I'm sure this has been asked a hundred times but the search function sucks. What is the normal operating oil temp for an 09 sg? What temp is considered too hot?

 

I'm sure you'll get a number of opinions, but I'd say anything in the 200-250 range is ok, anything pushing 300 is to hot. just my opinion.

 

I think right around 220 is pretty normal. It can get hotter if it's hotter outside or if your riding in traffic.

 

I just had the oil cooler installed on mine. I see around 180* most of the time now with current temps. I was getting 220* without. Few weeks back on the freeway stuck in traffic in Austin I saw 260* and the bike and I were both about to melt down! I only know normal for mine was around the 220* reading mark on the Harley gauge I installed last year in place of the air temp. Not sure if that's accurate or not, only relative for me to know if I'm getting hotter or not....

 

Harley's have no thermostat, so pretty much anything goes as long as you are moving but remember 90 will get you a temperature, same drive and speed and load and 100 outside is going to get 10 more. See my bike 235 on 100 degree days easily, and during winter see it under same condition but winter day at 150. I really believe as long as you are moving nothing will really hurt it, but I would not push it above 60 or so if it's 115 outside. I see the big crusers talking 265. Harleys are just like lizards. See people talk differenet oils make a difference but to me that's a bunch of nonsence that's not measureable in real world driving....

 

230-250 on 90+ deg days is standard for my SG

 

it depends on the oil ...10W40 will be hotter than 20W50....becuase freer flowing oil transfers more heat.

 

From Joe Minton:

Normal Harley engine-oil temperatures ought to be between 180 and 220 degrees fahrenheit. This is the range most engine and oil manufacturers recommend. Harley, since the first Evo Big Twin, has done a superb job of maintaining these normal oil temperatures.

Temperatures lower than 180 may not evaporate water from the oil in a reasonable time. Remember that water is the majority by-product of combustion. Some of it finds its way into the crankcase on the oil side of the pistons, especially when the engine is cold. A dozen miles at 180 degrees fahrenheit pretty much dries the oil.

Higher oil temperatures—especially above 240-260 degrees—greatly accelerates petroleum-oil degradation. The oil oxidation rate increases with temperature, and 300-degree oil becomes useless “gunk” in a very short time.

High-quality synthetic oils, such as Harley Syn or Mobil 1, withstand much higher temperatures without losing their ability to protect your engine’s moving parts. I know that Red Line Synthetic racing oil continues to lubricate normally at 400 degrees.

I have used oil coolers on Harleys. Most of the time they were not needed and I either covered or removed them. However, there are circumstances that may call for some extra cooling. For example, heavy touring bikes making long climbs on hot days, or being ridden in low-speed parades, can overheat oil. Road racers going very fast on a hot day might run oil temps above 240 degrees.

Canyon racers (I used to be one) can have as much of an oil-temperature problem as the mountain-climbing bagger pilot. Both need an unusual amount of power at relatively low speeds where cooling is reduced. My experience is that road racers are less likely to have an oil-temperature problem than canyon riders simply because they are going much faster and the cooling is better.

Unless your engine’s oil temperature consistently exceeds 240 degrees, I wouldn’t bother with an oil cooler. If you do need one, buy it from Harley-Davidson. I have tested a number of oil coolers and most of them didn’t work very well. The Harley coolers do and they have been tested to withstand all those Milwaukee power pulses that we know and love.

One more thing. As we all know, the rear cylinder of Twin Cams, especially the TC96 and 103 engines, radiates a lot of heat on the rider’s right leg. This does not mean that there is a problem with overheating. These engines were designed to handle these temperatures. The only problem is that it feels so hot! So do not judge an engine’s running temperature by the heat you feel coming from the engine—use an oil-temperature gauge.

 

Moco says that normal opperating temps are supposed to be from 180-220.

 

In the owners manual for 09 touring models it states 230* is normal operating temp. I use it as a rule of thumb so to speak. I usually run between 200*-220* depending on the outside temp. Of course if you are sitting in traffic it will be hotter.