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Engine rattles?

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Just trying to reassure and help here.Sometimes we need a little encouragement out of our thoughts.Funny,I treat my mind like a bad neighborhood.I don't go there alone.Relax and enjoy.
You did not hurt the engine even though the oil was low.
The engine does go thru a bunch of sounds and changes during break in.4 valves per cylinder adds noise.I have 20,000 miles on mine and live in the Arizona heat.No over heating or issues.
When it is time,get the valves adjusted.I noticed a smoother and quieter engine after the first adjustment.

Enjoy the ride and ride the hell out of her.There are no Gremlins plus,you have 36 months of assurance.
 
Book says oil capacity is 4L with filter and says the difference between min and max is 0.5L so 1.75L to bring it up to half is significant. Of course the 4.0L allows for the cooling function and there'd be a wide safety margin but who knows how wide - the 50% low which I was at? If oil level wasn't really a biggie they wouldn't give a us a window to peer through.
 
Flash2004NZ said:
Book says oil capacity is 4L with filter and says the difference between min and max is 0.5L so 1.75L to bring it up to half is significant. Of course the 4.0L allows for the cooling function and there'd be a wide safety margin but who knows how wide - the 50% low which I was at? If oil level wasn't really a biggie they wouldn't give a us a window to peer through.
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or a dip stick on some models

Good luck!
 
Flash2004NZ said:
Book says oil capacity is 4L with filter and says the difference between min and max is 0.5L so 1.75L to bring it up to half is significant. Of course the 4.0L allows for the cooling function and there'd be a wide safety margin but who knows how wide - the 50% low which I was at? If oil level wasn't really a biggie they wouldn't give a us a window to peer through.
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Sounds like a perfect excuse to go out and purchase an oil filter, crush washer and some "Earl", and get wrenching on your bike... If you want it done right, then you gotta do it yourself...

This will give you a baseline, when viewing the oil level via the glass window; of course, after you have added the correct amount of oil.

I wouldn't even bother dealing with the dealership based on what you described at this point.
 
R18C said:
The BMW R18 engines are air and oil cooled.They carry 40-60 lbs of oil pressure to the heads.

The cast aluminum pistons punch through a 107.1mm bore, with a stroke of 100mm. Lubrication comes via a wet-sump system with a two-stage pump.BMW Motorrad
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Holy smokes!!!! I wasn't aware that the pressure is that high! On my old Shovelhead (with a gauge mounted at the rocker shaft) I am happy to get 3-5 pounds in idle ... in Summer ... after she warms up 🤪

Old Girl.jpeg

Thanks for that info!
 
Ulrich said:
Holy smokes!!!! I wasn't aware that the pressure is that high! On my old Shovelhead (with a gauge mounted at the rocker shaft) I am happy to get 3-5 pounds in idle ... in Summer ... after she warms up 🤪

View attachment 8448

Thanks for that info!
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My indian 111 carries 60 ala air/oil cooled.
Yeah,the Shovelheads(BEST SOUNDING HD EVER) use a splash system for the heads.HD has been using that system forever.Nothing wrong with it,just different.HD is air cooled.
Funny,folks thing a oil cooler makes a engine oil cooled engine.It does not.The oil cooler helps cool the oil.The aie/oil cooled engine has high oil pressure to the heads.Thus oil cooled.
btw,LOVE your Shovel.
 
R18C said:
or a dip stick on some models

Good luck!
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My Ural has a dipstick, but as usual there's no way to know whether you check the oil screwed in, or just sitting on the top of the threads.
 
I have owned 3 BMW bikes and one thing they had in common was rattle free tightness. It's as of the fasteners everywhere were torqued just right.
 
R12C-R18TC said:
I have owned 3 BMW bikes and one thing they had in common was rattle free tightness. It's as of the fasteners everywhere were torqued just right.
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I don't recall any of my three R series rattling either. I hate rattling engines, I test rode a newish (less than 1000km) Moto-Guzzi 1400 that on paper I was very keen on but it rattled so much I changed helmets and it still rattled loudly enough to be intrusive. It wasn't the dry plate clutch either. It had $12k knocked off the new price but I left it where it was, solely because of that rattle.
 
Flash2004NZ said:
I'd just like to make the point this is my third R series, R100RS, R1200c x 2 and I'm aware of how long the oil can take to move around to get a proper reading. I'm no closer after all that time to understanding why BMW make it so difficult and imprecise to check the oil level, one of the most basic tasks on any vehicle. So I found a block of exactly the right height to slip under the side stand and on a level concrete floor hold the bike at about 89 degrees to vertical so as close to upright as possible without it falling the other way. I suspect it was shipped from the factory with some preservative oil in it and the selling dealer hasn't checked or changed it. I just hope it hasn't allowed excessive wear during that 200km ride and even up to the 1,000km its done to now with what might be a close to 50;50 mix of shipping oil and 30/W50 motor oil.
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I just use a small mirror to check the oil level, don’t even have to get off the bike.
 
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