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Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
- schrader7032
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Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
I work for a research company who also does oil analysis on contract to other clients. A number of years ago, I "slipped in" a couple of different quarts of fresh oil for analysis. I had been using Quaker State 20w50 oil at the time and wanted to see how it compared to BMW's oil. At the time, there were several articles written for the BMW MOA magazine about similar analyses for a wide range of dino and synth oils. I wanted to see where Quaker State fit in. It was interesting...it convinced me to switch to BMW's oil.
Oil analysis can be quite valuable, either for look at base properties or looking for unwanted elements that might signal an internal engine problem.
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.
Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
my guess is that MOST of the bmw speculation crowd will still continue to be more heavily prodded to dig deeper
by the addition of every single piece of gratuitous chrome bolt on gee gaw you can put on a Earls bike
and other truly non-substantive items
maybe some cool BMW signed caps for your inner tube valve stems
- schrader7032
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Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
by the addition of every single piece of gratuitous chrome bolt on gee gaw you can put on a Earls bike
and other truly non-substantive items
maybe some cool BMW signed caps for your inner tube valve stems
I'm not sure I see where you're going with this...
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.
Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
just an observation based on what I see and have learned
still baffled as to why anyone would think they need a "nerf" bar on a solo bike and try to convince me it's actual purpose is to get the bike up on the center stand....... that and several other little quips I find most amusing
you didn't happen to see that horrible R50/2 fetch 15K the second time on ebay did you? the one with the electric motor wire wheeled cases and brake backing plates
nothing rational about that at all.....
btw........ doing the tranny and final drive juice is a good idea too
- schrader7032
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Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
BTW...I thought this was a no farkle zone?
Kurt in S.A.
'78 R100/7 '69 R69S '52 R25/2
Fast. Neat. Average. Friendly. Good. Good.
Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
My suggestions is to ring BMW corporate and ask their recommendation as to who is best able to provide the service, often the lab will send you the sample bottles to fill and a return express airbag or similar. If BMW are unable to recommend then ask the oil companies like Shell or Exxon.
What you need is not only the analysis but more so the interpretation of the analysis, i.e. the results of the oil analysis may for instance state that engine oil contains xyz parts per million of copper but what does this mean in real terms, is it high or average and if it is high what are the likely causes.
Let us know how it goes, should be very interesting.
Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
Sorry to intrude upon this erudite discussion, but it seems to me that no-one has answered Haole11s' question although Peter got close, its knowing what the traces in the oil relate to and comparing them to previous results and looking for trends that gives an answer. Having worked in engineering maintenance all my adult life I know a little about this and have used it myself, though with steam turbines, not bike engines.
Yes its a very useful tool, but only if you have the knowledge to interpret the information you get back. IMHO one sample is meaningless and if you're changing your oil as often as you should in one of these bikes, then if you can pick up a trend that leads you to believe that your mains are on the way out in the lifetime of one oil change, then you would be better off listening to the steel band playing a gig in the motorgehause. If you want an analysis of new oil in order to choose a brand then OK but taking a single sample to determine the level of wear in a bike motor is like taking a photograph of your bike, sending it to a mechanic and asking him whether that noise at 6000rpm is valve float or small end ring. My own personal advice would be either :- dismantle the bike, measure everything, and assess the state of each component, OR ride the damn bike, carry out proper maintenance at the correct intervals, and worry when it starts to knock or squeal then deal with it. Honestly these are some of the toughest bikes ever built and will go on for years, but if you're going to ride them then they will wear out, and if you're not, then they're just ornaments. Riding a bike and preserving its originality at the same time is an oxymoron.
incidentally;
EuroIron, whats a nerf bar when its at home?still baffled as to why anyone would think they need a "nerf" bar on a solo bike and try to convince me it's actual purpose is to get the bike up on the center stand....... that and several other little quips I find most amusing
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Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
Motorcycle Oil Analysis - Spectrographic Analysis
nerf bar..........
not sure what Han's called them, perhaps it had sidecar in it's name, but just a loop over the rear fender whose only possible use on a bike with only a solo seat is nothing...
well maybe could bungie cord the neighbor's cat to it
intended use is for an assist handle when a hack is attached
especially nice on a hack machine that doesn't have reverse gear
try using one to get one of these bikes on the center stand
race bikes had them so the pusher had a handy place to to latch onto the bike being started
bike new to you.......... do or don't know the history and you want a better idea of what is there other than how the fluids look and smell
analysis is a great benchmark
now let me expand on that.........
most speculators and enthusiasts couldn't give two sheats about such truly substantive info, when have you ever seen a vintage BMW advertised giving truly useful blueprint and benchmark information?
like actual valve seat widths....... compression and leak down numbers
no you just see "Sew and Sew built my engine" and that is good enough for most who are more interested in how shiny a bike is as opposed to the unknown and therefore cannot be disclosed reality that the engine likely only had the 45 degree seats lapped and no throating or topping cuts........ and it leaks down 20+% because it does not have modern rings, instead of an easily attainable 2%.......... which also is a much more desirable number to have as far as a benchmark since small changes are easily recognized
a decent engine can run a long time at 20% and at a change virtually unmeasurable........... can just as easily become an oil pumping pig
I think a book could be written on the rationale and mindset of vintage BMW enthusiasts and it would be a very interesting read
now go take a look at the R50 I mention, objectively process the info included as well as what all pertinent has been omitted....... and ask how could any rational person ........
well you'll figure it out but I could certainly fill volumes with similar examples