That engine is happy with most anything.

I've used 10w-40 and 20w-50. I've used dino oil and synthetic.

I'm currently using 20w-50 Valvoline in mine.

 

Make sure that whatever oil you choose ( I use a synthetic blend Castrol for motorcycles) that it's SAE grade is no higher than SG. I think just about every oil you will find in an auto parts store is SL level now. Anything higher than SG is missing some lubricants that BMW specifically recommends. I buy my oil from Cycle Gear near my house.

 

Oils.....

I have a 98'krs bought it with 10,396 on it.Owner ran BMW 20-50 dino-oil.
All service at dealer,I continued w/bmw 20-50 .Oil / filter change at 6000miles.
I was under the impression that (our) bikes were not broke in until 24,000.
Around 28,+ I switched to Amsoil 20/50 full synthetic. Me thinks it idles a bit quieter ?
I still use BMW filters. Any major performance change..? Milage seems the same..
Might be old but.....It still goes reaaal good! Enjoy!! :clap:

 

Oils.....

I have a 98'krs bought it with 10,396 on it.Owner ran BMW 20-50 dino-oil.
All service at dealer,I continued w/bmw 20-50 .Oil / filter change at 6000miles.
I was under the impression that (our) bikes were not broke in until 24,000.
Around 28,+ I switched to Amsoil 20/50 full synthetic. Me thinks it idles a bit quieter ?
I still use BMW filters. Any major performance change..? Milage seems the same..
Might be old but.....It still goes reaaal good! Enjoy!! 👏

Can I use engine oil 4T 20W-50 street 1l Liqui Moly

 

To properly recommend we need some information:

1) minimum temperature the bike engine starts at (you need thinner oil when cold). If you garage your bike in a heated garage you can use higher viscosity than someone leaving theirs in a car port. Where you live also comes into play.
2) maximum running temperature (sitting in traffic on hot days is usually the worst).
3) how hard you ride - are you racing (I ride like I am being chased by the police 90% of the time and never sit in traffic)

There are a few other factors, but those are the main ones.

 

Make sure that whatever oil you choose ( I use a synthetic blend Castrol for motorcycles) that it's SAE grade is no higher than SG. I think just about every oil you will find in an auto parts store is SL level now. Anything higher than SG is missing some lubricants that BMW specifically recommends. I buy my oil from Cycle Gear near my house.

I was not sure on this so I looked it up.
All later API ratings MUST improve on previous ones, they cannot lack lubricants.

http://www.unitedoil.com.au/apiclass.htm
http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/apiserviceclassifications.htm

are pretty clear, I read about five others and they are in agreement.

 

I was not sure on this so I looked it up.
All later API ratings MUST improve on previous ones, they cannot lack lubricants.

http://www.unitedoil.com.au/apiclass.htm
http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/apiserviceclassifications.htm

are pretty clear, I read about five others and they are in agreement.

Unfortunately the articles don't consult BMW Mottorad which specifically states that oils used for it's bikes be SG or SH rated. There are quite a few products out there which are MC specific oils which meet these grades. It's your engine so put in it what you want, but I'll trust the guys who build them to point me in the right direction.

 

What an oddly indefensible viewpoint.

 

Can I use engine oil 4T 20W-50 street 1l Liqui Moly

 

I have 1999 bmw k1200rs 57,000 miles on my baby and have heard about engine oil 4T 20W-50 street 1l Liqui Moly does anyone recommend this I live in New York would this be good for winter or BMW Motorrad Four Stroke Engine Lubricant SAE 20W50 4 Quarts or should I use BMW Motorcycle Oil Change -K1100LT/RS, K1200LT/GT/RS 99-08 - BMW 15W-50 ADVANTEC which is the better

 

20w50 ok about 20 degrees f on up. (Clymer). If it were me and I was going to ride cold weather a lot I'd probably run 15w50 good 0 up to +/- 90 f according to the Clymer manual.
It's basically a small car engine laying on its side.
I use 20w50 spiked with Hot Shots Secret FR3.

 

BMW currently recommends a 15-50 for the first gen K1200RS. If you look in the riders manual that comes with every bike it shows an oil weight chart based on outside air temps. The 15-50 is recommend for temps up to 30 C ( air temp ) and 20-50 for anything above. Unless you are riding in below 0 C or 32 F, either one will be fine. I haven't looked in my Clymers or my BMW service manual, but I'm certain the same chart is in all of them.

I find that the 15-50 can sometimes be hard to find so I just use the 20-50 in a sync. I've also used 10-40, but find it a bit light for the higher summer temps, so in my case the 20-50 works well for me and my type of riding at my location. Quite a few also use a 15-40, which is usually found as a diesel oil.

The newer upright BMW 4's with the wet clutch etc, all recommend the 10-40 weight, or something similar.

The K bike brick engine is pretty tolerant of various oil weights and saying that, I've always found that there is nothing wrong with following the manufacturers recommendations. It's your bike use what you want. From reading current Data Sheet's on what's in oil these days, with the advent of catalytic converts etc, the additive package has changed considerably.