Considering I missed out a whole week waiting for my ride to be fixed, I woke up this morning with one thing in mine ...... I going to ride to work today. It was a great ride and hearing that V-Twin perfectly tune now with an awesome note (thanks to Brian) I almost skip work and continue riding. But how it was I did go to work and finished in the afternoon as the mercury climbed to 44C, I was thinking is there a temperature which could cause damaged to my ride,knowing that it is air cooled? I had no probs riding in that type of heat but I was thinking if the bike was up for the it.
Zapper
Your bike motor runs a hell of a lot hotter than 44c, saying that, I wouldn't be letting it idle to long at those temps
I've got an oil cooler. No probs in the heat
I was a bit concerned a few weeks back about riding on those 40deg days. So, of I went to the local dealer to enquire about an oil cooler. I was told I didn't really need one on a stock engine and that he would feel guilty taking my money. I left the shop a little confused and thinking, surely it is better for the engine if you can keep it cooler on hot days.
I am interested in peoples comments on wether or not to run an oil cooler
Well I am a sucker for punishment , road to work again and when I got home I checked the oil temperature and it was reading 90c(194f) which by all accounts is pretty good in comparison on what people are getting. Total ride time was 15minutes and air temp was about 43c. I will keep an eye on the oil temp when I go on longer rides (with my recently acquired temp meter) and if the oil stays at these low temps I will give the oil cooler a miss.
Flan that some fancy talking there and I think I understand what you are saying but if these oil temps stay low I think I can get away without one correct?
Up here in the 'top end' the weather out here in Kakadu hangs around the mid to high 30's up to the low 40's in the 'build up'
On the hotter days my thighs burn while travelling and when in Darwin I try to avoid waiting at traffic lights for the same reason
I too asked the steeler mechanic if I needed an oil cooler and his response was, quote: "if it needed one it would be on it"............ but then added, quote: "a cooler running engine is always runs better than a hot running engine"
Bought the standard Harley oil cooler from the US but have yet to fit it. I want too run some tests on different oils and then again with the oil cooler fitted to see what difference it does make. Now that I'm back from holidays I can start these trials.
Will keep ya posted
I have put an oil cooler after I did about 4000 Ks without one and instantly I felt a huge difference.
Standing at the lights after the motor was fully wormed up was bloody uncomfortable to say the least. The heat coming from the engine was burning my thigh.
Nothing like that after installing the oil cooler. I do not have any guages or fancy thermometers, all I know is that my engine runs a lot cooler than before and that must be good for the engine. The cooler has in built thermostat so it only allows the oil to go through the cooler when it reaches operating temperature, there is no danger that the oil would be too "cold" in winter.
I look at it that way - you spend something in the vicinity of 40K on the bike, what's additional 400 bucks to make it run better?
My 2 cents
