K11 Owners Group

[Al.]

Anybody using fully synth.
Castrol recommending Power 1 racing 10/40

[Grunter]

BMW recommend 20/50! mineral.

Anything else is too thin and the oil consumption on K's will rocket.
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1997 K1100LT
1994 R1100RS

[Flying Duck]

I run Mobil 1 15-50 in my Ks. Minimal to moderate consumption.

Oil changes at 10,000 miles.
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93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

[Scott_Anderson]

This year, I'm running 1 with 15-50 Mobil One Synthetic and the other one is 20-50 conventional.
So far, the consumption is close to equal.
Earlier this spring when it was colder out, the cold starts were much easier with the Synthetic.
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Ride safe.



1995 K1100LT 0302044
1997 R1100RT ZC62149
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)

[SugarHillCTD]

I'll throw a spanner in the works.

I have been using Rotella diesel 15w-40 for the past couple of years.

Last year when I did the 50CC (cross country) ride, it didn't need any top up after 3000 miles and less than 1/2 quart after 6000 miles.
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John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[N41EF]

Rotella T6 5w-40 is incredible oil. I've run in VW diesels, LandRovers, and all kinds of American cars with no issues. If I remember from LR days it has very high shear strength of 4.6 or so, which protects the cams and lifter (or followers) against wiping. The only cars I don't use it in is newer cars that want something w-20 or diesels that use a particulate filter and require an ESP oil.

I do like Duck's advice of using dino oil while breaking in and then switching to synthetic.


https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/forum_summary
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2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[Brawls]

[Al.]

Thanks everybody.
But they do warn against using diesel oil due to detergents
causing problems.

[Scott_Anderson]

[N41EF]

Not so much detergents, which they so have but the surfactants that keep dirt and such suspended. Diesels are dirty engines, the oil keeps all of the soot and such in solution so it doesn't drop out of solution.

T6 5w-40 is rated a5/b5 which I believe is as good as it gets. Mobile 1 is also a5/b5 or a3/b3 depending on weight.
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2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)

[Ernie-NH]

Good morning all.. ( my $0.02 )

Re "oils"... When I picked up my hardly ridden '95 K1100 LT in Washington DC, the odometer read 11,800 miles... The PO was admittedly way to small and light for the heavy K1100, but he also owned a lowered K75 and told me he had used only Mobil 1 20-50 in both these bikes to that point. I now have 89k approaching 90k on that "K1100" and have used the same brand and viscosity oil, changing out religiously at 8 to 9k intervals ever since, and still I see no more than a fraction of a quart useage between changes. At the last internal engine inspection to check valve clearances, i was told that there was no sign of cam lobe wear... So, I'm very happy with Mobil 1 MC oil even though it IS more expensive. I have/do used Rotella diesel oil(s) in my Jap bikes and can say nothing bad about that choice either..Rotella was/is bought at Walmart and chosen on a cost basis.!

Regards all....ride safe..../ Ernie in NH
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AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

[nickw]

I have used Pennzoil Synthetic 20-50 motor sport oil because I have several cases on hand. 5-8k between changes, no usage at all between changes.

From the varied replies you see on this thread, I would say the "K" is very tolerant of various manufacturers choices of blends
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"It's not what people know, it's that they know so much that just ain't so!" (Apologies to Will Rogers)
93 K1100LT
(2) 79 Suzuki GS850's (In limbo)
65 Triumph TR6S/C ( sold)
2009 Suzuki SV650
2009 Suzuki DL650

[hockeyshifter]

and here is the curve ball to all the comments... oil viscosity is based on how well the oil will flow thur given orifices with in the engine and the pressure need to get it to flow.. the most difficult oil to manufacture the most headache is the 10w-whatever oils. higher pressure oils like 15w 20 w or even straight 30w have issues getting into the small spaces between cams and gears.. lighter weight oil like 5w do not have those issues but have other issues like being able to stick to the surfaces while under high revs.. so its a balalnceing act... i am running currently 0-40 and i find that it is to thin because the thinner oil can not take the rigor of stop and go traffic. the bike get hot and stays hot.. a thicker oil will allow the engine to cool off more efficiently .. 15w-40 is what the trucking fleets use here in America and Canada and that is the synthetic type i am switching to .
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fix the problem not the blame ; fix what is messed up ; NO one is to blame.

[N41EF]

I ran 15w-40 diesel rated oil in my Land Rover. I don't think I've ever seen synthetic 15w-40, they were all dino oils, which isn't a bad thing. The 5w-40 Rotella synthetic is the best oil I've ever run as tested by Blackstone Labs.

For the discussion amongst us, almost any oil discussed here is fine as long as oil changes every 5k for dino and 10k for synthetic.

Considering the technological advance in oil since the K bikes were made, Walmart's band synthetic is prob better than Mobile 1 in 1993.
_________________
2014 R1200RT Water Cooled
2001 R1100S Light
1993 K1100LT. Nissan Ice Blue.(Gone)