Well every new chap has to ask it....oil?

[sandbar]

What's the best oil should i put in my boxercup???

Duckhams Q 20-50

Oh no - sorry!! That's a mistake - I was just having a senior moment

sandbar

[sproggy]

Actually, burning diesel oil releases 40.9 MJ per litre compared with 34.8 MJ per litre for petrol - about 15% more. This is why diesel engines are more fuel efficient. I would have thought that overall heat levels would have been the same in diesel and petrol engines

Oh, OK, I stand corrected about the energy contained in the fuel, although it does surprise me. I believe that diesel engines are more efficient than petrol ones, though, in terms of the percentage of potential energy in the fuel that they turn into mechanical power/torque? This might mean that less is wasted as heat.

In the early days of mainstream diesel cars (mid '80s) I know that the heaters in diesel cars took AGES to get going in the morning compared to their petrol equivalents, but perhaps that was to do with the fact that they had half-tonne cast iron blocks.....

Duckhams Q 20-50

Oh no - sorry!! That's a mistake - I was just having a senior moment

A couple of years ago I found a local village petrol station that still had stocks of Duckhams Q, along with countless other oils that disappeared from other peoples' shelves a decade or so earlier. I bought a couple of cans of the Duckhams - my GS seemed to thrive on it even thought it probably didn't meet SF/SG/SH classification....

Im off to italy on 3rd week of june. So What's the best oil should i put in my boxercup??? and why?

Italy in June = temperatures over 30 degrees. You need 20W50 because if you look in the "Service and Technical Booklet" (page 84 in mine) you'll find that 20W50 (or 15W50) is an appropriate grade for running in ambient temperatures over 30 degrees. Anything lighter isn't. Whether you go for mineral, semi-synth or synthetic is down to personal preference (unless the bike's done less than about 12k miles in which case you should use mineral to aid bedding in), as is brand.

Ask 10 people on here and you'll get 10 different recommendations for brand etc - use what you can buy easily.

[budman200210]

Ok,
So your saying go up to 15 or 20/50.

15 or 20 seems to be too thick to me (from what i know) but i will value your advice.
Surely synthetic is best???
Its only done 10k, and last service was the first with the GPS from BMW.
want to get this right.
Thanks
Aaron

[madman]

The 15 or 20 bit is the thickness when cold, but is still thicker than the 50 bit when hot. It is the 50 bit that you want for the normal running temperature. A 5/50 will be better as it will circulate through the engine quicker on start up, when the oil has all drained back to the sump.

[sproggy]

Ok,
So your saying go up to 15 or 20/50.

Well what I'm actually saying is that the company which designed, manufactured and extensively tested the engine in your bike are recommending 15W50 or 20W50! For the temperatures you'll be riding in.

15 or 20 seems to be too thick to me (from what i know) but i will value your advice.

The first time I took my GS (same engine) to Mugello in June it was running 10W40 Castrol GPS. Sitting in the queue to get in to the circuit with the temperature approaching 40 degrees the engine sounded like a bag of bolts - if you'd heard it you'd have no hesitation in going for something heavier! Since then I've spent a fair amount of time riding in Spain in similar temperatures but with 20W50 and the engine is far smoother and 'happier' sounding (fewer rattles both when cold and hot).

I'm off to Italy next weekend and the bike's running Valvoline 20W50 mineral oil.

Surely synthetic is best???

Yes, certainly it's 'best' in some respects (it costs more.....). But will the engine benefit from "the best" given its design, tolerances and fairly frequent service intervals? Only you can decide that. I reckon not.

Its only done 10k, and last service was the first with the GPS from BMW.

Changing to semi-synth at 10k is OK - lots of people do that. But GPS is 10W40 which isn't heavy enough for hot summer use. BMW use GPS at service because they have some sort of 'arrangement' with Castrol. Funny how they sell their own branded 20W50 mineral oil alongside it (in the parts dept.), though, isn't it.....

One thing to bear in mind, though, if you haven't picked this up already - Castrol GP/GPS is bike-specific oil with additives for the gearbox and clutch. Completely pointless on a boxer because the engine doesn't share its oil - you just need regular automotive 20W50.

want to get this right.

Of course - everyone does. But there's no absolute right or wrong as long as you get the grade right. Formulation (mineral, semi-synth, fully-synth) and brand really make little difference at the end of the day and it comes down to what's available locally, any personal preferences as to brand, what special offers are on etc etc.

I think people worry too much about this, but the proliferation of oil threads kind of encourages that and as you'll see above opinion varies considerably! Do what you're happy with, within the constraints of the engine manufacturer's recommendations and advice from experienced owners, and you're likely to be fine.

[budman200210]

Thanks for that,

I will go for 15/50 and Im thinking semi synthetic as i think it last longer before it breaks down??? so better protection???
And yes i had thought about the issue's regaurding our bikes not needing motorcycle oil as they dont have the wet clutch!

thanks for all your help!

Aaron

[crucial]

Hang on a minute ..........I thought this was Boxertrix not Pelican

Why do people get so hung up on oil Just put in any oil that meets or exceeds the requirements specified by BMW.......simple