New camhead oil fill port

[CoarsegoldKid]

While down at my local BMW dealer yesterday I was looking over the the new camhead RT. I noticed that the oil fill port was repositioned to the right side of the engine. This must certainly have been one of those "opps" that somehow made it to production. On a engine that is prone to need some oil every now and then would a designer place the fill port on one side and the sight glass on the other.

[Troy]

Yep, they did that. It's a pain and it's stupid. This is my first boxer and at first I thought they were all that way. It was a WTF moment when I found out this was a new feature.

[DaveTheAffable]

Yes. The thinking was...

 

- "Hmm...check oil sight glass while on center stand."

- "I need oil"

- "Ooops... I have none with me"

- Drive to where oil is, park on side stand

- BMW engineer, "Some of these guys who drive the RT are old guys vertical challengened. Put add oil port on right cylinder so it's a little higher up when on the side stand, and they wont have to bend over so far"

 

[Paul Mihalka]

With the new valve design may be they found a problem to fill up high the left valve cover before it drains to the sump.

[CoarsegoldKid]

With the new valve design may be they found a problem to fill up high the left valve cover before it drains to the sump.

Have you ever seen a motorcycle with this configuration? I haven't had the opportunity to peek inside I was thinking that the left and right sides are mirror images. There seems like plenty of room. But as often the case,"It's not my problem".

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Joe

 

That opposite side oil fill has been a joke at BMW dealers since it came out.

 

While we can all guess all day long on the WHY, but a few valid reasons do come to mind.

 

*First would be the original engine oil filling at assembly—It’s more than possible that the only place available in the engine assembly process was on that side of the engine assembly line (happens a lot in the auto industry). Called design change for build.

 

*Or, BMW engineering didn’t want the oil dumped in on the venting side due to oil entering the crankcase vent system.

 

*Or it is/was an attempt to keep riders from overfilling the crankcase. On the older BMW boxers a lot of riders overfilled due to dumping in oil while watching the sight glass. With the fill on the opposite side a rider would have to add just a little then go around the other side to look at the oil level. Therefore a better chance it would run into the crankcase by the time a person walked around to look. (maybe)

 

 

*Or, my favorite, it’s just easier to pour in oil on the high side.

 

 

 

 

 

[I812]

I guess I will keep my "old" hexhead as I park my bike in the garage against the wall on it's right side.....

[hopz]

Funny thread, thanks Joe...

 

When I saw that fill on the Starboard side I said... Cool! I think having it on the high side, on the side stand is a plus, a good user design feature even if the sight glass is on the Port side.

 

Once on center stand it really does not matter.

 

Harleys fill on the right side, and even have a dip stick... just sayn'-which is calibrated to the side stand. (yes they have a center stand option now too.)

[Secret Buzzard]

I wondered the same thing and asked someone at the dealer. I was told that the valve covers were the same ones used on the HP2 which doesn't have a center stand making it difficult to add oil when leaning to the left on its sidestand. Kinda made sense if it's true.

[Troy]

Nope, That don't look like my RT...