How much oil does yours burn?

[k11pfc]

My 1997 K1100rs(47k) seems to burn quite a bit of engine oil, there's no smoke, I run semi synthetic and it's not cheap, aint actually measured what it burns (it's not that serious) but it's more than any of my previous bikes and it means I have to check regularly. Do they all burn oil?

[CubPilot]

My K1100Lt goes through almost half a quart in 1500 miles, my R1150R will use a half quart in 2000 miles.   If you look in the Owners Manual you are for warned.   There is a lot of discussion on other sites on the topic, it's all about the same.   I think BMWs attitude is that oil is cheaper that close tolerances.  Beside it keeps the oil fresh.   The only time my blow blue is when I have left on the side stand over night or longer, it takes about 10 minutes for it to clear.   Just top it off and ride the hell out of it, it likes it, the harder you run it the better it runs.

[frankenduck]

"They all do that."  Varies by bike.  Non-issue and the BMW allowable tolerance is huge - I think a quart per 1,000 miles or something similarly ridiculous.

Perspective:  The semi-synthetic oil you're burning costs a heck of a lot less than the gas you're burning.

[Ocelot]

Ocelot might lose a pint from one oil change to the next, barely enough to show in the window. I change oil every three and filter every six. Plain old Castrol 20/50 dinosaur juice just like it says in the manual. She has never smoked on start up; but I've only owned her for six of her forty-eight.

Annie my R1200CLC uses even less. In eighty thousand she has smoked at start twice. Same Castrol diet.

I have a theory that because the cylinder liners are made of such super hard stuff the key is you have to crank the throttle during break in to seat the rings. Don't have to spin fast, but have to blat loud to press the rings against the jug walls. Crank up hill and downshift downhill. Guy I bought Ocelot off of had the same hard break in theory. Plain dino and hard use.

[WayneDW]

i put a couple thousand + on my K75 this summer.  Just got back from another 300+ miles and took a gander at my sight glass...  No change yet!

[johnny]

the curd used 6 ounces of mobil 1 on the 3000 mile run from wi to wa...

the bug seldom used any oil... i once went 16000 miles between oil changes on castrol 20 50 without adding a drop...

j o

[pallum]

Never had to add any myself, had my share of smokey start ups but never enough to lower the oil level.

[Phil Marvin]

Hi, All,
    My '96 K1100LT used a quart every 3-4k miles.  My '95 K1100LT used no oil.  None of the 6 K75's I've had ever used oil, either.  BMW says it's ok for the bikes to burn as much as 1 litre per 1000km, or around a quart per 600 miles.

[frankenduck]

the bug seldom used any oil... i once went 16000 miles between oil changes on castrol 20 50 without adding a drop...

j o

This is boochee.  In 16,000 miles four quarts would leak out of the bug's valve cover gasket.  :o

[mystic red]

Maybe it made oil. I can go months without putting gas in the tank. ;)