Engine Oil

[Crossrodes]

I haven't seen much discussion about the various types of engine oil here and I have a couple of questions.  But first let me say the following:

Motorcycle specific oil up here in the Great White North, like many other things is getting ridiculously expensive.  Currently in the R65 I use Castrol 20W50 Dino Motorcycle Oil.  Not so long ago it cost about $2.50 a litre.  Now it's up around $5.00.  I changed the oil in the r65 3 times this year and 5 times in the Wing so it's not that I don't mind spending $10...I mind spending around $250 for oil every year....Probably $350 next year if I kept using Amsoil.

For my Goldwing I have been using Amsoil Synthetic motorcycle oil but it too is getting very expensive.  I have used Shell Rotella T Synthetic for diesel engines in the Wing and it seems to work very well where the oil is shared with the engine and transmission and the wet clutch.  In fact I know people who have been using it for years and it seems to do the job just fine.  I'm just about out of my supply of Amsoil so I'll be picking up a supply of Rotella for the Wing when I'm in Arizona this winter.

Now to my questions....

For your BMW's has anyone here used a car/truck oil for any length of time and has it been successful for you?  If so, what kind and viscosity of oil?  Also does anyone use Synthetic in their BMW and what are your thoughts on that pro and con?

[nhmaf]

I've been using the same Castrol stuff as you have for years with no problems whatsoever, though I'd probably rather use the Rotella stuff that many other BMW riders use - it just hasn't been easy to find 'round my area until recently.

If you search in the "Rants" section and search back for a year or more, you'll find a number of oil threads - we tend to put the oft-recurring dreaded oil threads and tire threads into that section of the forum.

[proctorls]

I've been running Amsoil 20-50 in my R65LS since I had the cylinders off about 3K miles ago (63K on the clock). I probably should have replaced the rings, but the bores looked perfect, so I decided to leave well enough alone. The valve stems and guides were also within spec. The oil usage is about a quart in 2500 miles or so, which seems to me to be a lot, but there's no smoke in the exhaust, and the plugs are a nice tan color.  The rear main seal eventually started weeping, and I replaced it with the new teflon style.  It took me two tries to get it right - the procedure for the teflon seal is not the same as for the older style seals.  Maxbmwmotorcycles in NH e-mailed me details of the install.
The oil pressure sending unit also started leaking about 500 miles ago.  I don't know if the "creepiness" of the synthetic oil hastened either of these failures.  Most likely it was just normal end-of-servicable-life stuff.
I put synthetic oils in the gearbox, final drive, and drive shaft, and the main seal around the output ring of the rear drive started to drip after a few hundred miles.  A new seal cured that, but since then I've noticed a fair amount of migration out of the final drive all the way to the tranny.  Someone on another Beemer site suggested simply draining the oil from the overfilled unit and pouring it back into the low reservoir, so I guess this isn't an unusual problem.
Other than that, everything seems ok.

Steve

[Bob_Roller]

I've been told, don't use any engine oil, that has the 'Energy Conservation' symbol on it, it contains the least amount of anti-wear additives, like copper and zinc compounds .

I increasingly hear about BMW owners, switching to diesel engine oils, as that have a higher content of anti-wear additives, that would cause harm to catalytic converters on gas fueled engines .

I was using Spectro 'Golden' 20w50 for about 20 years, and it now is over $10US per US quart .

I then was using BMW branded semi-synthetic 20w50 by Spectro Oils, but now it's approaching the $10 per quart area as well .

I think I see Rotella oil in my future .

[Crossrodes]

Bob I think that the additive that diesel engine oil has in abundance is Zinc.  I also believe (think I read this somewhere a few years ago) that this is a good anti-wear additive for high heat engines (like diesels and air cooled motorcycles).  I've also read (posted by an Amsoil dealer) that zinc is bad for catalytic converters.  However, as I said earlier, many Goldwing owners have been running Rotella for years with no apparent adverse effects.

I think I'm with you.  If I can find some Rotella with a 20W50 viscosity that's the route I'll take for the BMW.

[Bob_Roller]

I'll have to stay with motorcycle oils for the oilhead, it has a catalytic converter, and the bike gets an exhaust emissions test, when the registration comes due .

[Barry]

The oil in my bike never seems to get very hot so I run something a little thinner than 20W50. Currently using Shell X100 super 15W40 which is SG rated so may still have the zinc additives. I picked up 5L at a classic bike show and have never seen it for sale since.

Diesel oil is commonly available in 15W40 so I  may try that next.

[Semper Gumby]

Spectro Golden 20W50.  Accept no substatutes.

Back in the day I used Penzoil 20W50 before I knew better (early 90's)

My experience with pure synthetic oils is this:

If your seals are anything less than perfect, all those little tiny molecules of synthetic oil all the same size will get up shoulder to shoulder and march right out of your engine.

If you do switch and you bike doesn't leak oil, then you are stuck.  Do not switch back to a non-sythetic.  Bad for rings.

There is an website by an oil guru that you need to go post this question on.  I think its called "thatOilguy" or somesuch.  Somebody will post his address here in a second.

You need to post that question there as I have heard that Shell was taking the zinc out of the Rotella.  

Spectrol Golden is the only one that I know that has it in it.


O wait I found it --- http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

Post your darn oil question here (and then let us know what he said - thanks in advance)