Mobil-1 Oil for K100?

[bbmw]

I have just purchased a 1987 K100RS.
I have been reading on the web that many K-bike owners are using Mobil-1 15w-50. I am looking for comments on this as my BMW manual does require SE and SF oil classifications.
Your comments are appreciated
Thanks, Brad

[EastTNBeemer]

I changed over to Mobile 1 at the last oil change (1500 mile ago). I'll let you know how it works out. My K75 has 37,500 miles on the clock.

[dlearl476]

Originally posted by bbmw
I have just purchased a 1987 K100RS.
I have been reading on the web that many K-bike owners are using Mobil-1 15w-50. I am looking for comments on this as my BMW manual does require SE and SF oil classifications.
Your comments are appreciated
Thanks, Brad

You won't be able to find SE or SF oil, that spec was obsolete years ago. I run the Mobil SuperSyn you speak of in all my vehicles and it's great. Including my R75/5.

[BEinIN]

I have an 89 K100LT. When I bought it 5 years ago it had 56,000 miles on it. The previous owner said he used Mobil One in the engine and the gearboxes so I continued to do the same. The odometer rolled over 140,000 miles on the way home from Falling Leaf Rally. I use a Bosch 3330 oil filter and change oil every 6,000 miles. No problems yet! :D

BEin IN

[deilenberger]

Originally posted by bbmw
I have just purchased a 1987 K100RS.
I have been reading on the web that many K-bike owners are using Mobil-1 15w-50. I am looking for comments on this as my BMW manual does require SE and SF oil classifications.
Your comments are appreciated
Thanks, Brad

Brad - the Mobil-1, 15w-50 Red-Top (cap) works just fine on K bikes.

I had an oil analysis done on mine last time I changed it - the change was at 6,000 miles and about 9 months in the bike.

The results can be seen at:

http://www.eilenberger.net/K75S/C21138.pdf

It's in Adobe Acrobat format - and on dialup it may take a few seconds to load.

One mistake they have on the report is - they reported the oil as 15w-40.. but if you look at the SUS Viscosity at 210F - this number is exactly what you'd expect to find on a NEW 15w-50 oil. So the oil has lost no viscosity. The report was good enough that I safely could consider going further than 6,000 miles between changes.

Best,

[bbmw]

Thanks to everyone with all the feedback and info.
- Brad

[Ridealot]

Brad I ran Mobil 1 15-50 in my K-100RT for 120K miles. In all those miles I only needed to change one shim on one valve. When I sold it, it was still running as good as the day I bought it with 10K miles on it

[paulsibek]

if there is an apreciable difference between Golden Spectro 4 (I know it's semi synth) and Mobil 1 for a K75?

[Ivy]

Our K75RT with 100,000 miles runs on 20w50 Amsoil that was first installed at around 24,000 miles and keeps on running like a timex. It is expensive but it really helps keep the bike running

[Beemerdude]

I switched to Mobil 1 15w50 on my K1200LT over 30,000 miles ago. No consumption noted. When I had the 24,000 check up done the cams were perfect and no buckets changed.

I also run Amzoil Generation 2000 85w140 gear lube in my transmission and final drive. The rear drive seems to run cooler and the transmission shifts much better, especially when hot.

[Gnome]

You cannot go wrong with using Mobil 1, it's a very fine product,(but) go one up and check out Royal Purple Synthetic Motorcycle oil. This oil is so good my wife could tell the difference when I switched it in her car from Mobil 1 to Royal Purple 10w-30.The engine will run quieter,and have extra horsepower. It really will show an improvement in power in your bike,I promise it.
I use the 20w-50 in my K-100 RS 1987 model and it loves it...so do I.
www.royalpurple.com



------------------------------------------------

I've got my orange crush!

[RJCorazza]

I recently switched to 20w50 synthetic. Most people here are running 15w50 M1 or a 20w50 oil, and these seem to be in line with BMW's recommendations.
My question is what should my concerns be at lower outside temps? I plan to ride this winter and the idea of a 20w is bugging me. Will a 20w cause difficulties at 32 degrees(F) ?

[Ridealot]

My Old K100 used to start up and run fine down into the teens with Mobil 1 15-50. No valve clatter at start up. When running dino oil it was a drama getting it to start at those temps. I just haven't had a problem with synthetic oil at low temps like I used to with regular dino oil.

[sgborgstrom]

So....
For all the bandwidth used discussing which oil is better I can't remember anybody who had a normally run/maintained motorcycle engine go bad because of something that was attributable to the choice of oil.

It's one thing let it run low or lose a drain bolt or do one too many oil pressure losing wheelies or never change it- that's just neglect. I'd be interested in hearing from anybody who can point to a worn-out motor and definitively state that it's demise was due to using oil "X" for all of the regularly scheduled changes.

Throwing down the glove....

Steve

[davel]

in a K-bike (and probably boxers too) it may be over-kill. Before the synthetics became popular, the majority of K-bike owners were running BMW (made by spectro), Spectro, or Castrol GTX oils and the motors were reaching 200K mile and more with no problems. I imagine this is still true today, the most important thing is to change it. The reason I use Mobil 1 is because it costs about 25 cents more per quart than the BMW/Spectro non synthetics. Remember in the K-bikes because of the separate fluids for the tranny and rear drive, the engine oil basically just lubricates the motor under controlled circumstances since the liquid cooling keeps the motor from over heating. Most K motors show very little wear after thousands of miles, and valve adjustments maybe every 50K on average...