83 GS1100E Normal Operating Temperature??

[Guest]

I just got mine on the road after buying it a year ago. I know the big engine air cooled bikes run hot. Mine does a slow warm up to 210 degrees but that seems to be it's normal operating range. There is no danger range on the oil temp gauge to suggest what is too hot. I do not have an oil cooler installed. I am using the recommended 10W-40 weight oil (Castrol 4T conventional motorcycle oil). I have to assume the engineers who designed these engines knew they would run hot and were okay with it under normal riding conditions. So my question is how hot is too hot and if you have one of these engines without an oil cooler installed what is your normal operating temp?
Thanks

[Steve]

I don't have one of those bikes, but in general, oil should get to just over 210F to boil out any water in it.

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[JEEPRUSTY]

I thought water boiled at 212?????

[wilbucd]

Don't know what happened to the 3rd reply that was here a few minutes ago but thanks! Thats the answer I was looking for. Anyone with that many miles in the saddle of one of these bikes should know for sure!

[hannibal]

Rookie question: How do you know when the bike is runny hot on the early models without a oil temp gauge?

When I took the MSF course on a hot day, I could smell oil when the DR200 got hot. Is that a good indicator of the bike running hot?

[posplayr]

270 degF is getting HOT; don't want to go above and you want some margin.

210 degF is quiet cool. in reference to 212 degF boiling point for H20, 220-230 degF is a good operating temp.

[Steve]

I thought water boiled at 212?????

Last time I checked, 212 was "just over 210".

And for YOU, water boils at 100.

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[Katarat]

I rode my 82 GPZ750 75 mph across the Mojave desert at 116 degrees waiting for it to slide to a halt and melt down into a pile of aluminum but it didn't even phase it. I saw Harleys 2 up pulling trailers along the way at the same speed so I wouldn't worry about it

[eil]

Rookie question: How do you know when the bike is runny hot on the early models without a oil temp gauge?

You don't. On a liquid-cooled engine, the coolant temperature is the closest you can get to the "real" engine temperature and on an air-cooled engine, the oil is as close as you can get to the engine temperature.

You can install a temperature sensor on the head (fits under the spark plug like a washer) but there are varying opinions on the accuracy of these and what, if anything, they tell you about the operating condition of the engine.

When I took the MSF course on a hot day, I could smell oil when the DR200 got hot. Is that a good indicator of the bike running hot?

Not really, if there's any oil at all on the ouside of the engine (which cat get there from careless maintenance or seepage through gaskets), you'll smell it when the engine gets hot. If any oil is on the exhaust, you'll definitely smell it because it will smoke.

Finally, it's worth noting that a lot people seem to get worried about how hot these Suzuki air-cooled engines get and are afraid they'll overheat if not babied. The reality is that unless they're running ridiculously lean (which they won't be if you do all the maintenance), they can run all day in any outdoor temperature with at least the slightest hint of breeze wafting over the fins.

[Rob S.]

I just got mine on the road after buying it a year ago. I know the big engine air cooled bikes run hot. Mine does a slow warm up to 210 degrees but that seems to be it's normal operating range. There is no danger range on the oil temp gauge to suggest what is too hot. I do not have an oil cooler installed. I am using the recommended 10W-40 weight oil (Castrol 4T conventional motorcycle oil). I have to assume the engineers who designed these engines knew they would run hot and were okay with it under normal riding conditions. So my question is how hot is too hot and if you have one of these engines without an oil cooler installed what is your normal operating temp?
Thanks

Mine ran much hotter than yours, so I installed an 1150 cooler and filter cover. Sounds like yours doesn't need that.

There are three indicated temps - 160, 210 and 320. Near the middle one is where you want to be. If you get more than halfway from 210 to 320 on a regular basis, then a cooler is called for.

And you're right, it would have been nice if they would have painted a little red on that area of the gauge.