I have M1 V-Twin 20w-50 in the engine. After the first oil change, which the dealer put the Syn-3 in it, I changed it after another 1500... I thought that would help, but didn't. My oil is discolored some after another 3000 miles. It doesn't smell burnt. I'm waiting on a replacement radio. When it comes in, they said they would look into the heat problem. Probably going to tell me to get a Harley gauge. I will ask the service manager, If I do that, and the temp is the same, whats he going to do then? Then I'll say, do it now. Let's skip that step. Just have to wait and see I guess.

 

The first thing that pops into my head is I wonder if the heat management system is cutting out the rear cylinder when the bike is idling at a stop light. If it is really hot that will happen when it hits 278 degrees or so. If this is not happening then I would suspect your oil temperature guage is giving you wrong information. I also wonder if it is pinging when under accelleration when you say it heats near 300 degrees on the gauge. If it does ping, that might indicate a high temperature condition exists.

 

Yes, the heat management system will come on at a stop light. As long as it idles at 1000 or below for 2 min's or so. May be less but not much.

There is no pinging. Hot, cold, idling or running. Accelerates fine, runs good. I have 6700 miles on the bike now. It seems to have lost some of it's get up and go, but that maybe because I am used to the power of the 103 and up grades.

I had the temp gauge installed at the 1000 mile service. It has run hot (to me anyway) ever since. And once it reaches those upper temps, moving down the high way does not cool it off. I have to stop, and sit with it not running...

I agree, I think there is another problem here somewhere. Maybe in the tuning???

 

My 2011 Limited with the 103 runs pretty hot. I have a stage 1 and stock oil cooler on it and running sythetic oil. I've seen 250-270 oil temps recently in our 100 degree weather. In normal weather its usually 220-250 degrees. I did see 290 degree oil once when stopped in traffic. The warning signs I notice when its getting hot besides excessive heat on legs is motor seems to get a little sluggish and oil pressure will begin dropping below normal range like 25 psi running and 5-10 psi at idle. I'm no mechanic but would think in excess of 300 degrees should just begin getting concerned.

 

We need to remember that the "engine temperature" (ET) reported by the ECM is measured at the front head (FCHT) and is not the same as oil temp. ET will almost always be higher and more volatile than OT, which fluctuates relatively slowly.

The setting where EITMS kicks in is adjustable with most flash-based tuners, and that usually is around 285-290°. Before adding engine fans my ET might hit 290° every so often in summer traffic, but oil temp only rarely hits 230°, maybe a few times per year.

 

Ok, finally, someone that pretty much has the same figures on the oil temp as I do. So in your opinion, our high temps are not out of the norm? When running thru the Smoky's as much as I do, it gets hot, and not much cell phone reception. I don't need any problems on top of Old Smoky!

 

What constitutes "normal," "optimal," and "too hot" for a Harley engine are not universally agreed upon values. There are some factors to consider, however. HD claims that 230° is a "normal" oil temp (OT), but running that hot consistently certainly isn't optimal for either the oil or the engine. The engine will likely last longer when engine temperatures are kept under control and don't fluctuate wildly.

Some think that OT's must hit the boiling point of water before water can be "boiled out" of the oil. Since water is a byproduct of combustion you do get contamination in oil, and the oil's additives and heat normally deal with that adequately. Water will evaporate even at room temperature, but obviously not as fast as at 212°F--so it isn't true, for example, that 180° or even 150° is too cool to get rid of the water contamination. It just takes longer at 150° than 212°. My last bike, a 1996 Evo, almost never exceeded 180° OT in summer and 160° in winter, and in lab tests conducted on my used oil after 5k miles it never showed any TBN problems. TBN is a value used to determine an oil's ability to absorb contaminants. Thus, for that bike the oil's additives and heat levels were dealing with the water and acid contamination. TC engines run hotter than most Evos for several reasons, and IMO they need oil coolers to keep OT under control. I see 200-205° OT and 230-235° ET (FCHT) in normal summer riding in S. LA, and I'm happy with that.

Also, oil and its additives perform best in the 180-200° range, as when temperatures rise above that oxidation increases exponentially. I have oil coolers on my car (stock) and bike (add-on) and am unhappy when OT exceeds 230° on either one. BTW, it is important to check OT gauges for accuracy, as they can vary quite a bit--and many current HD fairing gauges read as much as 20-25° low. Synthetic oil can handle extreme temperatures much better than fossil oil, but it too works best in that moderate range.

If I was running OT's as hot as some report here I would take steps to reduce them. For me, 230° OT is the highest I want to see in any of my vehicles and in the Harley I've only seen it exceed that only slightly on two occasions in >5 years.

I should repeat that OT and the temperature related to EITMS function are not the same. ET (FCHT) is the value used to trigger EITMS, not OT, and they are very different numbers.

 

I've always heard @ 290 ish start watching the temps. But I'd say 240 range is pretty good