How Hot is Too Hot?
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,101
Likes: 1,013
[QUOTE=Retrop;12676576]For all the legions of Harley riders out there who are paranoid about riding in hot weather... rest assured your bike is not going to melt down just because it is hot outside. You do, after all, have to keep it full of any brand of oil that meets the manufacturers specifications. There are probably a couple hundred different oils that fill the bill. Just pick one. You can pick an oil that costs $3 a quart or you can pay $15 a quart. As long as it meets the manufacturers specs it will be fine."
Really??
Tell that to all the bagger folks I see at Laconia on the side of the road
with their bikes smoking and barely running from sitting in traffic for 2 hours in the 90+ sunshine.
I've seen plenty of them! These bikes do not like to sit and idle!
I saw a couple of them beating the crap out of their bikes just
trying to get them to run enough to get through the high traffic area.
One guys bike was smoking so bad, I pulled over and told him to shut it down before he blew it up, (if he hadn't already)
Really??
Tell that to all the bagger folks I see at Laconia on the side of the road
with their bikes smoking and barely running from sitting in traffic for 2 hours in the 90+ sunshine.
I've seen plenty of them! These bikes do not like to sit and idle!
I saw a couple of them beating the crap out of their bikes just
trying to get them to run enough to get through the high traffic area.
One guys bike was smoking so bad, I pulled over and told him to shut it down before he blew it up, (if he hadn't already)
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
that may be so, but i bet all those bikes were not stock configurations. the designers made it a certain way to withstand certain things. you change it, and that changes what it can or cannot withstand.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,532
Likes: 132
From: SoCal
Yes and it is also very possible those bikes were destined to grenade that weekend due to their condition, previous to idling for hours in the heat. BTW if a guy does that I am curious to what else he does to it and how well he maintains it. I know I wouldn't idle my bike like that. And retrop is absolutely right about oils, no need for synthetic, unless a guy has replaced his v-twin for a jet engine.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 780
Likes: 4
From: Utah
only bikes with oil temperature gauges run hot
X3.
I bought one because I thought it would be cool to know what the temp was. After a couple of rides, took it off and tossed it. Figured there was nothing I could do about it and all it did was distract me while I was riding and make me worry; "is it too hot?;" "What about now?". I ran good oil, it was always topped off and I ran an oil cooler. Nothing more I could do about it. Ride and not worry about it!
X3.
I bought one because I thought it would be cool to know what the temp was. After a couple of rides, took it off and tossed it. Figured there was nothing I could do about it and all it did was distract me while I was riding and make me worry; "is it too hot?;" "What about now?". I ran good oil, it was always topped off and I ran an oil cooler. Nothing more I could do about it. Ride and not worry about it!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 6
From: New Jersey
Zeuss55 makes a great point! As long as your engine temp is well below the Flash Point of your oil, you should be okay.
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Ballwin, Mo
I too had a gauge for a short period of time before giving it to a buddy. With my personality I already have too many things to obsess over.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 32,934
Likes: 36,032
From: Carlsbad, CA
Bad oil temperature dream!!
This dang thread gave me a bad dream last evening. I was approaching a toll booth...which I have never done on my Harley...and I reached down and pressed the button on my magic electronic wiz bang dipstick. It read 650 degrees!!! I pulled over, and looked in the oil hole and the oil was boiling. I was with a friend and he happened to have a gallon of Redline oil...as I am a Syn3er...and we changed out the oil with Redline and all was well.
Dang!!! I have had enough of these "is my Harley too hot" threads!!!
I'm gonna start a "is Kaley Cuoco too hot?" thread and hope for a better dream tonite!
Dang!!! I have had enough of these "is my Harley too hot" threads!!!
I'm gonna start a "is Kaley Cuoco too hot?" thread and hope for a better dream tonite!
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 2
From: Northern Colorado
But for how long? The hotter the oil gets, the faster it breaks down. It's exponential! Just because it does not hit its absolute breaking point doesn't mean that it's not being severely stressed.
Last edited by NoCoLoco; May 5, 2014 at 04:23 AM.