Project progress..

[egsols]

Hey Craz,

Sounds like it's getting better every day!

Mine seems to get better after each ride as well. Special with the small tank, ran 160k and could only put back 9.5 litres! I think thats close to 50mpg.

I think really light plugs indicate a warm condition. Were you riding in any stop and go traffic, or do you have the lowers on your fairing? My lowers used to keep the motor a little on the hot side in slower runs so I usually left them off until I went on longer rides in cooler weather.

Other thing I've been wondering...is there a oil temperture gauge that could be fitted to our rides? Would be easier to look at a gauge to determine temp rather than pulling plugs.

Let us know how the muffler paste works on the slip ons.

Keep up the good work Craz.

[Crazcnuk]

If the lowers add that much heat, would it be recommended that I change to a hotter plug, to reduce the engine temp?

I can see the lowers adding to engine temp at low speeds, but is this a factor at highway speeds as well?

To add an oil temp guage, the tough part is just finding where to put the sender. I think it would be pretty easy to plumb one in, if you have the oil cooler setup, not sure without one.

Light (white) plugs usually indicate a lean situation, I think. Of course, lean also means hot.

I don't think it's a real issue, though, until you start to notice pitting or melting of the spark plug electrodes. If it's getting hot enough to damage them, a hole in the piston is not far behind, IIRC.

[AlanB]

Hi Crazcnuk,

There are temp gauges which replace the filler cap. The temp sensor is in a dipstick, which hangs into the oil.

They pop up on E-bay all the time. A couple of our (UK) members have 'em, and like 'em.

AlanB

[egsols]

Hey Craz,

No, I haven't noticed heat build up from the lowers at speed, its only in and around town. On long rides it seems fine with them on. Actually, it can work for you this time of year when it starts getting cooler as some of the heat blows towards you to keep you warm.

Thanks Alan,

If you see any please send me a link. Never thought of going through the filler. I figured I might have had to replace the pressure sender with a temp one. Figure if pressure sensor replaced with temp sensor and gauge shows warm oil then you must have pressure?

[AlanB]

Hi Guys,

An old link, but it has a pic; CLICK!

If you wanted a "Proper" gauge up with the instruments, it is perfectly OK to fit a t-piece to take pressure and temp sensors; Gauge sellers should stock 'em!

AlanB

[egsols]

Looks awesome, thanks Alan.

I was stuck in traffic the other day and was wondering how hot the bike actually gets, that would be a good way of keeping an eye on it.

[Crazcnuk]

We just had the Hinton and Edson Toy Run parades, both over an hour and a half of sub 20kph speeds. For the Hinton one, it wasn't bad, it tried raining, a bit of hail and cool winds.

For the Edson parade it was 26C. The bike(s) were getting pretty cranky. I actually stopped in a couple spots and let it cool while the parade did a loop.

It would certainly be nice to be able to see what the temps are during stuff like that.

[fredintoon]

Must be the plastic.

Hi Craz,
I have taken my rig on the Saskatoon Toy Run a time or two. I'll discount the year it poured with rain the entire time as not being a fair overheating test but one year it was reasonably warm and my XS11 was sure radiating the heat at the run's end but was by no means distressed or "getting cranky". Except for hauling a sidecar my bike rides naked.
It must be all the plastic on yours making it cook up in traffic.

[Crazcnuk]

Mine was running, but I went around a corner and it stalled. When I tried to start it, it turned over more slowly than usual.

I let it sit for a couple of minutes, then it started, but I could tell it wasn't liking the slow pace.

Keep in mind, it was terribly out of tune at the time. I think it was running so rich it was loading up, rather than overheating. It's running much better now.

Derwat was there with his Special, and he didn't have any trouble, although he knew it was hot.

A few of the Harley guys were grumbling, and there were 3 other bikes that had stopped and rejoined at the back of the parade. One was a fairly new Kawasaki V-twin.

[AlanB]

Hi Guys,

How many of you have the factory cooler?

My SG was brought from Colorado without one, but I added it for the U.K......

alanB

[Stralya]

Me.

and one on my parts bike/next project

They all had factory oil coolers here in Australia because of the warmer climate.

Dan
Troppo.

[skids]

I had one on the 81H standard, but the two 78 model E's did not have them. They make a difference in traffic jams I think, but I don't give the hot weather thing any credability.

Originally posted by AlanB
Hi Guys,

How many of you have the factory cooler?

My SG was brought from Colorado without one, but I added it for the U.K......

alanB

[Crazcnuk]

It's not the weather, it's the speed through the air.

Air cooled engines are pretty good at running in all kinds of temperatures, as long as you can keep them moving, or park in a wind tunnel.

The problem arises when you aren't getting any airflow. In a parade you are getting some airflow, but not a lot. So if your getting borderline airflow, then the ambient temp becomes more important. This is where the lowers come in too. W/o the lowers you may be getting wind from the side, or rear, helping. But if the engine is covered in every direction but forward, then you have to move forward faster than the wind, or rely on heading into the wind all the time.

Your bike will cool fine, in North Queensland, as long as you can cruise at 30mph or better, the hotter it is the faster you need to move (It was something like 45C, Christmas day, when I left Brisbane) The cooler was added there for stop'n'go traffic and other things that cause you to move slower than you'd like.

Put it this way, the bike will cool better than the driver!

[Just In Case]

When I was milking, we used quads (KLF300 4wd). You couldn't keep them clean, what with mud, cow droppings, and roads covered with Limestone. This could block the fins, and coat the engine which slows heat transfer via the cases.

I'd follow a couple hundred cows at their walking pace (very slow in the heat) for 1.5km and the engine would get that hot I couldn't keep my legs on the pegs; I'd put them up on the front mudguards. I can't remember if these quads had an oil cooler. The worst were the days the breeze was following, the quad got stinking hot

The oil was changed every 1000km. Never used any between changes, but did use synthetic oil. Engine didn't seem to suffer any ill effects due to heat, though with dino oil the gear change wasn't the same after the first time the oil got real hot, until the oil got changed again.

Dave

[Crazcnuk]

Took the J. Dog out for a walk tonight, to Jasper for supper.

Ran 36.3mpg for the trip.

Speedo started making an awful noise, though. Sort of a howl. It was working fine, but you could here this noise over the engine and everything else.

Derwat's Special quit, just as we got back to town. Dead battery. I guess the ol' XS charging system can't handle driving lights, heated vest and heated handlebar grips!