103 Running hot??
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,052
Likes: 342
From: Virginia Beach
Agree toss the gauge! If you don't know what the temperature is how can you worry about it?
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 783
Likes: 126
From: East Coast
Follow this advice. Spot on.
I commute in bumper to bumper traffic in Houston in almost 100 degree heat every day in the summer. I went 112,000 miles before rebuild and I only did it then because I had the money at the time to do it and wanted to upgrade to a 103.
I had a temp gauge on my first bike and obsessed like you. I learned my lesson.
Toss the gauge, use a name brand synthetic of your choice, and change it every 5,000 miles like the manual says and you'll get well over a 100,000 miles out of your engine.
.
I commute in bumper to bumper traffic in Houston in almost 100 degree heat every day in the summer. I went 112,000 miles before rebuild and I only did it then because I had the money at the time to do it and wanted to upgrade to a 103.
I had a temp gauge on my first bike and obsessed like you. I learned my lesson.
Toss the gauge, use a name brand synthetic of your choice, and change it every 5,000 miles like the manual says and you'll get well over a 100,000 miles out of your engine.
.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,980
Likes: 5,218
From: Michigan
In addition to an oil cooler, I've found three things that will help lower engine temperature:
1. Get rid of the catalytic converter.
2. Have a tuner installed.
3. Install Wards Fan or Love Jugs.
I ride a CVO Ultra with he 110 engine and I installed the Ward's Fans (don't think they're available anymore, at least under that name) with the "creeper" switch that tells the fans when to come on and go off.
They run most of the time but I can tell that the engine is hotter than normal by the amount of time the fans run after I shut the engine off. It's usually a couple of minutes but it can extend to several minutes depending on ambient and cylinder temperature.
Until my digital dipstick took a dump on me, after running freeway speeds on a 85 degree day, the temp readout would be in the 240-250 range.
I nearly always use SYN3 but on one trip south I used Redline 20w-60w (synthetic also) and I could hear a slight difference (better) in the rocker boxes but the oil temp stayed about the same as with SYN3.
As for heat on the rider, I keep the lower fairing doors and the upper fairing wind deflectors open (unless I'm in a heavy rain downpour) and I also have the factory installed mid-frame heat deflectors. I also use the ventilated, H-D "Circulator" seat and backrest pads and they do help keep me cooler, and just as importantly, nearly "sweat free"!
1. Get rid of the catalytic converter.
2. Have a tuner installed.
3. Install Wards Fan or Love Jugs.
I ride a CVO Ultra with he 110 engine and I installed the Ward's Fans (don't think they're available anymore, at least under that name) with the "creeper" switch that tells the fans when to come on and go off.
They run most of the time but I can tell that the engine is hotter than normal by the amount of time the fans run after I shut the engine off. It's usually a couple of minutes but it can extend to several minutes depending on ambient and cylinder temperature.
Until my digital dipstick took a dump on me, after running freeway speeds on a 85 degree day, the temp readout would be in the 240-250 range.
I nearly always use SYN3 but on one trip south I used Redline 20w-60w (synthetic also) and I could hear a slight difference (better) in the rocker boxes but the oil temp stayed about the same as with SYN3.
As for heat on the rider, I keep the lower fairing doors and the upper fairing wind deflectors open (unless I'm in a heavy rain downpour) and I also have the factory installed mid-frame heat deflectors. I also use the ventilated, H-D "Circulator" seat and backrest pads and they do help keep me cooler, and just as importantly, nearly "sweat free"!
Last edited by 2AMGuy; Apr 25, 2018 at 09:56 AM.
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Road Master
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 783
Likes: 126
From: East Coast
The advantage that synthetic has over dino is it's ability to withstand shear due to heat. With volume being equal both will dissipate heat the same, However synthetic's engineered ability to retain lubricating ability at the molecular level even under extreme operating conditions makes it the oil of choice in these operating conditions.
