0il temperature

[caliberdart]

does anybody know what oil temperature reading for a 1450cc softail should be

[Coyote]

102.1 degrees. 


(Sitting in the parking lot on June 3rd at 2:00 PM at Batwater Basin in Death Valley)


It varies a lot.

[truck]

It depends on the ambient temperature and if your stuck in traffic just barely moving and such. 230* isn't too uncommon.

[caliberdart]

thanks truck thats about what it was

[marc]

In the Summer on a 80 plus degree day my 04 GeezerGlide will run about 215 and have seen 230+ on real hot days and traffic...In the Winter I'm lucky to get over 200...

[sandrooney]

Get rid of the gauges and ride it.

[BART]

My '07 RG (punched to 103 with the stock cam) has a cooler and a gauge in the dash.  The Temperature Sending Unit is in the front of the oil pan which I consider to be the coolest area to measure oil temperature at.  I'm not a hard rider and usually cruise our numerous two lane hard surface roads at 60 - 65 mph and 70 - 75 on the four lane roads and Interstates.  Riding down the road the temp gauge reads around 180 - 185 degrees.  If I'm in traffic in the city on a warmer day the temp increases to around 210 - 220 degrees; sometimes a little higher.  As soon as I get back on the open road the temp drops back to the 180 - 185 range.  I've not verified this with the heat gun, though I feel it's somewhat a good indicator of the oil temp.  If the Temp Sending Unit were in the back of the oil pan I think the temps would read 20+ degrees higher.  I base this on comparative readings from other similar bikes with the Harley dipstick temp gauges which consistently indicate higher readings.  I don't experience heat from the engine.  It has Rush mufflers, a standard air cleaner, and the Harley "heat shields" to keep heat from the inner thighs.  I think the cooler helps somewhat but the bike would run great without a cooler or gauge.  I just like the cooler and oil tem gauge!  I have 45,000 miles on the RG and the cooler has been on it since it was new.   

BART

[76shuvlinoff]

I've not verified this with the heat gun, though I feel it's somewhat a good indicator of the oil temp.

IMHO there are too many variables with any heat gun. A surface pyrometer would be a better, a buried thermocouple would be best.

[Pilgrim]

I've not verified this with the heat gun, though I feel it's somewhat a good indicator of the oil temp.

IMHO there are too many variables with any heat gun. A surface pyrometer would be a better, a buried thermocouple would be best.

When I had the heads off my Evo back in the mid-'90s I had the rear oil gallery drilled and tapped at the left corner, just barely on the back, for a sending unit. Oil temps were sometimes scary to see.  One time, going up Raton Pass in July with my wife, they were over 300 for a good while. I changed the oil in Santa Rosa.

Pilgrim

[troop]

Not to hijack a thread but it is related. What would be a oil temp considered too high on 09 bagger w/out oil cooler ? I just bought a LCD dipstick over the winter so I'll be curious come summer/stop-go traffic....

[1998fxstc]

  25 yrs here in the motorhome chassis world. Nothing but old guys & gals that like to travel & document everything about their ride & trip. Water cooled Diesel engines with 210* thermostat in cooling system. Oil temps typically run 25% more than coolant temps., been on many cooling tests with Cumins, Cat, Detroit deisel, Etc.  25% above the coolant temp is exceptable all day long, that is normal, oil company says so, engine mfg. says so, Gov. regs. say so, life experience says so. So 270* going down the road is just right, everyday driving. Add a load, add high ambient temps, add up hill, etc.( temps will increase ) oil is made to handle it. A lightly driven RV gets 5K miles per year, ( kinda like a harley), A hard driven RV gets 60 to 70 K per year ( yeah it happens a lot ) still good shape.
Motorcycle oil is made for Sportsters & any bike with a mated engine trans. Harley Big twins  are like a car or truck or RV engine, just the engine involved. Buy good oil, change it regularly, buy good filter, same , no problems... Have fun!!

[NJ Rider]

I have an 08 SG and oil temps vary along with the ambient temperature. Normally, on a 80* day on the highway, oil temps are around 220-230*. They have hit 270* in traffic on a good hot day.
Once I was in Carlisle for the bike show on a 107* day, stuck in traffic. I was afraid to look at the oil temp.

[aceman2101]

Hottest I've ever seen mine is 250. That was running hard on interstate at 75-80 mph on a 90ish degree day.  That according to the digital dipstick on a 01 roadking. I can only imajine what the head temp was. 

[harborjohn]

I really dont want to know. I ride hard in very hot temperaturs, this I know. What difference would it make. Im not gonna stop in the middle of the fricking desert and let my bike cool as i burn up.....I make sure my bike is full of oil and I change it often.

[aceman2101]

 

I really dont want to know. I ride hard in very hot temperaturs, this I know. What difference would it make. Im not gonna stop in the middle of the fricking desert and let my bike cool as i burn up.....I make sure my bike is full of oil and I change it often.