Safe engine temps?

[Nessism]

In one World Superbike motor I built we ran the full synthetic up to 103 deg Celsius which was marginal....and that was water cooled.
I'm referring to plain bearing motors here which I believe is relevant to the original poster.
Roller bearing motors would probably be monitored more accurately by checking internal air temps as oil circulation does not remove as much heat vs a plain bearing motor.

GS engines run oil temperatures in excess of 300F on hot days though low speed traffic areas where the airflow is low. They seem to tolerate this abuse quite well although my suggestion to people with driving patterns like this is to use synthetic oil. Your reference to max temp under 200F is unrealistic at best for a street driven air cooled engine. I like your suggestion to keep the oil temp low, but doing this is entirely different.

[7981GS]

Anyone suggested on just putting you hand on the cluth/alt cover and seeing if its warm/hot or ouch hot?
If you can do that why bother stressing about what a spark plug temp is?
I couldnt put my hand on my clutch cover so i installed about a grands worth of cooler and lines. Sucker stays cool and looks trick now

Strange that you mention that.
I was going to ask the crew about that.
Only on my stock compression, cams, carbs, etc. "G" models does it get extremely HOT!
On the bumped up compression, hot cams, after-market carbs, header, pods, etc. Chain-driven models, never a problem.

Ideas?


Daniel

[Walle]

I can recommend a system called Celcius. It eliminates those strange high temperatures you tend to experience over seas

[Steve]

You implying we should also avoid "Kelvin"?

.

[User]

I can recommend a system called Celcius. It eliminates those strange high temperatures you tend to experience over seas

Very nice.

[TPL]

I take a ride on mine before breakfast, then come back and cook my eggs on it.

[bccap]

On my oil cooled 750 there is a black line on the oil temperature gauge at
100 C. My bike has operated a little below that line. I estimate around 85-90 since I bought in 1983. I haven't tried this. But sticking along shaft cooking thermometer in there after a long ride might work. Your wife will love you for it !!

[1948man]

If this is the temp you are talking about, it seems about 450-850 F is the range. http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html

[Flyboy]

Ed, I hear you, i have seen similar abuse on many occasions, the traffic cops here in JHB used to ride G's 850's mainly and a few 1000's and I saw them many times, doing duty with the bikes parked on the side of the road, on the side stand, idling away for an hour at a time, in 30C summer temps, pure madness.
Proof again, these motors can take a lickin and keep on tickin.

[Starboard M]

This is good to know, I too was getting nervous about how hot my 750 was getting. Thought I had done something wrong.


Although, thinking about it, my Jeep which is obviously water cooled, runs at 210* so having an air cooled engine run at 300* seems fair enough. Guess its hard to think something can handle that kind of temperature while its sitting between your legs, unlike a car engine thats under the hood.

[markmoss77]

Hot hot hot !!

I was wondering in regards to this as well , I thought my scooter might be running a little lean , after about 30 minutes of ridin it is quite hot , I was told that using thermal wrap on the exhaust will eliminate the heat from the exhaust reflecting off the motor and keep it cool . I havent tried it but I will be soon, and I will kieep you posted on the results ...