'24 BMW R12 NineT Break-In

B

B6_Dolphin

Joined
Apr 20, 2012
Messages
328
Location
WA
Recently bought a left-over '24 BMW R12 NineT w/10 miles on it from a Midwest dealer. Should arrive on my doorstep this week in the PNW.

It has the 1200cc Hexhead Boxer engine w/dry clutch. According to the manual, the official break-in procedure is typical for a gasoline engine, employing rpm limits, varying the throttle, no constant rpms, etc.:

1756094349575.webp

My question has to do with the FF oil. Since it is a dry clutch, this 1200cc engine doesn't share its crankcase oil with the transmission/clutch. Some BMW boxer owners suggest dumping the oil as soon as possible, and going with a conventional (non-synthetic) automotive oil, such as Rotella T4 15w40, to promote good piston ring seal.

After break-in is complete at 600 mi, these same BMW owners then recommend Motorex "Boxer" 15W-50 oil:

Motorex 15W-50 Boxer Oil

How sound is this break-in strategy?
 
Nothing wrong with it but you will probably get a lot of differing opinions.

The favored oil on the BMW moto forum that I frequent is Mobil1 15W-50 for a fraction of what the Motorex costs. Boxers without shared sumps are easy on oil and not that picky.

Congratulations on the new bike.(y)
 
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B6_Dolphin said:
According to the manual, the official break-in procedure is typical for a gasoline engine
Click to expand...

What engine oil and gear oil is mentioned in the manual?
I would do the break-in with the oil the manual suggests.

Don't run Brotella! The 15W40 viscosity doesn't have the required properties (it's thinner) of the 15W50 oil.
There are plenty of 15W50 out there that will serve you well.
The Mobile 1 15W50 motor oil is probably the cheapest.

Motul has a two 15W50 motorcycle oils too:
Motul 7100 15W50 - full synthetic
Motul 5100 15W50 - synthetic blend
Amsoil Metric 15W50 motorcycle - this one is pricy though
 
BMW is the first I've seen to mention "Twisting, fairly hilly roads" for break-in. That's exactly the riding that has a rider on and off the throttle, accelerating and engine braking up against compression to bring fresh oil up onto the piston walls and keep things nice and clean by flushing away the microparticles of initial wear. Good on BMW. I am of the mindset to run it up through the rpm range further after the first couple hundred miles, but the rest of the engine/drivetrain components such as the lower end, valve train, transmission, final drive system still need to mesh as well so it's a mixed bag in that respect. I am gonna go out on a limb and say the motorcycle has probably been run at the factory through most of the rpm range and gears before heading out the door. And keeping the rpm low during the first 1000 km is as much for the bike as it is to help the rider who is new to that bike get familiar with it.
 
Read between the lines (or just what it says), moly additives are the "not permissible " issue. Moly in an oil weight range BMW recommends is not what they are talking about. If it was taken literally, any oil with a standard additive package would not be permissible. I believe BMW branded oil even has moly in it.

They call out moly by it being the one additive they give as the example (e.g.) and should be an additive to avoid which would defacto mean in higher quantities (otherwise it wouldn't be a moly additive...). Some/most/all moly additives have thousands of parts per million and it's witches brew/snake oil that no bike or car with an engine in good mechanical condition ever needs to see. It should be a moot point that most additives are wasted money and unnecessary, but the heart over rules the head when it comes to guys "taking care of their baby".
 
Ausfahrt said:
Nothing wrong with it but you will probably get a lot of differing opinions.

The favored oil on the BMW moto forum that I frequent is Mobil1 15W-50 for a fraction of what the Motorex costs. Boxers without shared sumps are easy on oil and not that picky.

Congratulations on the new bike.(y)
Click to expand...
Mobil 1 15W-50 is exactly what I would use if I owned one of these too.

Avoid Rotella. Massively overrated and basically an old wives tale at this point as far as how "good" it is.
 
@B6_Dolphin Congrats on the new Beemer. Did you get it in Kansas City.

Picking up my new 2025 BMW R12s tomorrow. Plenty of hills around here to put pressure on the rings and then glide to get the negative. The BMW oil did well in my current Beemer. No oil use since the break in service. I can keep it under 5K rpm for 600 miles. That is about 85mph in sixth.
 
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Hermann said:
@B6_Dolphin Congrats on the new Beemer. Did you get it in Kansas City.

Picking up my new 2025 BMW R12s tomorrow. Plenty of hills around here to put pressure on the rings and then glide to get the negative. The BMW oil did well in my current Beemer. No oil use since the break in service. I can keep it under 5K rpm for 600 miles. That is about 85mph in sixth.
Click to expand...
I got it from Cyclewerks in Barrington, Il. They apparently have a 3-story showroom of BMWs<!>

I used Montway Transport, who subbed to CRST, to move my Beemer ~2k miles in an enclosed transport. Arrived yesterday w/no damage.

Since my insurance on my bike started today (Friday), I used Thursday afternoon and evening to install the silver "hump' (single seat option), swap in "Shadow" (Black) cylinder head covers (vs stock "Classic" light gray), install Evotech Perf FRT & RR axle bobbins and oil cooler guard, along with Wunderlich cylinder head guards.

1756540126562.webp


Went for a 57 mile ride this evening, just east and north of my town on the hilly/curvy backroads. Spent a fair amount of time in 3rd and 4th gear, accelerating briskly up to 5k rpm, and then backing off. Exercised the quick shifter, too. Works well both upshifting and downshifting.

Overall, I had a blast - the boxer torque is addicting. :)
 
Wow! That's a really nice bike!

I'm another that believes that motorcycle "engine break in" is code for, force the new rider to get well acquainted with the vehicle before turning them loose.

Regarding the oil, I'd use what's in the crankcase until you hit the 600 mile check, then switch to M1 15W-50. That M1 has earned their stripes in the motorcycle world, through actual usage by thousands of riders. The fact that it's reasonably cheap, is just a bonus.
 
B6_Dolphin said:
I got it from Cyclewerks in Barrington, Il. They apparently have a 3-story showroom of BMWs<!>

I used Montway Transport, who subbed to CRST, to move my Beemer ~2k miles in an enclosed transport. Arrived yesterday w/no damage.

Since my insurance on my bike started today (Friday), I used Thursday afternoon and evening to install the silver "hump' (single seat option), swap in "Shadow" (Black) cylinder head covers (vs stock "Classic" light gray), install Evotech Perf FRT & RR axle bobbins and oil cooler guard, along with Wunderlich cylinder head guards.

View attachment 297871

Went for a 57 mile ride this evening, just east and north of my town on the hilly/curvy backroads. Spent a fair amount of time in 3rd and 4th gear, accelerating briskly up to 5k rpm, and then backing off. Exercised the quick shifter, too. Works well both upshifting and downshifting.

Overall, I had a blast - the boxer torque is addicting. :)
Click to expand...
So happy your off to a great start. Enjoy to the max!
 
B6_Dolphin said:
I got it from Cyclewerks in Barrington, Il. They apparently have a 3-story showroom of BMWs<!>

I used Montway Transport, who subbed to CRST, to move my Beemer ~2k miles in an enclosed transport. Arrived yesterday w/no damage.

Since my insurance on my bike started today (Friday), I used Thursday afternoon and evening to install the silver "hump' (single seat option), swap in "Shadow" (Black) cylinder head covers (vs stock "Classic" light gray), install Evotech Perf FRT & RR axle bobbins and oil cooler guard, along with Wunderlich cylinder head guards.

View attachment 297871

Went for a 57 mile ride this evening, just east and north of my town on the hilly/curvy backroads. Spent a fair amount of time in 3rd and 4th gear, accelerating briskly up to 5k rpm, and then backing off. Exercised the quick shifter, too. Works well both upshifting and downshifting.

Overall, I had a blast - the boxer torque is addicting. :)
Click to expand...
.
Beautiful bike! Congratulations. I lived in Chicagoland for 65 years and have been to Cyclewerks in Barrington many times. It’s quite a place. Barrington, IL is an extremely wealthy area northwest of Chicago. Alot of woods, large horse ranches/operations, beautiful rolling hills and mansions galore. Enjoy your BMW.
.
 
Congrats on the new bike! I like it!
I had an R1200R (2009) for a few years that I bought new.
I don't know about your generation engine, but the one in mine was prone to a little oil consumption until they broke in. I found that out on a trip to Kentucky and had to add a quart, luckily the gas station had Penzoil 20W-50. I loved the ease of top end maintenance, I did my 1st service myself that included a valve adjustment. Probably the easiest valve adjustment I have ever done.
 
Randol said:
Congrats on the new bike! I like it!
I had an R1200R (2009) for a few years that I bought new.
I don't know about your generation engine, but the one in mine was prone to a little oil consumption until they broke in.
Click to expand...
The version of Boxer engine in my R12 NineT is called the "Camhead", which is the last air-cooled iteration before water cooling. It is a DOHC motor.

Your '09 engine was a "Hexhead". It is a SOHC motor.

https://motofomo.com/bmw-motorcycle-engines-airhead-hexhead-oilhead/

And I'm quite aware of the oil consumption concern on these Boxer engines, so I'm following the techniques for loading-up the piston rings during this 1st 600 miles. Frankly, it's the same guidance I used for breaking in my Ducati Multistrada V4 and Audi 2.9L RS5 engines - get oil up to operating temp, no constant speed (rpm) for miles & miles, accelerate the motor w/generous throttle up to the recommended break-in rpm, let-off and have the engine spool-down on its own. Fortunately, I have many hills and curvy, fast backgrounds in the PNW to exercise the motor.
 
I would be interested and surprised, despite the age of the analysis, if BMW is 100% moly free as it is the aftermarket additives introducing 1,000's of ppm moly BMW is referencing, IMO. Searching the web, I found a Blackstone UOA of 5w40 BMW brand oil from October 2023 with 133 ppm moly.
 
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