Heat Management

[JenT]

Probably a dumb question but going to ask anyway. I was stuck in very slow moving traffic for about 30 mins in 80 degree heat. The fan was kicking in at 204 degrees, would cool to 194, then repeat, over and over. The temp gauge always remained green but are these bikes designed to do that all day without harm to the oil, engine, clutchh etc?

I imagine if you’re doing slow hard off-road it’s the same (I don’t). But if you let it do that sitting in the garage it wouldn’t be good, so what’s the difference if the fan is keeping it within temp range?

 

[wessie]

Yes.
The boxer used to cope with such conditions even before it had oil cooling, let alone water cooling
The multigrade spec of oil is designed to cope with the European ambient temperature range from -lots to over 40C
I have ridden my R1200RS in Porto at 43C/109F. The bike was fine, I wasn't!

 

[leadfarmer]

It’s fine, that’s how water cooled engines work, the thermostat, radiator and fan keep it within it’s most efficient operating temperature range

 

[roundincircles]

Probably a dumb question but going to ask anyway. I was stuck in very slow moving traffic for about 30 mins in 80 degree heat. The fan was kicking in at 204 degrees, would cool to 194, then repeat, over and over. The temp gauge always remained green but are these bikes designed to do that all day without harm to the oil, engine, clutchh etc?

I imagine if you’re doing slow hard off-road it’s the same (I don’t). But if you let it do that sitting in the garage it wouldn’t be good, so what’s the difference if the fan is keeping it within temp range?

In many years of riding GS boxers in all kinds of heat conditions, the only issue was oil foaming on a 500-mile day flat out in 35c weather.....the bike just kept going. The oil level remained stable. I was knackered.

 

[listermint]

When I see traffic, I only ever see lane filtering.