As some will recall I installed the Daytona Oil Temp Gauge during the winter months. I had an experience today that was very alarming...
I live in the Shreveport/Bossier area of NW Louisiana and participated in a Motorcycle Rally today. The temps were in the upper 70's to low 80's during the ride. For most of the ride the oil temp was in the 220 to 240 range. At one stretch of the ride, our group was riding through what was essentially "downtown" where there was a stop light every 75 to 100 yards or so for about 3 miles and we were caught at every light. When I glanced down at the Oil Temp Gauge, the Temp was 275!! The Temp actually climbed to 284 before we got moving and temps came back down. My wife was riding with me and it is the only time the temps on my bike have gotten above 250 since I have installed the Gauge.
Two questions...
Are these high temps normal for these conditions? (if they are not normal, then what would account for it...)
Should I go ahead and change the oil given the temp range I just described. I Just added Amsoil 20W50 Motorcycle oil and it has less than 100 miles on it prior to the ride today. (I promise its not my intention to turn this into an oil thread!! )
Getting up there ain't it......for a little more info read my reply to the other oil gauge post on this page.
The temp gauge ihas the benefit of warning you when trouble approaches.....if the engine gets really, really hot the clearances could close to the point of seizing the engine......fortunately that has never been reported in this forum....I do remember a fellow in New York that was warming up his bike, got a phone call, went in the house and forgot about the bike idling....when he came back the exhaust pipes were glowing red......
Is the Amsoil you are running dino or synthetic?
Member #312
06 Suzuki Burgman 650 "state of flux"
79 CBX
I think you're fine...
In the spring & summer, I typically run in the 210 ~ 230* range, but have gotten as high as 260*. Cooler months see about 190 ~ 210*. I use oil cooler screens in the winter to block some air flow, and remove them when it gets over 70* consistently.
Stop & Go traffic will definitely bring the temps up quickly. I short shift up to the next gear whenever I can to get the revs down...or just crawl in first gear at as low rpm as I can without 'affecting' the traffic around me....
I have an electromechanical VDO with the sensor mounted in the ever-popular blind hole under the belt cover....
j magda
TripleLifer Member 454
04 Black (the Classiest Color) R1150R
Deep in the OH wasteland...
I was quite surprised at the jump in temps. Can't wait to see what the temps reach when it gets to the mid/upper 90's. Knowledge (Oil Temp Gauge) can certainly be a potent and sobering thing.
Thinking about the topic of oilhead temperature: the only time I've been concerned about operating temperature for an oilhead bike was 8-9 years ago, during an Advanced riding course at local community college. This was a day-long instruction in controlled parking lot, practicing turning/braking and emergency maneuvers using riders' owned motorcycles. Lots of stop/start/idling, waiting for each rider's turn at the particular riding exercise.
Local temperature that afternoon was 105 degF in the shade, and the temperature of the parking lot was obviously higher. At one point in the day my old '96 R850R started pinging due to excessive head temps, and I considered taking a short run off-course to get some air through the oil coolers. That was one instance for which an engine/oil temperature measurement would have been interesting. Bike ran like a champ for the next couple years I owned it, with no apparent damage due to the knocking - figured this was a worst-case scenario for oilhead thermal management, and the bike survived.
I've considered adding a temp gauge, but mostly for the gizmo factor, and not any concern about my Rockster's operation.
sweatmark wrote:Thinking about the topic of oilhead temperature: the only time I've been concerned about operating temperature for an oilhead bike was 8-9 years ago, during an Advanced riding course at local community college. This was a day-long instruction in controlled parking lot, practicing turning/braking and emergency maneuvers using riders' owned motorcycles. Lots of stop/start/idling, waiting for each rider's turn at the particular riding exercise.
Local temperature that afternoon was 105 degF in the shade, and the temperature of the parking lot was obviously higher. At one point in the day my old '96 R850R started pinging due to excessive head temps, and I considered taking a short run off-course to get some air through the oil coolers. That was one instance for which an engine/oil temperature measurement would have been interesting. Bike ran like a champ for the next couple years I owned it, with no apparent damage due to the knocking - figured this was a worst-case scenario for oilhead thermal management, and the bike survived.
I've considered adding a temp gauge, but mostly for the gizmo factor, and not any concern about my Rockster's operation.
I have wondered if the concern about the temperature was higher when they knew what it was. You must have had some temps that would have been very scary if you had known what they were, yet suffered no apparent damage. I have often considered that for this engine a cylinder head temp gauge like you see on an aircraft engine might be more useful than oil temperature.
I don't get caught in the rain, I ride in it on purpose.
Airman wrote:I have often considered that for this engine a cylinder head temp gauge like you see on an aircraft engine might be more useful than oil temperature.
I am sure you are probably right. As Boxermania mentioned earlier, I usually assume and additional 15 to 20 degrees than what the temp gauge reads...
I am also certain (though at this point I do not know...) my oil temp has seen higher than I mentioned earlier due to the fact I have been in outside temps higher 98 F. What I can say is that this engine has never given any indicators of being critically overheated.
The Temp actually climbed to 284 before we got moving and temps came back down. My wife was riding with me and it is the only time the temps on my bike have gotten above 250 since I have installed the Gauge.
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