Oil Temp!
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,535
Likes: 15
From: Salem, Va.
Harley Davidson has been building air cooled engines for a long time. The temp. you are talking about is fine. Your engine has to get around that temp. for the ECM to see it's warmed up. Synthetic oil is fine with that temp.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 527
Likes: 0
From: Sparks, NV
This thread is exactly why I'm not putting an oil temp guage on my new '11 SG. I had one on my '07 SG and during the summer, on long rides, all I did was watch the oil temp and worry needlessly about the engine. Traded it in with over 48K miles with no indications of problems due to oil temp. Just ride'em and be safe!
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,336
Likes: 415
From: Southern Maryland
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Same here except with a cooler, never higher than about 205° in heavy traffic while air temps are <75°. Normal summer temps while moving >45mph are ~200°, rarely up to 230° only in traffic but never higher. This time of year the cooler won't make as much of a difference since oil doesn't get much >185°, which is where the thermostat kicks in. In summer I wouldn't want to ride without a cooler.
Last edited by iclick; Feb 22, 2011 at 02:21 PM.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
"Normal" and "optimal" are two different things. Oil temps of 230° are too high except occasionally, as oil oxidization rises exponentially as temps increase. Oil is best at 180-200°, even synthetic which still oxidizes, just more slowly than fossil oil.