Does anyone use of Rotella diesel oil in a K100

[rbm0307]

Hi,

I've been using Mobil 1 V-twin 20W50 synthetic motorcycle oil in my K100 for several years now. I've read about Shell Rotella diesel oil on other motorcycle sites and am interested in finding out if other BMW owners are using this brand. Both Rotella T conventional and T6 synthetic have high detergent content. I thought this extra detergent content will help keep the sprag clutch functioning long term.

The K100 has a separate oil sump and gear case, and a dry single plate clutch, just like an automobile. Many motorcycle owners choose Rotella because it supports JASO MA spec for use on wet clutches and shared oil sump/gear box. This requirement is not an issue for K-bikes.

Rotella is sold as 5W40 which is optimum for the K-bike engine with ambient summer temperatures in southern Ontario.

Synthetic oil is best for long oil change intervals, at least in cars and trucks. Normally, one changes a conventional oil every 5000 km. Synthetic oils can last twice that long. Motorcycles are winterized here in Ontario so my oil gets changed annually, irrespective of the driven kilometers. For the moment, I'm logging less than 5000 km per year on my K-bike.

So, I guess I'm looking for opinions on two subjects:

1) Is anyone else using Rotella or another diesel oil in their K-bikes? What have been your experience regarding engine wear, oil consumption, long term benefits, etc.

2) Should I use synthetic or conventional considering that oil change intervals is generally annual?

Thanks,

- Robert

 

[Zoridog]

I use 15w40 in my K100RT. This year I tried Mobil 1 15w-50 because that's a fairly common oil in the K100 community. I will probably use the 15w40 when I change the oil because I have so much of it and there is no benefit to the higher priced oil.

I've used Super Tech, Rotella and Delo with no issues whatsoever. In fact, my bike has a design flaw (sprag clutch) that gets rusty in storage. I bought my bike from a guy who had not ridden it in 7 years. I have not had an issue and I attribute that to the high detergency levels in 15w40. The price is good also.

I go 4-5000 miles on an oil change. You should probably go at least 7500km between changes on conventional 15w40. Ditch that yearly oil change habit. It gets disproven on this site all the time. It is a waste of good oil and offers no benefit.

I ride the K until the temperatures hit freezing. I put the bike in storage mid December through mid March.

 

[ammolab]

I have used Mobil 1 15W-50 and Turbo Diesel Truck 5W-40 as well as Valvoline VR-1 20W-50 in my K75C. All have been fine and I am now at 138,000 miles. Just resealed my crankcase and cam covers...all things in there still look like new.

I can't complain.

 

[Mik]

Originally Posted By: Zoridog
Ditch that yearly oil change habit. It gets disproven on this site all the time. It is a waste of good oil and offers no benefit.


I don't think it's a good idea to store a bike for long periods of time with used oil. I recall it having to do with acids and other corrosive products building up in the oil, which tend to attack/damage parts over the storage period.

Besides, given the (very modest) price of doing an oil change before storage (particularly if using Rotella), seems to me it's a no brainer.....

 

[rbm0307]

I agree Mik. I have read and talked with others about winterizing a bike. The proper method is to change the oil at the end of the riding season. Even if there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that this is a myth, I'm still inclined to do it on my own bikes.

The Rotella question I had is kind of mute now. I found Mobil 1 15W50 synthetic on sale for a great price so I've stocked up, enough for the next four oil change cycles.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Zoridog]

Everyone should treat their bike as they see fit. Hey ... it is yours after all.

I bought my K from a guy who hadn't ridden it in 7 years and he had not changed the oil so it was in there for 8 years. Condensation and combustion byproducts must have done some damage over that time. So I rode it home, drained the oil and removed the pan to find ... nothing whatsoever. No sludge, rust, pitting or anything. Oil was still doing its job.

By the way, I changed my oil before storage because I read the same articles as you. I also changed my car oil every 3000 miles. After I found this site, I stopped giving my hard earned money to oil companies. Now I change oil waaaaaay too soon but half as often as I did in the past. YMMV.

Conventional wisdom is that TBN of 1.0 = time to change your oil (and the oil is still good. Acid is still being neutralized and not eating its way through the metal. That is not anecdotal, that is factual, tested chemistry.

 

[FusionGuy37]

I've used Rotella T6 in my K1200GT for approximately 4K miles now. So far I have no complaints and little to no oil consumption. It exceeds all the requirements in the owners manual and is well suited for year-round riding temps. The fact that it's marketed towards diesel applications makes no difference. I chose it for its shear resistance, drain interval, true synthetic Group IV base stock, low cost and the fact that you can buy it at Wally World. Shell spends a lot on R&D and I believe Rotella is as good or better than most motorcycle-specific oils out there. This belief is also based on the UOAs done here and on other sites.

 

[sunruh]

Marc,

can i get a AMEN?

not that i care how much RDS spends on R&D, but they have one darn nice product!!!