BMW On Line

[ragman]

Does anyone know of a place to buy BMW oil on line?

Ragman

[ArthurKnowles]

Does anyone know of a place to buy BMW oil on line?

Almost every online BMW dealer carries it. You can try ...

http://www.ascycles.com/default.aspx

http://www.bobsbmw.com/

http://www.bmwsantacruz.com/main.html

Just to name a few. There are more out there and a google search will turn them up.

[grossjohann]

I've used Bob's and A&S...

[mcollect]

Why pay shipping when just about any quality oil, castrol, red line, mobil one, does the same thing. I have used Castrol in all my twins for thirty years and never had a problem, even BMW says Castrol is good.

[breyfogle]

Why ....even BMW says Castrol is good.

At one time ( don't know if it is still true ), Castrol made the oil that BMW put their label on. Same oil - different paper label.

[bikerfish1100]

At one time ( don't know if it is still true ), Castrol made the oil that BMW put their label on. Same oil - different paper label.

don't ever recall hearing that Castrol was a manufacturer for BMW-branded oil, but Spectro most definitely was (confirmed by Spectro oil reps at MOA Nationals in early/mid 90's).

personally, i would never bother with BMW oil- just get something that meets the specs (i like Castrol ACT-Evo 20W50, a motorcycle specific semi-synth that retails around $4/qt at cyclegear.com. and they ship for free when you purchase $100+ of whatever)

[breyfogle]

.... (i like Castrol ACT-Evo 20W50, a motorcycle specific semi-synth that retails around $4/qt at cyclegear.com.

thats my choice as well, last week a gallon jug cost me $18. and change at my local Cycle Gear store...

[mcollect]

I have been repeatedly told that BMW's and Moto Guzzis DO NOT need motorcycle specific oil. We have a dry clutch and the motorcycle oils are only needed for wet clutches. Never used motorcycle oils in either BMW or motoguzzis and have several hundred thousand miles with NO mechanical problems. Still have a great running LM1 from 1978!

[bikerfish1100]

I have been repeatedly told that BMW's and Moto Guzzis DO NOT need motorcycle specific oil. We have a dry clutch and the motorcycle oils are only needed for wet clutches. Never used motorcycle oils in either BMW or motoguzzis and have several hundred thousand miles with NO mechanical problems. Still have a great running LM1 from 1978!

there is more than one issue that we're dealing with for m/c specific oil vs auto oil. One, as you correctly pointed out, is that we don't have a wet clutch, and trans oil is entirely seperate from engine oil, so we don't need the trans-friendly characteristics of a m/c specific oil. However, these are still (essentially) air cooled bikes, and the friction beating additives found in a m/c specific oil are VERY friendly to our machines. Read any automotive oil for the API grade (SE, SF, SG, etc). You will find that it is several iterations (SL or SM, most likely) beyond what our bikes call for (SF, SG, SH, CD, CE or PD2). Given that a m/c specific semi-synth like Castrol ACT-Evo is priced pretty close to quality auto oils, why not use it?

[breyfogle]

I have been repeatedly told that BMW's and Moto Guzzis DO NOT need motorcycle specific oil.

Totally true when the available automobile oil was SG or earlier. When the Feds started to influence the chemistry of auto oil (beginning with SJ), oil began to loose much of the anti-wear additive package that air cooled m/c engines like. If I could still walk into my local A*ZONE and buy dead-dinosaur SG oil, I would do that. Since I can not buy SG oil at the Zone, I have begun to use m/c specific oils.

All that being said, I suspect that if you were to use the latest/greatest auto oil in any BMW, the engine would probably still last a couple of hundred thousand miles. Probably good enough.

[35634]

Oil requirements change with the age of the bike. Originally, my new K75
thrived on BMW branded oil & filters, and gagged at anything else. Later, it
accepted Castrol Syntech and even Mann oil filters. Now, at 21, it laps up
Valvoline or Pennsoil, AC oil filters and even lusts for old Mobil-1 drained
out of my VW 1.8t (the car is still young and has expensive tastes) Shades
of when I used to drain BMW oil from the bike use it to top off my 70 Bronco.

BTW, I'd like to port and polish the manifolds on the VW. Where can I get
official VW sand, and how much should I pour in?:dance :D :jester