SG or SH. Not true anymore. Get the manual, follow the manual.

This!

https://bobistheoilguy.com

This gives a lot of info about oil, TBN/TAN and how they work for you. Dry clutch is different than the wet clutch in your new motorbike.

 

[k12lts]

Now riding an 09 RT. Was the standard oil Dino or Synthetic?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

3hawks

The manual for your 2009 calls for 20W-50 dino oil but the current BMW recommendation for that engine is 15W-50 synthetic. Your engine will live a long and happy life on either.

 

[AjaxTheDog]

I had a 2007 RT and 20W50 worked fine in that all year round. I think it had 65K miles when I crashed it. Got a 2012 RT and continued using 20W50 Mobil 1 and had problems starting in cold weather. Switched to 10W40 Mobil 1 and no more problems. I am at over 60K miles and it uses very little oil between changes, like 100ML. Hoping it stays like that!

 

[akbeemer]

Is there an ajaxthelesser?

 

[pglaves]

The manual for your 2009 calls for 20W-50 dino oil but the current BMW recommendation for that engine is 15W-50 synthetic. Your engine will live a long and happy life on either.

The current vendor - Shell - has this busisness deal with BMW and they built an oil to BMW specs. So BMW "updated" or altered the "recommendation" but not the spec to recommend the new favorite oil. Either is fine. When Castrol sponsored the racing team then a Castrol oil was the "recommendation". Look at the spec, not the recommendation, is my advice. It's bidness you know.

 

[yeehastephen]

I use that 10-50 LiquiMoly stuff that comes in the Boneyard's service kit. Full Synth.

 

[AjaxTheDog]

Is there an ajaxthelesser?

Yup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_the_Lesser

 

[akbeemer]

Yup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_the_Lesser

Okay!

 

[lkchris]

First, understand motor oil.

the "W" number only applies to viscosity at cold start ... it does NOT effect how the oil performs at normal (high) temperature.

That is, day in and day out, there is ZERO difference between 10W-50, 15W-50, 20W-50. At normal operating temperature they are all the same, i.e. 50. 50 is 50 is 50

Seems a little unlikely to me that very many are concerned with starting their motorcycle in super cold weather. If you are, go for the lower W number. Otherwise, it's meaningless.

Finally, if you are concerned AT ALL about temperature--either hot or cold--you should be using full synthetic motor oil. Every day and in every way it outperforms conventional dino oil with respect to temperature.